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10 Days in France • Sam Hawksmoor London to Biarritz by train Returning from ten days in France with a streaming cold (caught I suspect in the crowded Paris Metro) I have been pondering what I learned from the experience.  I did the whole journey by train from London (changing from Gare Du Nord to Gare Montparnasse in Paris) and the trains in France not only run fast (300 kph) but run on time too. They are remarkably smooth running too. Ouigo trains are cheaper but have restrictions and no catering. SNCF trains are a better choice in my opinion if you book ahead. The catering is poor however so bring your own lunch and coffee from Paul's or other outlets at the station. (Even Starbucks are there). The first four days I was hosted by my very good French friends Lionel and Catherine in Biarritz. The City is still my favourite place in all of France and I spent my days walking the mostly empty beaches at low tide. You can go for miles stopping at various beautiful coves and listening to the fierce rolling Atlantic waves. The photo shows one of the many surfer beaches. It's a great place to learn to surf and there are quite a few surf schools there. The air is invigorating. At low tide walking from Milady Beach all the way to Bidart and beyond it is beautiful. La Plancha overlooking Plage D’IIbarritz Beach is a great spot for lunch. The terrace overlooks the wild ocean and it’s popular. (To book +35 5 59 43 47 08 ) Lunch 12-2.30 pm. Anglet Beach going the other way is great too as you listen to the pounding surf and it's a popular golfing location in the pines. I have been coming here since I was a teenager, and my biggest regret is never having enough money in all those years to buy a little place of my own to come to every year. A total lack of foresight on my part, not to mention an absence of spare capital. The Atlantic coast doesn’t get the mass tourism that the Med gets but every surfer in the world knows the waves are best here.  My photo shows the cliffs that protect Biarritz from the huge Atlantic storms. It can get pretty fierce at times and there is an erosion issue. But it is a dramatic backdrop to your beachside walk - best done at lowtide. It’s always crowded in August, of course, but the Bay of Biscay is worth visiting all year around.  I was there in September the best month. Arcachon up the coast 55k from Bordeaux is more seasonal, but Biarritz is a year round destination with a great University in nearby Bayonne and a brilliant art school in Biarritz itself.  St Jean de Luz is just down the road with a delightful safe harbour location with safer swimming for kids. My friend, now retired as a teacher from that art school, belongs to a Basque Choir. They are in much demand performing in some of the beautiful churches in the area and at weddings and christenings. It seems to have given him a second lease of life.  We all should discover a second career in retirement I guess. Being part of a family is a driving force in France. My friends are part of a huge family with all their children with enfants of their own and all closely involved with each other’s lives.  The Choir too is like a second family. This I think is the difference between the UK and France. They all really like each other. I don’t think it’s like that in England. The closeness, the affection and generosity, it comes all very naturally.  Perhaps it’s just my own family experiences that make me say that (even though I am close to my sisters). But I know other families in the UK, and we don’t as a whole invest enough in maintaining good relationships. Quite often burning resentments scar families and people go years without speaking to one another. My French friends feel sorry for me that I never married and have no kids.  I, of course, think the opposite and am quite relieved I have no kids with all the heartbreaks and emotional rollercoasters I see in others with children. I moved on to Bordeaux. I was last there when they were digging it up to build the tram system, now happily functioning with incredible regularity and the city was buzzing. Young university students jammed the streets, and I was lucky enough to meet a Dr Glass from New Zealand who shared what she loved about the city. It’s one thing to journey alone on vacation but sharing a lively conversation over a glass of wine and a stroll by the wide Garonne river makes an evening memorable. The thing that impressed me most there were all the wonderful bookshops; still thriving in a city of students.  Long may that last. The white dog intriqued me. It belong to a sleeping homeless person but chose to sleep in the middle of the pavement and everyone calmly walked around it so as not to disturb it. I finally ended up in Paris for four days and walked everywhere. I stayed in what is quite possibly the worst hotel in the whole city – something that should not be on Hotels.com list in my opinion. It was the kind of place you'd expect to find a dead body on the stairs. No window in the smelly room, tap falling off the basin, no hook for the shower, no breakfast bar and a lift plastered with emergency numbers to call for when it breaks down – which is does regularly apparently. (I used the stairs). It’s in Montmartre and just a few streets away from the Sacré Coeur, crammed with tourists all looking for Amelie or Emily. I shan’t give the name of the hotel as I want you to experience the same horror one day.  I am reliably informed by my nephew on my return that my £100 a night room was virtually ‘nothing’ and people in the know spend closer to £500 a night.  It is that knowledge that tells me that my travelling days are over forever and it’s time to get a dog and just stay local.  Sigh. I always look out for interesting street art. This example in a street close to Abbesses Metro. * A little secret about Sacré Coeur - at the bottom on Rue Ronsard lies Halle Saint Pierre - a wonderful gallery/bookshop/coffee shop which tourists completely ignore. Don't tell anyone it's there. A nearby sign in a window amused me - 'Learn to speak French better than Emily - here'. One odd moment, I walked down to the Bois de Boulogne and arrived at a place where they were introducing people to horses for the first time. Perhaps overcoming their fears before attempting to ride. A nice idea. The horse itself wasn’t exactly scary but I watched a women approach it with fear in her eyes, finally overcoming her trepidations to learn to stroke the animal. I caught the train back to Cite and thought I might go see the newly restored Notre Dame. The line up was beyond daunting and the capacity of my bladder to wait that long.  But it looks good and was a worthwhile endeavour by very skilled craftspeople. PS It doesn't lean, that my fault. I missed the important Georges De La Tour exhibition at the Museum Jacquemart-Andre for the same reason – long, long lines if you haven’t booked online and no access to a loo as you wait. *It’s at 158 Boulevard Haussmann and runs until 25th Jan 2026. For the record Paris was thriving. Asians were buying everything in Gallerie Lafayette and the queues to get into anything were hours long. Apparently 800,000 people were on strike in France whilst I was there and the week before the media were reporting riots and blockades in various cities across France. I saw nothing. Every train ran on time, every restaurant was full, and people just got on with their lives and two-hour lunches as normal.  I must note that lunch or dinner with a glass of wine will set you back for around 40 Euros minimum without a sweet or coffee. This can mount up over many days. I should have booked an airbnb with a kitchen I guess, but then isn’t the point of travel to experience different dining experiences? France offers a huge range of historical cities all incredibly well connected by rail or road. Choose your hotels with care and avoid anything that says ‘Budget’.  The difference between Budget and normal hotels seems marginal to me but definitely worth spending ten or twenty euros a night more for a larger room and food choices. And above all, ignore all the negative news about France – it is a great destination, the people are friendly and the streets are safe. *Sadly no one offered me any crown jewels to stash in my suitcase on the way home. My tree needs a bauble or two for Christmas. © Sam Hawksmoor 10.22.25 author of The Days After She Went Dancing and more 'an intriquing, atmospheric novel (tinged with sadness)' The Repossession of Genie Magee available in print or ebook. No 1 in the series. Winner of The Wirral 'Paperback of the Year'.