27 juilliet

27 juilliet
Messanges a St. Jean de Luz via Bayonne et Biarritz
About 90 km.
The sun shone all day long! Left the land of "piste cyclable" just before crossing the bridge to Bayonne. Heading into the Centre Ville, I noticed that most folks were wearing white and red. Voila! Je arrivee en l'un ere jour de la Fete de Bayonne!
The crowds were immense and rowdy. Lots of drinking and singing and bragging about bulls & rugby. The citizenry were enjoying themselves in grand style. Wandering the pedestrian streets of downtown, several times encountered complete bipedal gridlock. Then the singing and clapping started. It was intoxicating.
Located a "French Coffee Shop" with WiFi. After absorbing a much needed macchiatto, I, too, felt like singing and dancing. When the baristas turned the music up to "11," all of us started dancing jubilantly. We were shaking the place down!
With dancing shoes intact, headed south to Biarritz. Wow! A spectacle best seen on a bike, unless you drive a Jaguar, Mercedes or, best of all, Ferrarri. After the third red Ferrarri rumbled throatily by me, I had had my fill.
The coastline reminds me of the California coast. Cruising south, the road plays tag with the sea, the bluffs and the beach, gaily knitting together the resort towns. Glancing eastward, my breath caught in my chest. There were the Pyrenees rising into the clouds! I did not realize how starved for a view of mountains I was. I admit to feeling seriously intimidated.