After arriving into Biarritz on the train from Arcachon it was then time then to catch a bus into the city centre. The station is a long way out of the centre and even then we still had a ten minute walk to our hotel from the nearest bus stop. First impressions of Biarritz were probably tarnished by the weather - which was overcast - and our hotel which, if honest, was a little rough around the edges, had no air-conditioning and had a slightly musty smell about it. The hotel itself was however in a great position, overlooking the Old Town Beach and within easy walking distance of most sights. We had definitely been spoiled with our last two hotels in both Aix-en-Provence and Arcachon. Fortunately first impressions can sometimes be wrong and by the end of our few days in Biarritz we actually quite liked the place - Heather has even put it on our 'return to' list. The walk along the Grand Plage and Miramar beaches to the lighthouse gave great views both of the city, the coast north of Biarritz and, in the distance, Spain. The city itself had plenty of shops both touristy (and not) as well as lots of places to eat and drink again some were very touristy, others not so. The area around the Old Town Beach and Fishing Harbour and Grand Plage were notably busier with tourists than areas around, for example, the Les Halles market area. The daily market was well worth taking the time to visit and in the evening this area was packed with (what seemed like local) people eating, drinking and socialising. This latter area we liked a great deal and had our final evening meal at Restaurant B2. We also managed a day trip to St Jean de Luz, about 20 minutes by train from Biarritz based on the recommendation if a number of people. Even with bad weather the placed seemed really pleasant - the twice weekly market was in full swing when we arrived and the sandy bay, on which the town is situated is really nice with a great promenade. A passing thunderstorm didn't even dampen our spirits but it did make us choose a restaurant for lunch rather more quickly than normal. The chosen restaurant seemed to be well frequented by local people and the three course lunch deal was superb value at €20.00 each. We also had front row seats of the passing storm and the sea so took our time with getting through a litre of sangria and the food. That brings us to the end of a superb two and a bit weeks in France and it is a real shame to be headed back to the UK. We have visited the north west (Brittany), the north east (Lille and Reims), the south east (Aix-en-Provence) and now finished off in the south west (Arcachon and Biarritz). Each area is very different and of course we have only just scratched the surface as there is so much more to see and do in France.