Seignosse
We finally managed to wake up early and went to Santocha beach (a beach break down the street from our house) for some surfing. Luke, however, decided to catch up on his sleep. I paddled out and instantly caught two waves, which brought me joy. My board is such a floater -- really anyone could catch a wave on it. Nonetheless, I am stoked. Afterwards, Charlie took my board and had a good time paddling out and riding it on his stomach. He even attempted to stand up on one wave and came close to succeeding, but unfortunately, he wiped out and his knees scraped the sandy bottom. He looked at me, handed back the board, and declared, "I'm done." Well, at least he was done using the board, as he continued to body surf.
Today is market day in Capbreton, and Gabe had to go to Bayonne before noon to pick up the boys' bikes. This meant that Charlie and I were left in charge of the shopping. We had three items on our list: cheese, Jamon Serrano, and ripe tomatoes. Each item was available at a different stall. While waiting in line for cheese, I decided to use Google Translate. I said, "Je voudrais un brie, lequel recommandez-vous." However, when I spoke those words to the cheese vendor, he gave me a puzzled look, as if wondering if we were even speaking the same language. My accent must have been terrible. So, I resorted to showing him the translation on my phone, and he pointed to a brie, saying it was the best and even kissed his fingers to emphasize its deliciousness. Paying for the cheese posed another challenge. I couldn't understand what the vendor said when announcing the amount, but fortunately, it was less than €5. Bonne journée! On to the next stall. I had much better success at the meat vendor's stall, where I confidently ordered, "Je voudrais du jamon serrano pour quatre sandwichs s'il vous plaît." The vendor understood me. However, Charlie had a less pleasant encounter with the ripe tomato vendor. He noticed that she licked her fingers before touching our tomatoes, and it completely disgusted him. I hadn't noticed it myself, but now he refuses to eat those tomatoes.
We are all happy because now we all have bikes! Gabe rented one until his own bike is ready in 10 days. Gabe took the lead and chose a route for us to ride, with our destination set for Seignosse, which is approximately 9 km away. The route ran alongside the ocean, and at every turn, there was something new to see, whether it was snack stands, surf schools, or beachgoers enjoying the sun. Experiencing the journey by bike offered a completely different perspective that one wouldn’t have had if they were traveling solely by car. Which was us in February! As we reached Hossegor, the path veered to the right of the sand dunes. Unfortunately, Charlie was grumbling the whole time and refused to listen to Gabe's advice on adjusting his gears for uphill or downhill sections. It made the journey seem endless. Eventually, we arrived at the village of Seignosse, locked up our bikes, and found a place to relax with a cold drink.
The server approached and I ordered "Un verre de rosé s'il vous plaît," he repeated it with a mocking American accent. It was amusing but also lame. At least I am trying. Right? So, I went up to him while he was preparing the drinks and switched to English, saying, "Since you're making fun of me, I'll speak in English. Where is the bathroom?" He quickly apologized, but I responded with a disapproving French expression and a "ch" sound. Just as we settled in, rain began to fall! Luckily, the Nelsons made it even with the rain, and together we rode back. Surprisingly, the return trip took less than 15 minutes. Charlie, now leading the pack alongside Ren, Taiwa, and Luke, didn't complain once. It’s amazing how having friends along changed the atmosphere and made the ride more enjoyable.
