South on the West Coast of France.

Written 27^th July 2012

We have now been down here for 2 weeks And the time has flowen by. The whole time has pretty much been consumed by the following;

Checking the surf, surfing, laying on the beach in the sun, reading on the beach in the sun, sunbathing on the beach in the sun, chilling at the tent, napping, eating, visiting the pattisserie and the supermache, and playing cards.

So back to where I left off...

We spent a 2 nights at the campsite in Biarritz. 

We were on the “young people's side” which could be quite noisy at times. We were happy to be able to talk to some people too. There were some party boys who played dance music out of there car loud as all day long and half the night too. We kept thinking they would go to town but they never did. That first night at Biarritz we were quite tired so we just chilled in the evening.

The next day we went early down to the soggy Grand Plage to watch the last day of the Roxy Pro.

It was awesome to see the girls ripping it up. The beach was nearly deserted except for a few people braving the drizzle to run or surf or use a metal detector on the beach. Steve went for a surf first then came and watched with me.

We watched until Paige got beaten in her heat then left the slowly filling beach and went off to find food and stuff.

We chilled for a bit then came back to a sunny beach bustling with people.

We were just in time for the final and got to watch Stef Gilmore win.

After the beach we went to find some dinner and went back to camp to cook it. We decided to walk back up to watch the fireworks later that night – they were supposed to be on at 11pm. So that night we hiked it back up there. And it all would have been okay if it wasn't for my tummy. My tummy decided that something didn't agree with it and began to make itself known when we were nearing the top of the hill. We kept on going but I knew it was going to be a case of fast poos sooner or later. When we made it to the top of the hill I didn't think I could go any further. I needed some time to stand still. The fireworks started and we watched as they burst like twinkling flowers above the buildings of Biarritz. 

It was a spectacular show. After they had finished we started back and a miracle happened, (luckily) we found a public toilet in France (amazing in itself) that was open at night (!!!) that had toilet paper (!!!!!) and was not disgustingly dirty (!!!!!!!!!) so I dealt to that sore tummy and nicked some loo paper for the walk back (about half an hour) incase of emergencies. And we made it back without any unfortunate trips to the bushes. Yay.

The next day we packed up and moved to a campsite called Le Mer at Lebonne which was really nice. It was a real good family place – there were things on every night (the second night there was a really good covers band). We booked in there for 2 nights as we were happy to not be moving around quite so much. We went surfing ruther north at a beach called Les Bourdaines. It had quite a good bank but also quite a crowd and quite a current. The following day we scouted out a new campsite where we would set up camp for quite some time. We wanted somewhere by Hossegor. And we found somewhere fairly quickly by going to the information centre. We liked the guy on reception (Fabien) who was really nice and friendly and said he wouldn't be there the following day but that we cold pick our own spot. We were stoked. So after another surf and sorting out the camping we ate sausage baguette and broccoli (our new favorite easy dinner) 

and listened to the band play while we versed each other in our favorite card game 500 (Steve is still trying to beat me). The next morning after a surf we moved to our new campsite. It is at the northern end of Seignosse. When we arrived Fabien was not there as he said and there was a lady on the desk. She assigned us a spot. I explained that Fabien had said we could pick our own spot. The dragon lady said in her haughty French accent “No, t'is not possible.” So I was cross. We had already payed for 2 nights in advance so we decided to check the site first and if it was crap then ask to change to another one and if she said no then just stay for the 2 nights. So we hiked down to the camping area (which is at the end of the drive furtherest from the road) and had a look at 115 which was probably the worst site in the whole place. It was right up the back and tiny. We found one we thought we would like (224) and trudged back up there to the office. Luckily the dragon was in her cave (a.k.a. Office) and we were served by a girl who checked and saw that 224 was free. She asked Dragon Lady if we could change and she grudgingly said yes so we decided to stay the whole time. We drove down there and set up camp and that is where I am now writing. It is a good little site as it has a sort of retaining wall that we can balance things on and use as a sort of shelf. 

The only downsides to it are that it has sand and dried tree foliage on the ground which stick to anything that blows off the line and it is unbearably hot in the afternoons when it gets no shade, forcing us to abandon the tent and move our chairs around in the circling pine tree shadows if we want to remain in camp. Since we have been here it has pretty much been sunny every day. Our general routine is get up and have breakfast, go and check the surf at Le Penon and Les Boudaines (and other places if they are both bad), have a surf, lay on the beach in the sun, go and get a late lunch, chill at the tent, go back to the beach for another surf 

(this photo is of a giant beetle we saw on the walk to the beach one day)

and or read, get dinner, play cards, sleep. Then the next day repeat. :)

This is Seignosse.

Staying in the site opposite us we met a really nice English couple called Caitlin and Laurie. We had heaps of fun chatting to them and teaching them to play 500. 

We went to the beach with them one day and surfed with Laurie and then lay in the sun. That beach was called Capbreton and is scattered with war bunkers. It looks as if a giant is playing knuckle ones there and has neglected to pick them up. They have been knocked around so much by the elements. 

It was funny too because after that we went shopping in Hossegor and I bought some nice new clothes and then we went to the supermarche and we saw them there! And I was like de ja vou from the time we kept seeing Nathan and Lisa everywhere down here in April!

We had a nice few nights chilling with them. (Thanks for a fun time Laurie and Caitlin!) They have moved to a different campsite now (a few days ago) but we are hopefully going to catch up with them again tonight or tomorrow. Poor Laurie has smacked his head open on his board though and got 8 stitches above his eye! It must be a pretty good gash! Sounds like an interesting story even though his own board got him. There were some other guys staying here for a few days from Wales and one of them had been crashed into by a guy surfing and the other guy's board had broken on the Welsh guy's face and his eye was cut up all around it and swollen but lucky the eye itself was okay! Scary crowds I tell you!

Continued 29^th August 2012

So the last week has been more of the same good holiday vibe. 

Last night we went to RockFood in Hossegor to meet up with Caitlin and Laurie and Laurie's sisters Harriet and Megan and Megan's boyfriend Tom. After a drink we went and got tea at an Italian place.

After tea we went down the the beach and we ended up chatting to Laurie's parents too who were really lovely as well. 

After Caitlin and Laurie left we made friends with two fun German guys called Stefan and Julian. We had a good few nights chilling with them and went surfing with them one morning (well Steve surfed and I took photos on the beach as it was big and bolshy).

 One day we were surfing at Les Bourdaines and I looked over at this guy thinking he was Steve and then belatedly realised he wasn't. He was Steve's twin. He really looked very similar. Apparently he had similar taste to Steve too as he kept grinning at me. There are quite a few good looking guys around (and girls too).

Another day we drove north a bit and went surfing up there. That same day as the big morning surf we also went north and I did some topless sunbathing while Steve battled it out in the waves. The day we surfed up North was quite fun apart from the mission current. It was SO hot I felt like I was in a daze until we got in the water. The heat caused a bit of a thunder storm to build and spill over so there was rain to cool us down. That night we sat outside our tent after tea (after Steve's third surf) watching the lightning flash it's way across the sky. It was quite amazing. It had been a still humid night and as the lightning came closer the wind began to stir, then built up strength to rustle the pine trees overhead who sent their needles down to spear us. After a while we began to hear the thunder crack it's mighty sound overhead and then the rain started. We lay in bed with the rain splattering down and the lightning illuminating the tent while thunder crashed in the darkness every so often.

This is Le Penon.

This is our favorite car park. (You can see it from the path over the dune to the beach so we think we are less likely to be robbed from it. :) )

My new clothes.

This is Les Bourdaines.

There is a pool there.

This is the beach buggies they have instead of quad bikes for the life guards to use.

And this is the pool man who gives kids lessons. 

I stubbed my toe in the night!

Today the surf is small so we are catching up on a few things.

I have been working on getting further forward on my board when I am surfing and that is helping me to catch more waves. The day before yesterday we had a frustrating surf in the morning with a diabolical crowd on the bank. In the evening we went out again and it seemed a little cold so I wore my steamer and by the time I got out there I was boiling! So I paddled back in and peeled my steamer off on the beach and paddled back out in my bikini. It feels so much freer not being restricted by a wetsuit. My bikini's have been driving me a bit mental when I surf. Normally I have been surfing in a rashie and bikini but the bottoms are constantly falling down and flashing everyone my cheeky white bum! Otherwise it is a wedgie. So I want to look for either a bikini that sticks better or a really thin springie/hot top with tog bottom or something.