How the rich and others live

Today we start the journey in Carcassone and head to Biarritz. As you could see from a map we are covering many kms in a day. The country has been spectacular.the views from the bus of the Provencal, Luberon, Basque and Atlantic coasts are stunning.The lunchstop of the day which started in Carcassonne ended in Biarritz and in between was Lourdes. The journey on the way was through fields of dried sunflowers, ploughed fields which may have had rapeseed or maize and past vineyards which were turning gold or burgundy according to their type.Then to Lourde where the young girl Bernadette,from a poor family, was visited 18 times by the Virgin Mary. Lourdes, as you come into it, gives no hint of what is to come - three basilicas - one underground holding 25000 poeple and looking just like a car park.The streets of identical souvenirs which trap the faithful - the most desirable being containers of all sizes for the healing water. The place is quite disturbingly Disneyesque from the coloured statue of Mary circled by the flozer of the faithful, Diana -style, to the huge gilt crown on top of the middle basilica.However what brings you up cold are the faces of the hopeful and faithful - they are real. Biarritz - another playground of the wealthy and falous is a bit like Blackpool crossed with Monte Carlo and Manley Beach.We had a driunk on the promenade and then trawled the street markets where Dior Lacoste and the like were getting rid of their summer lines:strange contrasts!