Sure, why not! It’s only a one-and-a-half-hour drive from Pamplona to some southern French villages so why not go see what it’s like on the other side of the border? We went to St. Jean-de-Luz and to Biarritz. I much preferred the down-to-earth people in St. Jean-de-Luz than the tourists in Biarritz.
Biggest difference? There is no noise on the streets and all the shops close from about 13:00 to 18:00. It is dead. People just walk around on the beach and lie in the sun. Too quiet for me.
Even though I picked my rail route through Europe knowing that I wouldn’t be staying in any one city long enough to take in a the sights and culture, I had told myself that I wasn’t going to plan an hourly agenda and that I wanted to spend several hours in at least just one spot where I could absorb the local atmosphere. I’m finding that I really have to remember this, especially now that I’m having difficulty getting Couchsurf hosts who can/want to show me around. Many of the travelers I’ve met at hostels are also too busy with their own trips and schedules to take time to chat.
There are still a few exceptions, thankfully. All the locals that I happened to talk to were very friendly. I also had a wonderful conversation, with another traveler at the hostel, over a fantastic meal at La Cave Cafe in the Montmarte district of Paris. Even if it was only for dinner, it served to remind me that there are motivated, smart, talented, and kind people everywhere still. After dinner, I struck out on my own to see the tourist sites without the tourist crowds.
The combination of a cool summer night air, a friendly bus driver, quiet and safe streets, and Paris’ rich architecture and history made for a memorable stroll. The Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame have teased me into wanting to come back again to spend more time in the streets of Paris.
Shabnam (Göteborg) and David are studying together in Scotland but David was visiting Sweden with her. Here is David on his favorite city, Marciac, France :
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Translation:
Hey, my name is David, I am French, I am currently in Sweden, my girl friend lives in Gothenburg. I would just like to say that the city which my heart belongs to is Marciac le Croisy (?) in south of France. It is a beautiful city, well, a village, it has got nice lakes, plenty of wild life, the nature is beautiful, I love this place and I invite all to go there.
Matthew from Paris, France:
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Sophie, whom I met in a couchsurfing get-together in Berlin about her hometown, Paris:
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… and about France, in general:
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partial translation: Good wine, good cheese, good people and evenings in France, that is all you need… being a French person means to have good taste.\
Here is Maud on Paris. I met Maud while traveling in Spain and we enjoyed several long conversations about our travels, passions, and philosophies on life, in general.
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Marine about Lyon, France:
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