Published by the local tourism offices, a few snapshots of places to visit to showcase the history of the region are caught in this video.

The local tourism office is sharing this slideshow with all lovers of the Basque country-Béarn region on their Facebook page today February 14. This selection particularly showcases the mountains , the spectacular nature and fauna, and a slow way of living.  The buzz of the trendy coast and life in the quaint villages will be for another time. I thought I would share. Enjoy…

Here is a February 2012 newsletter  sent out to families with a interest in linguistic and French immersion programs. As the programs are now outlined on the web site, families are invited to review the brochures.

Europe, and both sides of the Basque countries have not been spared, are experiencing a cold spell.  My Canadian content leads me to smile as indeed there is so little white stuff on the ground  but my French Basque  origins make me realize how magic, fantastic or worrysome for others the sight of snow and deep cold can be over there.   Interesting choice of soundtrack on the video! I am glad this weather did not deter those who make a point to swin every day of the year in the ocean. Here is the link to the video…

My Canadian husband shared this article with me since raising a family with the references of two different cultures is our daily fare. Will not comment further since I have not read the book but clearly I can see why there was matter for research in comparing the parenting styles between French and anglo approaches. I also agree with the point made in the article that the presented view on French parenting corresponds very much to a bourgeois background which  represents only a slice of French life. What would also be interesting to analyze would be the parenting differences with respect to education in both the elementary and high school years as the author seems to focus on her phase of life, which is probably the one of raising a young family. I find myself going back and forth all the time between 2 worlds of references  in terms of schooling that each have their own merits.

Have a read for now of this review by the Economist of French Children Don’t Throw Food: Parenting Secrets From Paris  by Pamela Druckerman

An excuse to head to the Bordeaux area for a couple of days to enjoy special wines in special settings in the company of like minded connaisseurs . Expérience Authentique can help you plan your vacation around that week-end and possibly extend it into other nearby areas to enjoy the great contrasts and rich culture of Southwest France. Have a look at the program for the week-end des GRANDS CRUS 2012.

Here is an American view on the type of cultural adjustment it takes for an avid American skier to enjoy skiing in the Pyrénées the Spanish way. I can relate to that lifestyle around skiing in the Pyrénées although the Spanish have perfected it over the French, with late start up time, long lunches in the sun, lots of laughs, some skiing in the middle, nap time, then go out for tapas, then dinner. ( see my post on menus in the ski town of Barèges on the French side)

The place being presented is Baqueira, probably the most prestigious Spanish resort. I have never been there but skiied a few times 20 minutes from there in Super Bagnères on the French side. Yes the views are fabulous, an ocean of mountain peaks that I miss here as I ski primarily in the North East side of North America . The temperatures are warm most of the time, closer to what Spring skiing feels like here in the North East. I remember my first ski outing here in Ontario as a student, freshly arrived from France, and I did not even own a pair of goggles as they were rarely used in the Pyrénées back then. My survival instinct taught me to quickly invest in high quality outdoor clothes to start enjoying Canadian winter pleasures.

The  other thing I enjoyed about Pyrénées skiing, even if I do not have a chance to do much of it nowadays, is the sense of exploration. You feel like a shepherd in the mountains as the terrain is less prepared, lots of gulleys or couloirs to explore. I love it as long as I do not get judged for my technique at the end of the day since I am not a super talented skiier. As a kid you were taught to be able to ski everywhere, with no fear and a sense of adventure. The insurance companies had not coached the resorts to make it predictable and safe. You connected with the mountains and nature.

For now, this NY Times article will make you connect with a life loving approach to skiing.

a calm ocean in ST Jean de Luz in December

Just back from 18 days in Southwest France. Time with family and friends and enjoyment of the region was my main agenda. I only worked for a few days at the end of the stay, meeting with local service providers, visiting homes and hotels. Here are a few samples of what Southwest France can feel like over the holiday season.

First the weather: a good raincoat and umbrella is a must, as yes, rain is most likely in the cards. But not just rain! Sunshine and warm temperatures were definitely present as Europe is enjoying a very warm winter to date. Many days the temperature was in the mid teens ( in Celsius) and a good sweater was enough to be comfortable. Patios and terraces were often busy as soon as the sun was out. I remember the 24^th of December, eating freshly caught oysters, sunshine in our faces, sitting on a bench by the shore of the lake of Hossegor in les Landes region where they cultivate them.

while snow shoeing in Barèges

Mountain and Ocean: two main attractive physical elements of this region are to be enjoyed in the winter as well. Our family had a chance to snowshoe in Barèges, Hautes Pyrénées, (very close to the Tourmalet pass that Tour de France fans will know of) for a couple of days, a 2 hour drive from Biarritz. The snow cover was not deep but sufficient to head out into the alpines with blue skies in the background. Back on the coast, our family enjoyed a great day of biking between the resort towns of Seignosse and Hossegor along the coastal dedicated biking paths. In les Landes region, in the winter, the coast is quite deserted. Good opportunity to sit down or take a long walk without bumping into anyone for kms, with the sound and sight of spectacular waves crashing against the sand dunes as a companion. Heading further south to the Basque coast, there is less solitude  as the beaches are smaller and set within towns or villages. The waves at this time of the year again steal the show. St Jean de Luz bay, protected by 3 breakwalls, welcome behind its walls many intrepid surfers when the ocean is often too out of control to surf in the open water. Just before I arrived in the region, there was a 2 day tempest that inspired a local surfer/photographer to take amazing shots of the waves in the bay of St Jean de Luz with surfers not too far . Early January, hanging out in the same area, I loved watching this curtain of multiple waves rolling and  unfolding their strength towards the shore, with surfers taking their chances. Back inland on the Basque mountains, 30 minutes from St Jean de Luz, on a short hike with a friend,  the Artzamendi mountain offered its superb surroundings in a rich winter light that we captured between showers, with only wild horses ( pottoks), sheep, and flying vultures for company.

Food is everywhere, especially at this time of the year. Do not plan to head to Southwest France to lose weight in late December.  Unlike people in North America who celebrate throughout December, the French do not get into a festive mode until Christmas eve and then it is a lot of time spent at the table chatting with family and friends until January 1. Seafood, shellfish, foie gras, all sorts of poultries with stuffing, roasts, wild mushrooms, bûches de Noel ( Xmas logs), rich Bordeaux wines…are favourite items on menus. Then after January 6, ie Epiphany or feast of the Wise Men, you get together to share la galette des rois ( wise men`s cake) and  tirer les rois. A small toy is hidden inside the cake and whoever finds it gets to buy the next cake and often a bottle of champagne to wish each others a good year; the game goes on until the end of the month of January.  Look for a separate blog post about the menu at my favourite restaurant hang out, high in the mountains in Barèges,  chez Louisette, to get a sense of how much of a priority food is.

Place Louis XIV, St Jean de Luz in December

At Christmas time the towns are quieter, the action and  the gatherings are definitely happening more inside the homes, and to a lesser extent the bars and the restaurants. The food stores and markets are packed with amazing displays of products and people seem to be shopping constantly for the next meal with family and friends. On December 31^st, at noon, members of my extended family responded to an open invitation launched by a Basque musical group to everyone keen to sing to mark  the end of the year under the cloister of Bayonne…the simple joy of music making and sharing in a neat setting. I will post a short video I took on my phone in a separate post. We also attended a creative ballet performance in Biarritz put together by local star choregrapher Thierry Malandain . He finds inspiration in classical pieces of music to which he gives a very contemporary flavour. Ravel’s Bolero was on the menu for instance ( Maurice Ravel was born in the region, in Ciboure, so there is clearly a regional bias for this composer). The calibre of his ballet company is excellent, which  created an anchor point to host a high quality international dance

Port de ST Jean de Luz/Ciboure in December

festival in Biarritz each Fall called le Temps d’Aimer. Museums are also great ways to spend time when the weather does not collaborate. A visit to the Musée Basque in Bayonne allowed me to catch up on an exhibit put together by visual artist Michel Hacala, whose work is present throughout the Expérience Authentique web site. His exhibit was about a project I helped him initiate in Canada where he started painting the life and encounters of Basque whale fishermen with First Nation populations in the 1400s on the shores of the St Lawrence river. Look for a separate post on it as well. Another museum our family went to was the Science Center in  San Sebastian . Clearly targeted at kids, the museum exhibits and programs are impressive in my opinion for their use of 4 languages, Basque, Spanish, English and French  to make them accessible to a wide number of populations. I noticed the breadth of the themes covered and the cleverly organized space. Singing, museum exhibits, shows…. I should not forget rugby. I personally passed on the chance to go to a game as I preferred to meet with friends I do not get to see often  but the rest of my family made it to one of the games in Bayonne. In the Southwest, rugby is THE team sport like hockey is to Canadians. The season stops during the Summer months as it is too hot but when visiting the region off -season, I recommend that you immerse yourself in the festive sport atmosphere with the locals.

With short days, the movie theatre is an attractive option in the evenings. We did what 11 million of people in France have done in the last 2 months,  we went to watch the film that everyone over there seems to talk about: Les INTOUCHABLES. A light, feel-good type of comedy that brings the world of a quadriplegic wealthy man together  with the one of a young troubled adult where a strong connection develops based on the premise  of not feeling pity for each other. The film does a good job at contrasting the languages, the cultures, the challenges, and the hobbies of the rich with those of the low income, often non white population of the ghetto towns that surround major cities in France. Inspired by a real story, the movie is cleverly designed to please a wide audience and most likely overlooks some harsh reality. That being said, for me it was a sweet treat to enjoy the French humour and cultural notes. This movie will probably make its way on North American shore based on its commercial success to date.

Voilà ….what a few days in Southwest France over the Christmas holiday can feel like. Of course, I had the extra privilege to be well surrounded by family and friends I do not get to see often, something I am very grateful for. The French do not send Christmas cards but exchange New Year wishes throughout the month of January, so this blog post is meant to wish a good year to my blog’s readers through this bit of armchair travel.

menu du jour chez Louisette

la carte chez Louisette

Here is some material to feed the stereotype: the French take their food seriously… even when on skis or snow shoes, and even more in the Southwest of France.

While in Baréges- La Mongie, at the foot of the Tourmalet pass ( a well known pass by fans of the Tour de France), and taking a break from snowshoeing, my extended family took a break from exercising at the local restaurant Chez Louisette only accessible on skis, or snowshoes. I was amazed by the line up that people were willing to put themselves through just to enjoy the quality home fare, representative of a good traditional restaurant in the Pyrénées valleys.  Line ups are just not a French thing, far too undisciplined for that unless a good meal is the prize. The Lunch break turned into a full hour and a half to 2 hours stop with rich food, red wine and sunshine on the patio to be enjoyed. Let me do a rough translation of the menu du jour and a few items out of their regular daily fare: Roll of Pyrénées trout, foie gras with figs, leg of duck with a wild mushroom sauce, duck magret in blueberry sauce, roast beef with wild mushrooms, traditional vegetable soup of the region ( ie garbure), melted local Pyrénées cheese with potatoes ( tartiflette).

After a rich meal like that in the afternoon, two options left: exercise hard that afternoon to eliminate such a rich meal or collapse for a long nap in the sun in one of their lounge chairs.

Here is  a low key video I took with my phone in Bayonne on December 31st. A local musical group, Baionan Kantuz, was inviting anyone to join them to sing in Basque at noon under the arches of the cloister of Bayonne to mark the end of the year. Hundreds of people responded, the joy of singing making them forget about the rain. Singing and sharing that joy within your community is at the heart of that culture and indeed a pleasure deer to my soul.