Nous Sommes Ici!

We made it to Capbreton, and let me tell you, it wasn't an easy feat. I feel incredibly grateful that we've been fortunate enough to successfully catch all of our flights. The reason I mention this is because the Nelsons are currently stranded in San Francisco, struggling to make their way here. They have to endure four layovers - LAX, London, Lisbon, and Bilbao. I sincerely hope everything goes smoothly for them. The moment we left our Carmel Valley house, I couldn't help but feel a wave of emotions overwhelming me. It was a mix of excitement and uncertainty, maybe because we were stepping into the unknown. I couldn't quite pinpoint the reason, but there it was, lingering in my chest. Nevertheless, I gathered myself and the song that came on the radio that snapped me out of it was, “We gotta get out of this place if it’s the last thing we ever do.” It was quite amusing, actually. 

Here’s the play by play of our travel adventure:

Reaching the airport, we followed the advice given by the FrenchBee agent and arrived a good four hours early. We unpacked all of our luggage from the rental mini van. Gabe and the boys took it into the terminal while I returned the car. 

To my dismay, there wasn't a single FrenchBee employee in sight at any of the counters. We joined the queue, waiting patiently for 45 minutes until finally, aisle 6 opened up. Along the way, we struck up conversations with a few fellow travelers, exchanging stories about their destinations and ours. Checking in our bags turned out to be quite the ordeal. It seemed like an eternity as we piled up eight checked bags, along with two longboard bags and our ski case. However, we managed to get everything squared away eventually, despite the time-consuming process. Thankfully, going through security was uneventful, providing a momentary respite from the hustle and bustle. With some time to spare before our flight, we decided to settle ourselves at Gotts Roadside, where we indulged in a satisfying lunch. After we ate, we played a friendly game of Couillon.

We ended up splurging on Premium seats, and let me tell you, it was worth it. Not only did we get extra legroom and wider seats, but we were also greeted with glasses of champagne and a friendly flight attendant.The first few hours onboard, we were all engrossed in our individual screens, diving into the realm of entertainment. Gabe and I started watching Silo. A funny and interesting incident unfolded when the food was served. The passengers seated in front of us displayed a rather rude and demanding attitude, insisting on having a vegetarian meal. The flight attendant informed them that only chicken was available, but that there were a few vegetarian items on the tray such as the bread. However, when the attendant reached our seats, she miraculously presented us with a vegetarian risotto option. We couldn't help but laugh at the situation, finding it amusing how things turned out differently for us. After devouring three episodes of Silo, we decided to catch some much-needed sleep. However, sleep didn't come easily for any of us. I found myself constantly waking up, whether it was due to a stiff neck, an achy back, the need to use the restroom, or simply feeling dehydrated. Glancing to my left, I noticed Charlie and Gabe seemingly in peaceful slumber, while Luke was still engrossed in a show. He complained about his hurting leg, expressing his inability to find any comfort or sleep. According to Gabe's perspective, he spent the entire flight helping Charlie sleep, twisting and turning without finding any respite. In other words, Gabe didn't manage to get any sleep at all. As for Luke, it wasn't until the final two hours of the flight that he finally drifted off. Exhaustion had taken its toll on all of us, to say the least. 

Finally, we arrived at Orly. We were relieved to find that the customs and immigration line moved swiftly, taking us less than five minutes to clear. Oh how I love smaller airports! Since our bags were marked as priority (yay to the Premium upgrade), they were among the first ones to be unloaded, including our oversized luggage. It seemed like things were starting to go our way. However, our optimism quickly faded when we realized that we had to traverse the distance from the international terminal to terminal 3 with ALL of our luggage. Let’s say it took us about 15 minutes. 

The boys took charge of pushing two heavily loaded carts, stacked high with bags, while Gabe took on the arduous task of pulling the 30-kilogram longboard bag, packed with boards, wetsuits, surf towels, and more. As for me, I found myself "dragging" Gabe's 10-foot-long board and the ski case, struggling to keep up. Within moments, both Gabe and I were drenched in sweat, panting for breath as we lugged our belongings through the airport. It was impossible to ignore the curious gazes of onlookers; we must have appeared quite the spectacle.

Just when I thought we were nearing our destination, we were faced with another hurdle: an escalator or elevator awaited us. To make matters more challenging, the temperature was around 25 degrees Celsius. The boys took the carts up the elevator, while Gabe and I braved the escalator, precariously maneuvering the boards and skis. When I reached the top, I was greeted by a scene packed with people, tightly packed like sardines. It felt incredibly overwhelming—how were we going to navigate through this crowd with all our belongings, and where exactly did we need to go? The intensity of the situation weighed heavily upon us. We pressed on with unwavering determination, refusing to complain. Oh, how I wished we had a GoPro or a camera crew to capture this part! We found ourselves maneuvering all the way around this terminal, making our way towards the oversize luggage area. I forged ahead through the crowded airport, the 10-foot-longboard in one hand, and the skis in the other. The boys and Gabe followed closely behind, united in our mission. I smiled as I apologized, repeatedly saying, "Excuse moi," as the board or the ski tote accidentally bumped into unsuspecting people waiting in line. Desolee. 

Finally, we reached the oversize luggage drop-off, hoping to catch our breath. However, our moment of respite was short-lived when I heard the lady behind the counter say, "Vous n'avez pas l'autocollant de bagage. Tu dois aller à la ligne 33." Confusion washed over me, and I found myself at a loss for words. "What? I don't understand," I stammered. Thankfully, Gabe, who was right there behind me, stepped in to take charge and navigate. Resigned to our fate, we gathered our luggage once again and made our way to the next line. Gabe and I exchanged glances, a hint of defeat reflecting in our eyes. I couldn't help but wonder how much time we actually had left, considering the agonizingly slow pace of this line. It felt like time itself was crawling, as slow as molasses. Eventually, we reached the counter and checked almost all of our bags. I silently thanked Gabe for his foresight in paying for the maximum weight allowance. With that task accomplished, we proceeded through security, eager to move forward with our journey. The next leg of our adventure awaited us as we boarded our Transavia flight to Biarritz, putting the chaotic airport experience behind us. 

Finally, we reached our destination in Biarritz, relieved to have made it. We collected our two vehicles—a large van that would accommodate all of our luggage and a compact European car. With the vehicles loaded up, we drove to Capbreton. Upon arrival, we were warmly greeted by Julia and Remy, the homeowners of our Airbnb. We engaged in conversation, and they kindly helped us in bringing all of our gear into the house.

But our day didn't end there. We indulged in a much-needed cold shower to rejuvenate ourselves. With renewed energy, we headed to the port for a well-deserved dinner. The atmosphere was happening, and we savored the local cuisine, soaking in the ambiance of the surroundings. The sunset was beautiful and the temperature was … well warm!  We returned to our house, and we all went to sleep. Woohoo! We had overcome the challenges and were now able to revel in the satisfaction of a successful journey. Nous sommes ici!