The thought of a road trip in France brings to my mind “Asterix”, the wildly successful comic strip, and specifically the one when Asterix and Obelix go on an epic tour of France to source quality gastronomic specialties for a Roman high official. Hint, if you have not read Asterix and are the least bit interested in French culture, then go ahead and read this classic comic strip!
A French road trip invariably turns first to the question “What’s the gastronomic specialty in this region?”.
For some grounding on the French literature that I (Ben) grew up with, therefore, here is a reminder of Asterix’s “Tour de France”.
Per the Asterix map: when in Toulouse, have some “cassoulet”. So I dutifully indulge in consumption of cassoulet, being the good French boy that I am.
Ben: Hell yes! Peta: Um, er, no thanks! Cassoulet: A rich bean and sausage and duck stew. A homey country style dish, ideal for winter, but fine in May too.
Another Asterix shout out – Jambon de Bayonne… An assortment of hams and saucisson.
Keeping in mind Asterix (small and cunning) and Obelix (rotund and well meaning)’s roadmap of culinary treats, we know that yonder lies fine Bayonne ham / “Jambon de Bayonne” and most probably an epic fish soup, “soupe de poissons”, as it is the specialty at our destination, Biarritz.
Shady lanes and lush countryside unfold in front of us. Driving is easy, with little traffic and no signage. We select side roads which parallel the Pyrenees mountain range, in lieu of the faster highway.
We stop at small little villages along the way either for lunch or a stroll to take in the ever changing architectural beauty.
Biarrits is framed by the rocky coastline of the Atlantic ocean.
Biarritz’s posh beach front, “Grande Plage” has evidence of over a century of hospitality and grand hotels. This iconic hotel is one of many jewels in the Biarritz crown beac for decades…
In 1900, the beach front “The Grande Plage”was a choice destination for the bourgeoisie and bathing was quite a formal affair.
Peta does not feel the weight of history and the ghosts of yesterday’s beach goers. She does as she always does… yoga stretches on the go. Anywhere, anytime.
Exactly here, a mere 100 years ago…
Seafood is a specialty of course at the coast, but what we are interested in eating is the “soupe de poisson” (fish soup), because it comes with high recommendations from our last stop in Brugairolles. On the Asterix food map (above) there is no mention of soupe de poisson. A severe omission, to be sure.
A specialty of southern Provence, northern Italy and Northern Spain, it is one of those dishes that seem hard to replicate in other places outside of this region.
The old fishermen’s wharf is where the soupe de poisson action is. Below the grand hotels, the Romanesque church, nestles a tiny cove where every inch of space has a table, a chair and fresh seafood piled high.
We find “Chez Albert” seafood restaurant tucked under the canopy, behind the parked boats.
The anticipation of our soup de poisson is palpable. Will it measure up to our expectation?
Rich, creamy and intense. Multi layered flavors of seafood are complimented by crunchy pieces of toasted baguette spread with “rouille”. “Rouille” (Aioli flavored with Cayenne) is a unique and quintessential element of soupe de poisson. It has no other purpose in French gastronomy but to accent this dish.
Still regretting that we did not indulge in this dessert. Why? you might ask. Well, we had just consumed a whole box of sweet fresh strawberries from the market, so it seemed redundant at the time. Silly, silly, silly!
As the day ends, we decide that tomorrow we will drive to St John de luz, on our way to the Spanish destination ~ San Sebastian
At night, the lights in the harbor restaurants bathe the water and diners in a soft glow.
St Jean de Luz
After a few days in Biarritz we drive along the coastal road heading South towards Northern Spain. We have no bookings, no reservations, no plan, no real schedule. We just go.
A narrow foot path parallels a section of the coastal road, and we stop for a walk to take in the views and fresh air.
You can barely see Peta way along the path. There are few people and we have the pathway, greenery, blue skies and rocky views to ourselves.
Saint Jean De Luz is the last major town on the Atlantic coast of France before Spain. It is considered one of the prettiest coastal towns of France, has a beautifully maintained architecture, a small and attractive port area, and a long promenade-worthy lane of handsome buildings alongside the beach front.
A circa 1900s postcard from Saint Jean de Luz. Today there is a large protective wall between the beach area and the buildings to keep the sea at bay.
A nice wide stretch of soft powdery sand is very inviting. Perfect place for our picnic. It is only Spring and the summer hordes have yet to descent.
Many of the buildings here have a red timber design on the exterior, making the streets look like something out of a children’s book. With the newly warm weather, the cafes are full of locals enjoying the sunshine.
Sri Lanka feels miles away as we immerse ourselves in our current French environment. France, is a recurring theme in our relationship, as we have travelled here together many times.
Earth toned shutters contrast brightly against the creamy stone that is a common material in buildings in this region.
The quality and variety of French cheeses is always a bit mind boggling. We select a few small ones so as to get a tasting of the local specialties. There are 400 different types of cheese in France (out of the 900 types of cheese recorded globally). To put this in perspective, you could eat a different cheese every single day of the year and still not have tasted all of Frances offerings.
Specialty of the region the “grand creme” , a moist type of cheesecake.
There is a section of well restored century old homes overlooking the beach today, just as they did in 1900.
Like Asterix we have prepared a banquet from various markets: baguette, cheese, radish, endive, strawberries, pear, melon and green peas.
As in all good Asterix adventures, our visit to this part of France closes with a memorable “banquet”.
What a delectable road trip. I love French foods, especially cassoulet.
Thanks Peggy. All right, a cassoulet ally 🙂
Ben
I love seeing the old photos in comparison to the current locations. Your road trip, culinary and visual, through France looks delightful! Enjoy and thank you for bringing us along with this post!
Thanks Nomads, in Biarritz we were struck by the sense of continuity of a locale that has been a beach destination for so long. In an era when, today, cool, hip destinations around the globe keep popping up and are marketed as the “new” places to go, it is worth accenting that new is not always better, and that there is something to be said for places that grow a reputation over decades. Seeing the people at the beach in 1900 walking around the very same buildings in front of which we were taking a beach walk and doing a yoga stretch added a rich layer of history.
Ben
Good old Asterix! I like the look of your banquet / picnic. Mmmm!
There was no wild boar to be included in our picnic unfortunately and it was a bit more vegetarian that a banquet in Gaulle, but it was delicious nonetheless.
Ben
I haven’t heard about Biarritz and Saint Jean de Luz until now, but they seem so picturesque, Peta and Ben. That red timber design blew me away. Is a day trip to these two places enough to see all the highlights?
Thanks Lydia, glad we could introduce you to Biarritz and St Jean de Luz. Day trip? depends from where of course, but sure, we are of the opinion that any visit is worth it. They are both relatively small, but of course the more time you can spend, the more you will get out of your visit. If you only have one day, it must be all about just walking around to take in the architecture, which is certainly worth it. Thanks for stopping by and welcome to Green Global Trek!
Ben
For some reason, my glitchy WordPress program has not advised me of ANY of your Postcards from France entries! I have to make up for lost time, but I started with the newest, and it was a beaut! Is there anyone who does food like the French? I’m not an adventuresome eater or a “foodie” in most ways, but food is such a part of the culture there that I can’t help but immerse myself in it. (Well, except for meaty things like cassoulet – I’m with Peta on that one!)
Perhaps even more than the food here, I so enjoyed tagging along on your road trip. The use of the old Asterix cartoons and vintage photos was a great choice, but the current day snaps paint a picture of the best kind of leisure – a slow road, a loose schedule, and natural and man-made treasures around every corner!
Glad you appreciated the Asterix angle! Even though the authors were Belgian, they really did capture the fundamental essence of France in their comic strip. Peta, with her penchant for alternative natural medicine reminds me of Panoramix, the druid! Thanks for the thoughtful comments! You certainly have got the feel for our trip “slow road, loose schedule”…
Ben
Hard to think of traveling France without thinking of the food. Yum. Although, it seems like the rest of the world is starting to catch up.
That’s a good point, Dave. It used to be that the French proclivity toward acting like a nation of “foodies” was a unique phenomenon, but now a growing global population of foodies is demanding creativity, use of local fresh ingredients and the growing popularity of reality tv food shows further raises the bar on what people expect from restaurants. Being a chef is now recognized as a venerable career in the Anglo-saxon world (it has always been a high end and esteemed profession in France). All that combines to mean: better food for all of us, everywhere! But yes, France has unique and time-tested credentials in this area.
Ben
What a wonderful road trip, you two! Did you gain any weight? 🙂
I loved reading Asterix and Obelix when I grew up, and still think they’re so funny (and adventurous). I really enjoyed the photos and captions, and my mouth waters after seeing your banquet on the beach.
Like you, we never plan ahead on road trips, and make our own lunches – not as nice as these ones in France, though. When we were sailing in the Caribbean, it was always a joy to stop in the French islands and stock up on Leader Price goodies, which were affordable and delightful: the cheeses, dried sausages (which we are not eating anymore for health reasons, but I do miss them), baguettes, ….I think it’s time for lunch now. I’m leaving the library and off to the camper to make sandwiches now!
We are NOT (!!) discussing weight gain, Liesbet! ;-0
Glad you enjoyed Asterix!
Seems that Lisa Dorenfest (One Ocean At a Time) solved the issue of good food while sailing, by pairing up with “the Captain” who is Italian and can always be counted on to make delicious pasta! Now that is a smart strategy when sailing around the world! Stopping at French islands to stock up: great strategy!
Ben
Hmm, like Lexi I didn’t get my usual WordPress email notifications of your posts. I’m glad I looked at my reader. This is such a fun post and all your food photos are making me drool. I wouldn’t have been able to hold back on that beautiful strawberry dessert! Your photos of the towns and beaches are just as lovely as the food. I’m particularly drawn to the sunset (in Biarritz I think?) The old beach pictures are wonderful. Thanks for the tour! caroline
Caroline that is very strange, not sure what is going on, but it could be the result of our blog vanishing for a few days before we managed to get it reinstated. Sigh.
Right now we are regretting we didn’t eat that strawberry dessert! Glad you enjoyed our food and old beach photos. Yes the sunset was in Biarritz. Thanks for the positive feedback.
Peta
What a lovely trip you two had! (And there’s no way I would have passed on that strawberry dessert…..)
Thanks Ann. Yup, we should have had the dessert! Kicking ourselves… Not that we were short on food though!
Peta
I’ve always had a yen for Biarritz. Isn’t it funny how some places just appeal, long before you ever see them? I still have to do a northern Spain trip but I’ll get up that way one of these days. 🙂 🙂 I love your use of cartoons and old postcards in this post, Ben. 🙂 🙂
Johanna the whole region near the border with Spain is beautiful. We did briefly cross into San Sebastian, but that’s in the next upcoming post. Glad you liked the Asterix and old photos inclusion.
Ben
Now that was a most delicious tour! I will admit I’m going to skip some of the meaty dishes but that picnic by the sea looks incredible. Seeing the historic photos next to the current images is fascinating. I had never seen the cartoon before but found the inclusion in your post most effective. A great way to frame the story.
Thanks Sue for such lovely feedback. What? You have never read Asterix? A classic which has been translated into over fifty languages and is an unequalled anthropological study of the French. Peta tells me that most Americans would not know of Asterix, but I find it hard to believe that anyones education could be so sadly lacking 🙂
So glad you enjoyed the historic photos combined with our own. We were very conscious of the longevity of this as being a popular seaside destination over multiple centuries.
Ben
{sigh} I needed this post ❤️ It’s a gentle reminder of why I love all things French ❤️
You reminded me of our first trip to France 20 years ago with our 2 young boys. Your comment about “we have no bookings, no reservations, no plan, no real schedule. We just go” described that trip perfectly. We had very little money and almost all our meals were of the picnic variety like you had on the beach with the wonderful French baguettes and cheese.
I wonder if I can convince Gilles to return to France to celebrate our 35th wedding anniversary in October?
YES! Here is a message for Gilles from me, Ben …. “This girl DESERVES a trip to France for your wedding anniversary. In fact, taking Joanne to her word, one can still eat great food without breaking the bank, by having a daily picnic as you did 20 years ago.Some good things never change. The big advantage is that France’s network of high speed trains has drastically increased over the last 20 years. So many of the far flung places are now easy to reach. Also air b and b has exploded in France over the last few years and there are many authentic neighborhoods to stay in.”
Plus early October is a good time to be in France after the heat of summer and the crowds and not yet cold. Sounds like a perfect 35th anniversary to me!
Ben
My husband loves that comic, and this is making me want to hunt down a few issues because I’ve never read it! This sounds like such a great road trip too and the fish soup looks amazing. I didn’t even know France had that many cheeses, and it’s making me love the country even more.
Dee, hope you enjoy your first Asterix experience! We are still dreaming of that soupe de poisson, which was particularly good. French specialty in cheese: oh yes, France’s contribution to global gastronomy starts and ends with cheese. Everything else is secondary! Expertise and variety in cheese is a core competency. Thanks for your comments.
Ben
Delectable.
Beautiful.
Magical.
All of these things, dears.
And the grand creme”
OmmmGGg.
Love the photo of Peta w/ the blanket and cheeses and breads.
OH, and the YOGA poses.
Priceless. xx from MN
Thanks Kim for your enthusiastic and oh so positive lovely response to this blog post.
xoxo
Peta
Absolutely love that Asterix gastronomic map of France. Different provinces, different amazing famous foods. Looks Ben did indulge well and everything looks freshly made. Perhaps you can go back to Chez Albert and indulge in their dessert 😉 Also good food is always better when complimented by good views and looks like your travels have take you around the very scenic places of the region.
I absolutely love cheeses and that is such a spread of cheese. One piece of cheese is never enough for me 🙂 Safe travels in France.
Mabel thanks for your enthusiasm about this post and all the glorious French food. It is true that food tastes better when there is a view or a really nice setting, or at least psychologically we think it does! I love cheese too but I definitely try to pace myself there so my stomach doesn’t get crazy on me. But oh they are all so delicious and tempting.
Peta
So I was missing your recent posts – don’t know why that is but I’m glad to visit with you again.
What a great idea to include the very old postcards with your new photos – we can see how much has changed (fashion) and how much has not ( the magnificent old buildings.) And of course, a picnic is always in style, especially with cheese. There are very few photos of my parents when they were young, but one that I love shows my dad with his four younger siblings and their mom. They’re at the beach, probably Asbury Park or Atlantic City, and the bathing suits are right out Great Gatsby. Well, you know what I mean. I always smile when I see that photo.
I’ll take a look around your blog to see what else I’ve missed. Be well, you happy travelers.
What are the people like? Do they have a particular coastal mentality or are they French like Parisians?
Shari, we have had a snafu with our blog recently where posts were not being received by our subscribers so you might have missed the last few posts on France. Hopefully this is working now.
The old postcards are so interesting to compare with the current day visuals. I think you will really like the postcards in our next post on La Rochelle. Love the description of the old family photograph. There is one of my parents like that as well that I love too
The people were all very friendly, as I have found all French to be, on every single trip we have taken no matter what direction. (More reserved in certain parts such as Brittany perhaps, but still friendly.) Not at all like the stereotypes out there.
Peta
How lucky are you to ‘eat your way’ through France? Thank you for taking me along on your gastronomic road trip. Those strawberries, that cheese, those deserts, that jambon de Bayonne…and then you had to push me over the edge with that gorgeous cassoulet.
And once again you had the place to yourselves!
Magnificent pictures as always. Definitely far away from Sri Lanka, but there are bits here that remind me of Fort Galle … the closest I’ve been to Europe in quite some time.
Looks like you guys are having a blast.
Lisa, French food and markets definitely were a huge treat after Sri Lanka which really has a predominant curry and rice culinary offering. Those strawberries were the best we have ever had and I am still dreaming about them!
It is great to travel off season, if one can. Definitely tons of benefits to not dealing with crowds.
Thanks for the compliment on the photos, so glad you enjoyed. Yes, Fort Galle of course has Dutch and Portugese influence and so there are similarities in the architecture, correct.
Great trip overall! Followed after by wonderful visit to family in California and Chicago.
Peta
I am a fan of Asterisk and a massive fan of the French cuisine. .I loved how you have written this post 🙂
Yay, another Asterix fan! Thanks so much for the lovely compliment on the writing.
Ben
I’d love to visit Biarittz
It was a great combination of beaches, good seafood restaurants, market, quaint places to stay and well located to other interesting spots.
Peta
That banquest on the beach looks so divine, yet so simple. France is so amazing for the variety of gastronomy in each region. And, as you mentioned, the cheese. One of the first things I was told about French cheese was that there was one for every day of the year. Seems like there’s even more than that!
It’s an interesting thing how the human mind works – we always tend to think that “our” reality must be “the” reality. So some people think that there are basically a couple of handfuls of types of cheeses (goat, camembert, brie, gruyere, blue, parmesan, gouda…). But a new reality unfolds when traveling through France’s local cheese shops, the sheer range of options is mind boggling.
We have had a similar experience re banana in Sri Lanka. I always thought that there basically two types of bananas – sweet ones and plantains. Living in Sri Lanka, we have learnt that there are almost 20 different types of bananas here! Who knew?!
Ben
Ok…I am going to freshen my passport so I can return to France! Love your descriptions of food, culture and history!