THE ROUTE TO BIARRITZ--BIARRITZ--THE HÔTEL DU PALAIS
The route thence into Bayonne is hilly and winding but good withal. Our
car moves rapidly forward with all wings spread until that prosperous
city is reached and passed, and we are on the route to Biarritz. The
deep and powerfully-flowing river Adour near by shows the influence of
the neighbouring ocean and there is that sense of spaciousness, that
freedom of body and spirit to be experienced only by the sea, on the
higher mountains, or upon our vast Western plains.
The traveller does not see the ocean itself until his machine mounts
the last hill before reaching Biarritz. Nature has found it necessary
to erect a huge barrier against the onslaught of all that water which
just here in the right angle formed by the coasts of France and Spain
rolls in with such terrible force that no wall built by man is able to
withstand it. Hence the God of the earth erected these hills to protect
his domain in the eternal warfare with the God of the sea, and Biarritz
has set herself down on the outer side of the hills to have a good view
of the conflict. Her green and pink villas and many hotels spread out
before one on either hand, and down below cluster the hotels close to
the water where even on "a quiet day" their windows are splashed by the
attacking waves.
Fortunately the God of the earth has made this coast a rocky one, using
these foot-hills of the Pyrenees as buffers against the sea; otherwise,
the town would vanish some stormy night. In fact, even a rock barrier
does not appear to have protected at this point, for surely in some
wild moment of rage the storm dragon did seize a large mouthful from
just this corner of Europe,--thus forming the Bay of Biscay,--and
turning, dropped it in the shape of the Island of New Foundland in
the dreariest portion of the Western Atlantic. (Examine the map for
yourself.) There he hides his plunder in perpetual mists, where the
fishermen from this coast go down to their graves annually by the
hundreds.
Here to-day all is glorious sunshine with no thoughts of disaster. Off
to the southwest the sparkling mountains of Spain stretch out and out
until they blend with the swirling waters of the Bay of Biscay gleaming
blackly, while to the northward the coast of France bears away on guard
against further encroachments.
As we roll into the outskirts of the town of Biarritz, the route is
mostly between high walls draped in trailing vines and pierced with
iron gateways, through whose trellis-work stiff walks bordered by
formal flower beds, are to be seen leading up to much more formal
villas. There are some quaint signs on the many little hotels; here,
for instance, is the "Inn of the Parlor of Love" in a shady corner all
by itself. Jean seems inclined to stop, but I veto the inclination, and
rolling swiftly onward, we shortly draw up at the door of the Hôtel du
Palais, recently opened and so new that its magnificence hurts both the
sense of smell and sight. It was originally the palace of the Empress
Eugenie and stands just over the sea.
Turned into an hotel in 1893, it was burned down two years ago, and
this is the rebuilt structure. Part of the palace remains. The main
staircase is the original, and that woman in the days of her power
and vanity must have swept down it many times. Even now she is not
forgotten, as all the chandeliers bear the letters "N" and "E" in
monogram. The location is magnificent, on the rocks right over the
sea, whose waves in stormy times dash on the terrace and spray all the
windows.
This is the so-called little season in Biarritz, the great season comes
in July, August, and September, when the place is crowded, but now it
is only pleasantly full, though this new hotel is not half filled.
This Grand Hôtel du Palais is evidently the Sherry's and Ritz's of
Biarritz. The same life, exactly the same amount of gold lace and the
same eternal dinner parties. As for the people, I fancy they are always
English, Russians, or Americans. No German would pay the prices, much
less a Frenchman. Yet they do not seem exorbitant. I have a very large
front room with a commodious and complete bathroom, both having all
the modern improvements, for which I pay twenty francs. The dinner
is eight francs, and coffee and eggs three francs; add two oranges to
the coffee and eggs and in New York it would be ninety cents, here
certainly not more than seventy cents.
The house is a spacious structure, with grand marble halls, with an
attractive dining-room almost on the water, and there is certainly one
feature which to my taste could be adopted to advantage in our hotels.
The old table d'hôte has vanished from Europe, with all its weary
details. The long tables are gone and now the dining-rooms are filled
with small tables. In most of the houses, as here for instance, one may
dine at any time from seven to nine and the dinner is excellent, all
one could wish to offer to any guest. I have been many times wearied
and disgusted by the long bills of fare offered at our best hotels;
what to order, and to be obliged to order _at all_ is to me the great
drawback. How much more attractive to find a good dinner ready whenever
you desire and without words or thought. Let someone else do that for
you, as the Shah said about our dancing. The dinner here costs only
eighteen francs, and it is better than many a so-called feast at our
American houses. The tables are beautifully decked with all that can be
desired from flowers to linen and the service excellent.