Beach breaks and reef breaks and what I have learned from surfing the sandy bottoms after months of hiatus. When I started surfing, the thought of surfing reef breaks terrified me. The first time I went to a reef break it was exactly like when I go skating – all I could see was the…
Tag: exploration
The Azores – São Miguel
Despite spending the longest amount of time on São Miguel, it is ironically the island I saw the least of. The largest of the Azorean islands, with the largest population, it is also the most popular island for tourists to visit. If I am completely honest, I do not think I gave São Miguel enough…
The Azores – São Jorge
The plane sways and lurches ominously as we prepare the decent. There is only sea visible through my window and my palms have started to sweat. I consciously try to relax my body, thinking of what the waves have taught me about futility of fighting the uncontrollable. My breathing is deliberately slow and deep, my…
The Azores – Terceira
The Azores has been on my list of places to see for a long time. I no longer remember how I first heard of them, but my imagination was immediately captivated. When my partner’s work sent him to São Miguel for a week, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to do some exploration…
Ericeira Secret Spots
I am not a fan of this notion of ‘secret spots’. To me, all a secret spot means is that it is harder for a casual visitor to find. If you tell a local that you went to a ‘secret spot’, they are likely to laugh at the concept (and probably, in your face). There…
Ericeira – A low season love affair
Ah, Ericeira. Cobbled streets winding through blue and white houses, where surfers rub shoulders with fishermen and the atmosphere is generally mellow. I arrived in Ericeira at the beginning of November when the town is particularly sleepy and easy going. As with Biarritz, the town had been picked because of its surfing potential; Ericeira is…
Basque Coastal Explorations
A non-surfing adventure along the coast of France’s Pays Basque – Le Sentier du Littoral It is easy (especially if you are surfing) to come to Biarritz and not explore the region at all. Biarritz offers a wide enough variety of things to do, and if you mosey up to Anglet or into Bayonne for…
A note about Biarritz
I have been based in Portugal since the beginning of November, so it is very easy to forget the month of October that we spent in Biarritz, acclimatising to our new life. It is however, a huge disservice to Biarritz to simply say that it was a stepping stone in our adventure. Biarritz has always…
Melusina Surfs 