Meandering With Murphy

On Monday, April 22nd we set out early to visit the Dune of Pilat. Neither words nor pictures can capture this magnificent dune. It is the tallest sand dune in Europe located in the Arcachon Bay area. It is one of the most visited natural sites in France. This aerial view of the dune is from Wikipedia.

The dune measures about 500 meters wide, 2.7 km long and its height is currently 110 meters above sea level. It is moving 1 to 5.5 meters inland each year. It is gradually reclaiming the forest under the forces of the wind and tide.

You can either walk up in the sand as Lisa, Kurt, Megan and Julien did or climb up 180 stairs as Scott and I did. Yes, 180 stairs!

After we made it down we took a boat across the Arcachon Bay to Cap-Ferret for lunch. We ate oysters at Les Pieds Dans l’Eau (old oyster shack). The oysters and shrimp were directly for the Arcachon Bay.

While waiting for the boat to take us to the shore we met a couple from Whitefish, Montana! The really crazy thing was she grew up in St. Louis Park, MN and Scott knew a friend of her husband. It is a small world!

On the way to our car we found a food hall. Great looking fish. The parking garage fascinated me. Note the lights above the parking spaces indicating if it is occupied and if it is a handicapped space.

Megan and Julie had scheduled a wine tasting of bold red graves at Chateau “La Rose Sarron” located in Saint-Pierre-de-Mons. Chateau La rose Sarron was purchased by the current owners in 1985 and completely replanted. He and his wife are friends of Megan and Julien.

• 

• 

We ended our day by dining at Ecluse 52 where Scott and I been before on one of our first nights. It was a wonderful way to cap off the day.