"We had not realized that on Mondays, and sometimes Tuesdays or Wednesdays, or at weekends or at lunchtime, or in the late summer, or in the winter, everything is shut in France." - Terry Darlington, "Narrow Dog to Carcassonne".

"The Place Ducale at Charleville-Mézières was full of parked cars. I wished I could fill it with old refrigerators, so people could see what a seventeenth century square [or in this case a pretty street in Biarritz] looked like when it was filled with junk." - Terry Darlington, "Narrow Dog to Carcassonne".

I went to the Bonnat art gallery in Bayonne. There were some amazing animal sculptures by Antoine-Louis Barye, but photography is not allowed in the gallery. So instead, here's a photo of Bayonne and the train that took me back to Biarritz. I took the train as a novelty - the bus is more convenient and far more frequent, but there just happened to be a train due.

The weather is back to "normal" now, though it's very cold; well, very cold for Biarritz.

Lots of people were out taking photographs of the snowy scenes. Two workman threw snowballs at each other and someone brought a huge snowball into the reception area of the flats where I live. Suddenly, snow was fun again.

Someone once told me that it never snows in Biarritz. They were wrong.

The view from my apartment. Note the plane approaching to land at Biarritz-Anglet-Bayonne airport.

Bo Bars is just one of several great and friendly bars and cafes which are all within about 10 minutes walking distance of each other - including the legendary Bar du Marche, Bar Jean, Miguel Cafe, Ventilo Cafe and La Marine.

You lookin' at me?

When I went out yesterday afternoon it was misty. As usual, though, about half the town's population seemed to be out walking or sitting outside. It was still quite warm and as the sun broke through it felt quite surreal. The photo of the harbour is odd as it looks as if the sea and harbour has been bent.

Bayonne is just a 25 minute bus ride inland from Biarritz but has a totally different atmosphere - a bit like Biarritz´s rebellious sister. Bayonne smells of Pays Basque and olden days and has just about everything you could wish for: it´s multicultural, beautiful and friendly. It has water, open spaces, good shopping and loads of places to eat and drink, a climate that is close to ideal, all in an area you can easily walk around, plus great rail and air communications. It would be great to live here - as long as you could speak fluent French.

The two "marching girls" were collecting signatures for a petition against cruelty to animals (yes, I did sign it).

Les Halles, the local market. Here you can shop for fresh vegetables or local specialities. Everyone is friendly and helpful, even if you speak hardly any French. You can take a cup of coffee at a much better price than in the touristy cafes in town and soak up the atmosphere. You can even take a cheap glass of wine or sangria after you have done your morning's shopping, and no-one will think you are mad or an alcoholic.

Now it’s just some of the OWNERS who need toilet training.

I took bus number 9 to La Barre, a bleak place but a popular starting point for walks along the coast. On a blustery afternoon, the walk back to Biarritz took about an hour and a half.

"There are no smells when you watch TV. There is no wind in you face, no sun beating down." - Cecile Andrews.

Quel temps magnifique!

"It is best to come here in winter, when the town is empty, and its magic can be discovered in a hidden passageway or two. You can have her all to yourself - even the sunset is yours." - Beth Nelson, "Postcards from the Basque Country".