Day 1 July 7 2015 - Hendaye to Biriatou
July 7 2015
For whatever reason, I am always intrigued by night trains. So I dragged my husband onto one from Paris Gare d'Austerlitz to Hendaye. We arrived in early morning. With the desire for a strong cup of coffee and a big breakfast, we immediately started walking to the center of this surfing town. It was curious to know that at 9 am, more people were sitting at the cafe for alcoholic beverage than breakfast. In fact, there’s no hot breakfast at all as only bars were open at that hour! We stocked up enough baguette and off we went. It didn't take long to be out of this seaside town and into the hills and the small villages. Every house is white washed; every roof is covered with red tiles; and brilliant flowers burst out of every garden. Passers-by couldn't help admire the century old harmony in the atmosphere. We walked leisurely up and down the gentle hills, through the tiny settlements, leaving ourselves plenty of time to soak in the country view surrounding the trail. Early afternoon, we arrived at our hotel Les Jardin De Bakea at the village of Biriatou. Meals at the hotel merited compliments. Generous portion of veal for two with chanterelles mushroom brought great satisfaction to two hungry walkers. A sumptuous breakfast the following morning set us up nicely for a long walk.
Lodging: Les Jardin De Bakea
Walking time: 3 hours
Elevation: +350m, -300m
Level: easy
Distance: 5 miles
Map