Arcachon, France

Edward
Jun 11, 2018
5 min read

This weekend we traveled west of Bordeaux to the Bay of Arcachon on the Atlantic ocean. It is famous for its oysters and also for the largest sand formation in Europe.

The bay flushes at each tide, emptying by almost 2/3.

The Island of Oiseux or in French, the I'lle aux Oiseaux has had oyster beds since the 19th century.

We had an AirBnB in a home near the back of the bay. It was a real bed and breakfast run by an older French couple, Michel and Jacqueline.

It was a lovely home and a lovely couple, but it was a good thing Barbara can speak French. The best part was meeting the other guests at breakfast.

We arrived Friday around 4pm. It wasn't easy to find. Neither the Waze App or the navigation in the Renault could find it.

I guess it was too new for Europe. We learned the home was built only 30 years ago.

Their home was full of interesting art. We thought we would go out Friday but we were so exhausted from the weeks activities, we just fell asleep.

Barbara slept 14 hours straight. I woke up for a while and saw the sunset, but I wasn't far behind her in number of hours crashed out.

They asked at Hertz if we had any luggage. When I said yes, one big bag and some smaller ones, she said I would need a bigger car.

They moved us instead to this much bigger, Renault.

After a delicious breakfast and super interesting conversation with a retired Dutch banker, we headed over to the Pilat Dune.

It is 345 feet high, 1,670 feet wide and 1.67 miles long. Each year 1.5 million people climb to its summit. The easiest route was up some movable plastic steps.

Behind the dune is a huge pine forest. This area has been inhabited since prehistoric times and is now a protected forest.

The boys in the picture were running and leaping off the side of the dune. They didn't fly far. The boy in the lower right had just landed. It looked like a lot of fun, but I resisted the urge to join them.

In the distance is Cap Ferret at the north entrance to the bay.

The massive sandbar in the picture above is called Banc D'Argun. It's located between Pilat Dune and Cap Ferret and splits the entrance to the bay into two channels.

It is constantly moving and is a challenge to navigation. It's also a favorite stop for many species of migratory birds. It has been a Nature Reserve since 1972.

We continued our tour with a visit to the town of Arcachon. Unlike Bordeaux, the architecture here is very modern.

We started with a visit to their Saturday market. It was one of the largest markets we have seen, certainly on this trip.

After the market, we walked the promenade along the beach.

There was a man doing painted sand sculptures on the beach. The detail is amazing. He must use something to hold the more delicate parts together.

He had all manner of interesting creations.

This seaside carousel was one of the most beautiful I've ever seen. Of course the location didn't hurt.

Even though we were in an oyster center we were both in the mood for moules (mussels). One pot was prepared with a cream and garlic, the other with parsley, garlic and carrots. They were both delicious, but the one with the creme was truly memorable.

After lunch we did a two hour tour of the bay.

The houses shown above, are.called Cabanes "Tchanquées", or cabin on stilts. They were inhabited by the guards who watched over the oyster beds in the early years. Today they are second homes for the oyster farmers.

The cabins are located around Oiseaux isIand, which gets its name from the many species of migratory birds that winter here.

This boat, called a pinasse, is the local style watercraft. Today, you see every imaginable kind of boat on the bay.

The north shore is more natural, and doesn't have or want the glitz and glamour of Arcachon.

It looks like fresh oysters are delivered to the door of this restaurant.

This shore is a mixture of architecture styles, with a very pleasing result.

Oyster beds are just about everywhere. The bay produces 10,000 tons of oysters per year.

We saw several shore dives going on right next to the oyster beds.

This chapel is all that remains of a large villa. It is home to two different religions, inspired by the villa owner's many travels.

Pilat Dune in the distance. Its came from the destruction of a huge offshore sandbar in the 17th century.

These divers are coming in from the sea. That neon green wetsuit is pretty cool.

There was good wind on the bay and plenty of sailors having fun.

As our tour wraps up we return to Arcachon.

The whales in the bay are a species we are not familiar with. :)

Nothing like a nice hot Mocha after an afternoon on the water.

Sunday we returned to Bordeaux to catch the train to the Paris airport. We had plenty of time so we went to the theater district for lunch.

The Ferris wheel is near that district in a grand park in the center of town.

This was a really great and affordable wine. It had an English description on the label so we are hoping we can find it in the US.

The restaurant was at the Intercontinental Hotel across the street from the Opera House. It was probably the best meal we had on our own.

The Opera House.

A 1955 Renault in pristine condition.

As we headed back to the train station we took a few minutes to check out this monument to the French revolution.

The Girondins were a political party in alliance with the Montagnards in the Jacobin movement working to overthrow the monarchy. They were based in Bordeaux. As the revolution spiraled out of control they tried to resist but came in conflict with the more radical Montagnards.

Following the insurrection of 1793, there was a purge and mass execution of the Girondins. This event is considered to mark the beginning of the Reign of Terror in France.