"Le Luc", the chateau of Martin & Maryse Jones in St. Marie de Gosse,
Euskal Herria (South-West France), East of Biarritz

The village is well signposted (two roads in) from the D.817 (marked on older maps as RN.117) between Peyrourade (in the East) & Bayonne (in the West). Coming from the East, the turn-off is soon after the bridge over the River Adour & from the West, soon after the village of Biarrotte. Both are well sign-posted. Almost at the village, the Westerly approach has a new roundabout, where one turns left. On entering the village proper, there is a large roundabout with the church in the middle. You need the exit to the West towards St. Laurent de Gosse. After the Post Office & a few houses, there is a large field to the right with Le Luc at the back of it. Turn into the drive between two stone pillars. If you come to a side road on the right, you have gone a little too far. Drive up to the West side of the house. If Martin & Maryse are not around, their daughter Stephanie will be in charge & may be in the house at the back (called Petit Luc).

To get there from the North from Bordeaux via the A10: turn left off on the N230 just East of Bordeaux. This is part of the Bordeaux ring road, the A630 which it soon becomes after crossing the Garonne. The A63 goes off to the left after nightmarish traffic. Follow this. There are now two short sections to pay for. After a tedious couple of hours driving over Les Landes, come off Junction 10 & carry on in the same direction i.e. South through the village of St Geours (follow the signs carefully) to Biarrotte. Turn left onto the N817 & right to St Marie, signposted.

The 2nd floor lounge

Getting around:-

Suggested places to visit are on subsequent pages, see the menu below but the key to the West is not the obvious way, while the key to the East is either the D.817 or the A64 motorway. Westwards, it seems obvious to go along the D.817 to Bayonne, Biarritz & Spain. This is ok for Bayonne but then, it degenerates to a sort of USA of nondescript (very) commercial buildings & copious traffic jams. Either, get on to the A63 from D.817 & pay up or get on to the A64 for A63, as described below.

The River Adour from Urt

Urt Church

From St. Marie, the key is Urt. Continue along the road with Le Luc in it until a right turn to St Laurent de Gosse. Follow this, keeping to this road although in the village of St Laurent, it looks rather dubious at one point, until you reach a T junction. Turn left & follow the road to a roundabout. Turn left here for a miraculous bridge over the River Adour, the miracle being it stays up. This leads to Urt. You can turn left for downtown Urt, worth stopping for a look around & to points further such at La Bastide Clairence etc on this link. But turn right over the bridge & follow the signs to Biscous & the A64 motorway, which is free to near Bayonne. There, it joins the A63 from Bordeaux, for which you pay. Use the A63, sign-posted to Spain to dodge the horrors of the RN.10. Get off at junction 4 for Biarritz. The A63 will cost (in 2013) Euros 1.70 but it's cheap at the price for avoiding the aggravation.

How to get back quickly.

We get home in a day and a half. Up the A63, A10 & A28 to the Alencon North junction, along the N road, not quite to Dreux. Turn left & go past Evreux. The road turns into motorway & just before it become toll (peage), turn right & there is a convenient Balladins hotel: cheap & with a superb dinner buffet. Next morning, follow the signs to Rouen & the A28 North (it's the N28 at first) & go up to Calais. There is another damn peage before Boulogne. About 800 driving miles from St. Marie to Islington.

Places to visit:- (more to follow)

The caves of Isturitz & Oxocelhaya (web site temporarily suspended) This is an amazing cave system with evidence of ancient human occupation but one cannot take photos in it, so the link is to the caves web site.

Biarritz

Bayonne

The Basque Corniche

St. Jean de Luz (Donibane Lohitzun) & Ciboure

St. Jean Pied de Port (Donibane Garazi)

La Bastide Clairence

Cambo les Bains

Passes over the Pyrenees