Discovering Biscarrosse and Les Landes

On a weekend visit south of Bordeaux to see Thomas and his family, we were treated to incredible meals, good cheer, and the best kind of French hospitality-- boisterous and gregarious. Thomas's brother, an avid kayaker, had just returned from a two-year stint in New Zealand and the family was happy to be together again. We were welcomed like family. As we devoured beautiful, multi-course meals (better than any restaurant), Thomas's father, a jolly, bearded fellow, graciously opened bottle after bottle from his wine cellar, aged to perfection.

Thomas's father built the house by hand: a magnificent timbered structure modeled after the historical architectural traditions of the Landes département. I'm just beginning to learn the vast differences between each of the 100 départements in France. Located within the Aquitaine region, bordered by the huge shifting sand dunes next to the Atlantic, Les Landes used to be a vast tract of marshy moors, its sandy soil impossible to cultivate. Forests of pine were planted in the 19th century to prevent erosion, and now the lowly-populated département is known for its timbering industry. Apparently the pilgrims, en route to Santiago de Compostela, used to dread the crossing of the uninhabited moors of Les Landes.

The flat landscape is unlike anything I've seen in France, dotted with desert scrub and flowering yellow bushes. The name for the département now also indicates this particular type of landscape. Even with the sandy soil, Thomas's father is able to grow a vegetable garden. He mixes kitchen compost with the sand.

Our rowdy, late-night conversations covered topics like the trendy 100 mile-diet in the States, the French election (of course), travel (Thomas's parents are adventurous voyagers), and the history of Les Landes. The département has been inhabited since paleolithic times, and Thomas's father was quite passionate about the area's archeological digs. In the nearby lakes, they have discovered artifacts, including a canoe, dating from the Iron Age. The mayor has threatened to stop the funding for this project, which-- we agreed-- is ludicrous. The early inhabitants of this region created iron tools to carve canoes, which they used to explore the coastline. Rivers used to flow directly to the sea, which have since been stopped by the enormous shifting sand dunes, eroding and spreading like the Sahara. The rivers dead-ended at these sand barriers, and lakes were formed. At the bottom of one of these lakes, where the tourists flock in the summertime, incredible artifacts spill the secrets of the ancient people who settled the land.

Pictured: Thomas spoons generous portions of fish on my plate. The platter was positively indulgent: six different kinds of fish purchased from fishermen in Bayonne, grilled and served Spanish-style.