Arcachon, France: Founded under the rule of Napolean III in 1858, this little town is only about 100 hectares, and has a population of about 10,000. According to the Deputy Mayor, who welcomed us to Arcachon at a nice dinner by the beach, Arcachon grows to about 100,000 people during the vacation months of July & August. I will be gone when that happens, so that's a plus.
We took a little tourist ride around the original part of the town. Lots of huge homes. Apparently, this town was created as a sanitarium for people suffering from tuberculosis. It was only after the rich discovered the climate that the town began to grow. Casinos and what not, but it wasn't until after World War II that the town down by the beach really took off as a tourist magnet.
We also took an afternoon trip out to the largest sand dune in Europe: Dune de Pyla. It was awesome. Long hike to the top though...
It really was a fun time with good friends. An incredible view at the top, if a little windy...
It was also my first glimpse of the primary non-service industry in the Basin de Arcachon, oyster farming...
You can see the dark patches with wooden poles all over the place, those are where les paysans de la mer (the farmers of the sea) ply their trade.
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