Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
10
Guess Who Came to Dinner?
We slept like a couple of oversized babies, most of the time. The night had been interrupted
by Biff who decided that he needed a wee. Twice. Tempting as it was to hang him over the
balcony we resisted and Jack trudged up and down the three flights of stairs muttering un-
speakable oaths on his way to find a suitable patch of grass.
The next morning we awoke to the sounds of nature. The surf crashed down on the
sand as it rolled in from the Bay of Biscay and seagulls squawked raucously as they careered
sideways past our window. This was bliss. One whole day of holiday before the next leg of
our journey. It was a gorgeous, warm morning with azure-blue skies which augured well for
our planned stroll along the beach. After a hamper-breakfast we set off towards the remains
of the concrete war bunkers and gun emplacements.
The Germans had built these to defend occupied France against the landing of the Al-
lied Forces. Ever-meticulous, they'd virtually enclosed the French coastline with huge de-
fence installations, extending to the south-western border with Spain. But here, they were
never actually used because the D-Day landings occurred some 650 kilometres to the north
on the beaches of Normandy. Today, they look very different. Torn from their foundations
by ravaging storms and decorated with graffiti, they serve a happier purpose as a great ad-
venture playground for dogs and children alike.
It was April and officially 'off-season' so there were very few people about. It also
meant that the dogs could have free rein on all the beach areas. This contrasts to the high sea-
son where lots of canine-related rules apply and signs indicate the zones prohibiting dogs.
However, the French, world famous for making lots of rules and then comprehensively
breaking them, generally ignore these zones but do carry poo bags. They also tend to spe-
cialise in owning dogs that are tiny enough to be stowed in a handbag so they almost don't
count as canines. But these little chaps can regularly be seen illegally trotting around the
groomed beaches.
Another thing to note about this huge expanse of coastline is its quality of surf. Some
parts are extremely benign and suitable for all age groups to swim in. These are usually iden-
