A variety of media drive programs for new
cars over the last 40 years introduced
me to very interesting places, but one stands out, the 1993 launch of the
V12-engined Jaguar XJ40.
Although the XJ40 was launched in 1986, it
took the tiny Jaguar engineering team almost seven years to shoehorn the big
V12 into an engine bay originally intended for an inline six.
The result was identical to the
transformation the 5.3L engine had on previous Jaguar sedans. The super-smooth
twelve cylinder allowed the sedan to smoothly waft across the countryside –
albeit with seriously poor fuel economy.
In mid-winter 1993, accompanying a rag tag
group of assorted American automotive writers, we jetted into the Aéroport
Biarritz Pays Basque from London, from where we were whisked off to the
luxurious Hotel du Palais.
Being February, the staff were delighted to
see us, there being a severe shortage of guests in Biarritz in winter, despite
its southerly location.
Biarritz is a famous city for casinos,
grand hotels and believe it or not a pretty decent surfing break – which you
would not enjoy without a wetsuit to keep out the Atlantic Ocean chill.
These days touring the Basque region of
France and Spain is a lot safer, given that the Basque Separatist Group ETA has
now given up its weapons, and the violent struggle it waged since 1959.
Mind you, the Jaguar PR team failed to
mention the possibilities of attack in 1993, and I think they were simply
relying on a lot of British stiff upper lip, and hope, that the event would be
battle-free!
The media drive event was relatively short,
in order to pack in as many different groups (media, dealers, suppliers) as
possible in a short time frame, and there is much more to see than our brief
encounter with the valleys and mountain roads of the Pays Basque (Basque
country) revealed.
This is, after all the foothills of the
Pyrenees, and many of the roads in the region are used for the Tour de France,
so expect spectacular scenery.
The name Saint Jean-Pied-de-Port literally
means ‘St. John at the floor of the Pass’ as the town is the traditional
starting point for pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago; the track leading to
Compostelo de Santiago, because its location on the River Nive lies at the foot
of the Roncevaux Pass.
Seasons don’t seem to matter to the
pilgrims, who trek through the town all year, bringing an ongoing flow of
revenue to the shopkeepers and café owners.
Our lunch stop featured a variety of Basque
dishes, but the highlight was the dessert of Gateaux Basque cake.
The city gate at Saint Jean Pied-de-Port (below) is
now a listed UNESCO heritage site, and the town is famous for its cream and red
color scheme.
The gate is also a famous point on the pilgrims' trail.
The return journey took us back along the
D918, but split off towards Espellette, continuing along the D918 to the resort
town of St. Jean-de-Luz, and returning to Biarritz from the South on the A63.
Most tourists in this area seem happy to
stick to either French or Spanish routes, but crossing the border back and
forth is no trouble, thanks to the thousands of pilgrims traversing the
mountains.
Not far away from our lunch stop is the
city of Pau, which was a tiny city-state back in the 15th century.
For car enthusiasts however, Pau was also the scene of a famous ‘round the
houses’ street race starting in 1901. The French Grand Prix was held there in
1930, and the circuit can be easily followed today, as it is well marked by the
local council.
Juan Manuel Fangio won the Pau GP in 1949, and
today Pau hosts the European Formula 3 Championship.
The Pyrenees region is rich in both culture
and history, but you’d find it hard to do it justice in a one week driving
vacation.
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