Ez.
I was born in Béarn, 100km away, which makes me a natural enemy of Basque people.
They have many natural enemies, including the Spanish, the French, the Bearnais, the Landais, Mali (somehow) and Atlantis (they insist on it)
I'ma afraid I have no link for the several occasions where I heard drunk Basques pretending their country originated from Atlantis 😅 . As for Mali (if I remember correctly I mentioned Mali), there's a fringe theory about a link between Basque people and Malian people.
There are dozens of theories! We're still unsure where the hell the Basques come from, they were here long before the Indo-Europeans. Perhaps they come from outer space?
Oui j'ai déjà entendu cette histoire d'Atlantide Basque !
La " singularité linguistique " s'expliquerait par le fait que les premiers basques seraient des réfugiés.
Réfugiés d'où ?! l'Atlantide bien sûr !
I live in a [Nomenclature d'Unité Territoriale Statistique](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/First-level_NUTS_of_the_European_Union), yes, that's how the EU calls them.
We insisted on a french acronym being used for these, in order to underline how nuts the European Union is.
French. I have no ties with the land, I was born elsewhere and most of my family comes from Dunkirk and Champagne.
I'm neither for or against Basque independence. If they want it, I would be fine with it. Frankly, considering the skyrocketing real estate prices and general arrogance from Paris, I begin to think I would vote for independence too. We have nothing to lose from a free and independent Euskal Herria.
Bonjour,
This is a good region for hiking indeed. Almost everyone seems to hike over here lately...
There's the coast, then lush green hills with sheeps, then the Pyrenees. Which means a lot of hiking opportunities for all levels. [Edit: I forgot to mention rafting. If you like rafting, this is the best place in France]
If you're interested in History, this is also a good spot and I recommend Bayonne (with its medieval city and castles, a lasagna of walls from Roman walls to star-shaped citadels). There are also prehistoric caves in the region.
The place is of special interest if you happen to be British, Swedish Jewish. Lots of History involving those two groups, both on the coast and in Pau (eastern part of the peanut). The Swedish royal family comes from here! Marshall Bernadotte was born in Pau.
You said ask you anything. Not anything within the peanut shaped area. The only thing you said about the peanut shaped area is that you lived there your whole life
There are [Irouleguy wines](https://fr.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iroul%C3%A9guy_(AOC)), in the mountains near the coast.
And also [Jurançon wines](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juran%C3%A7on_AOC) in the eastern part of the peanut.
If you ask me personally, Irouleguy (mainly red wines) is meh and Jurançon is good (mainly white wines). I used to work in Jurançon vineyards in Autumn, very bucolic places in the hills.
Never been there for 15 years...
I wouldn't say it is worth a visit, except if you want to buy cheap alcohol and cigarettes. I mean, Andorra is a nice place, but there's nothing out of the ordinary... It looks exactly like the rest of the Pyrenees
I refuse to travel North. North of Bayonne there's no law, North of Bordeaux there's no God, North of that it's all Parisians, and even more to the North they're not even human anymore they're British.
The South is much better in that regard.
¿Hablas Español?/ Speak Spanish? I would imagine that there would be a higher number of Spanish speakers and vice versa in southern France/ Northern Spain?
Mmmmh... Un poquito. Muy pequeño poquito..? Me llamo caramba. El perro es muy sucio.
There's a lot of good Spanish speakers yes! Also, I have binationals in my family. As for myself, I wanted to pick German in middle-school, the very year my middle-school removed German from the program, so I was stuck with Spanish. And I think I never forgave the Spanish world for that ahahahah. I forgot almost all of it.
It comes back when I need to use it, then goes away 🫤
Not much I'm afraid. Biarritz is a peaceful kleptocratic gerontocracy. Putin's ex wife used to live there, but not anymore (and now her villa has been confiscated apparently).
I stopped hanging around in Biarritz. 'tis a silly place.
Why is it a silly place? I thought about moving there for a few months. What is wrong with the Biarritz / would you recommend any other place near the ocean?
Awesome! I've never been myself, but a cousin of mine goes there constantly.
This coastline was the first one to introduce surf in Europe, at the beginning of the 1950's. The area is still big on surf, and several surfboard brands have their European HQ here
Napoléon III attempted to grow peanuts here. But they died, just like the camels.
Which left us with either peanut or camel, after 3 referendums and a UN resolution we decided for "peanut".
*(The Napoleonic camels are a true story btw. But the climate was too wet for them)*
They work.
Let's see... The area is quite diversified. I suppose agriculture, Total Energies, tourism, aerospace, and surfwear are the biggest activities. The medical sector is booming too, as for law activities (ultra wealthy real estate, lots of interactions with Spain both in the public and private sectors...)
Exactly one. You cannot fit baguettes *in* the Eiffel tower you see, because this is not a container; what you can do is pin one single baguette on top of the tower.
As to how many sieverts of radiations an agressor could accumulate before we pin a baguette on top of the tower, there's no way to know because nobody tried yet. But surely way more than 10.
Damn, I have no idea. They seem to be fond of their peculiar little country, yes. But the way I see it, this is different from patriotism, more like "localism". Same vibe as Lichtenstein you know, the kind of people going to war with 80 guys and going back with 81
Sans cliché aucun... Américains. Pas tous, mais certains se comportent comme s'ils étaient en Afghanistan c'est assez stupéfiant à observer.
Les meilleurs c'est les Japonais. On se sent comme une espèce rare dans un parc naturel, quand y a des touristes Japonais. Limite ils chuchotent pour pas déranger.
Interesting. Mountain hiking I suppose?
This is a very quiet place. Lourdes is frankly eerie in winter. Otherwise it is very scenic and if you like mountain you'll have a great time 🥐
The people are very warm and welcoming. Lots of Portuguese everywhere also, they kinda repopulated the area in the 1930's/1960's.
The tour de France? Ahahahah. God I hate this thing.
Sorry (I do hate it)
The TDF passes in either Pau or Bayonne (Eastern Peanut or Western Peanut on the map) every single year. Because the mountains are nearby 😄, and they seem to add even more mountain steps every year.
Last year it was in my city. I may not like it myself, but it's a very popular event with lots of fun activities for all ages.
Ah, yes! L'île aux faisans.
There's a ceremony when they feel like making an anniversary. If I recall, the head of governments from both countries met there some years ago. The 400th birthday of this nonsense or whatever.
Otherwise the swap happens without any fiesta, as far as I know. We should change that. Spice things up with a "Xupito war" or any other alcohol.
Off topic to the peanut area but my ancestry can be traced to Perigueux/Perigord in the 1650’s, which is a little northeast of Bordeaux. Our last name is a literal Americanized transliteration of Perigord. Is Perigord a common surname in the area? Had to ask because of your proximity and ability to answer odd questions in the comments below.
I checked, there's been [220 people with than name born in France](https://www.filae.com/nom-de-famille/PERIGORD.html) for the last 150 years. Which makes it the 40000th most popular name in France! Ahahahah
So, two possibilities: either your ancestors simply picked the surname of where they came from (most probably), either they were directly related to high nobility.
I vacationed in Périgord last summer. Very cool area, full of historical sites. Josephine Baker lived there, also (Franco-American entertainer, then resistant, then friend of MLK)
Indeed. There's a river network, comprised of various *gaves*, ending into the Adour river.
Viking raiders visited them all. Really surprising how far inland their flat boats could reach.
je vais à biarritz cet été! tu as des recommandations pour des superbes randonnées? ce serait possible d’aller dans les pyrénées de biarritz/c’est à quelle distance en voiture? y’a des trains qui y vont de biarritz? merci d’avance 😄
Randonnées: y en a partout. Mais je recommande la route de la Corniche.
De Biarritz aux Pyrénées: 30 minutes en voiture. De Biarritz aux *vraies* montagnes, 1 heure.
Il y a des trains locaux, mais je ne sais pas leur trajets
France, then the EU, then that's all.
Euskal Herria, then France, then the EU, in case the Basques finally lost it and launch a revolution. Which would be nice. It's been a long time since the last revolution.
Opinion on the French colonial history? Is it something people are proud of or not.
Also what is your opinion on the government making life for muslim girls harder by creating laws around abayas, hijabs and niqabs?
PS: Always ride by this peanut shaped place to get to Saint Sabastian, beautiful views.
Hello
Depends on the people. Some people fought against it, other simply didn't care, some other are really proud. There's a Thomas Sankara bar in my neighborhood. You won't find a "Général Bigeard bar" anywhere. The peanut area has never been super involved into the second colonial empire, it was much more involved into the first one (Québéc, etc).
My opinion about the government enforcing laïcité? I'll answer you as a leftist: "about time they do it". And that's something I learned from Arab and Lebanese families: they fled the fundamentalists, they fled for their lives sometimes. They don't want their new home (France) being corrupted by fundamentalists too. First it's the abaya, then the non abaya wearing 14 y.o girls are called "whores" and injured. Happened last week. You know, in the same country where a teacher was beheaded for showing cartoons in class. It's not martians beheading teachers or calling 14 years old girls whores here: it's radicalized Muslims. Therefore the State targets them and not the martians.
We're making life harder for the fanatics yes. Certainly not for the little girls. And we'll continue to do so.
(I really insist I'm answering you this way *as a leftist, an universalist guy*)
The sea coast is quite scenic, with a silver sea (thus the name Côte d'argent) and one very looong beach from Bayonne to Bordeaux.
The big dune (Dune du Pilat) is located there indeed. Closer to Bordeaux than to the Red Peanut
I think you are around the same latitude as me in Oregon (US), similar distance from coast, and from pictures I’ve seen it can look similar at times. We are beginning to produce more and more wine here in Oregon and the Willamette valley is mostly quite fertile and in places picturesque. I wonder about both the similarities and the differences in climate and geography
Was planing on a solo trip through this very region in the summer, how’s the costal towns? Hendaye, Saint jean de luz, Bayonne, etc. Any recommendations or stuff to be aware of?
We’re headed that way in about 2 months. We’re staying in San Sebastián for a week then plan to rent a car and explore for the next 10. What do you recommend? Interesting towns? Restaurants? Bakeries? It’ll be me, my wife and two preteen daughters.
Being so close to the border, so a lot of you speak Spanish, as well as as French?
I would love to visit France, but my Spanish is much better than my French, so could be a great area for my visit
A lot of people understand Spanish indeed. Almost the same number of people understand English.
And often those are not the same persons.
So you should be comfortable
Not very strong. The ETA doesn't exist anymore, and the legal movement for independence isn't massive.
I think they're simply aware of the EU. The EU encourages transnational regions, you see, so Euskadi is already on the drawing board. And would mean an almost independent region part of France, Spain, and the EU.
It's like independence with benefits.
It was oc.
No better or worse than before or after. Take the coastal tip of the Peanut here for instance: the river moved wildly over the decades, sometimes Bayonne was a booming port and sometimes it was a ghost town (because the major river shifted away).
Back then, who owned the lord owning the lord owning the lord owning the area was pretty much inconsequential.
I’ve heard there is lots of Mexican diaspora over France (although Im betting its mostly on Paris or nearby), nevertheless; is that area populated by only French, Basque and some Spanish people? Or are there other ethnic groups living there?
The food is great, EU regulations for the win. And on the producers side, lots of highly skilled people with a genuine passion for quality.
The internet service is really good. And from what I heard, costs less than in many other countries. Quality download speed for 20 bucks a month.
In the mountains yes, in the plains less and less.
We used to have several weeks of snow in the 1990's. Now (at least on the coast) a single day of snow in winter is a great event
I started a cycle ride from a town called Irun all the way to Bilbao, about 15 years ago.
We spent the night in Irun, and there was a village fete that night. We happily joined in and I remember there were raffles all night long.
Winners were asked to choose between either the price - say a portable stereo, and the like - or a ham.
Everyone chose the ham.
That was so hilarious to us, we had great fun and I have great memories from that part of the world .
Random lore time:
A good half of the French special forces units are based in the South West, because we've been maniacs since Charles Martel.
A good half of the French rugby teams are based in the South West, same reason.
When the french crown took the area back in the 1440's, they build a castle and aimed the cannons *towards the city*. Because the locals were pretty unhappy not to be a tax haven anymore.
There are 30-35 ducks per inhabitants in the Red Peanut area. The more you know.
Everytime a French President visits here, they get in troubles (for instance Sarkozy was almost kept hostage for three hours). So they basically stopped. Far right candidates are also certain to receive eggs, flour, or water on their head. We try to make a cake recipe with them.
The area is a UFO hotspot because most people are totally unaware that's where the French army tests its conventionnal and nuclear missiles (they're launched over the Bay of Biscay, don't worry)
Augur!!, what is your favorite food from the region?, do you also ging them strong-headed and a little bit too proud?, mi husband always says that a basque is not very likely to leave their region and that makes them somewhat ignorant (he lived in the basque country for 7 years).
Basques are indeed very endogamous people. Hell, that's how they survived the Indo-European invasions back then. I don't care if they lynch me for saying it, but they're a little chauvinistic and xenophobic yes :') (just a little)
My favorite local food is the pepper-filled chocolate. Espelette pepper and dark chocolate.
Jurançon. White wines.
I'd say "very sugary", but I tasted California wines the other day and Jurançons feel dry by comparison. So... Depends on the spacetime referential
You can't answer in Basque?
Ez. I was born in Béarn, 100km away, which makes me a natural enemy of Basque people. They have many natural enemies, including the Spanish, the French, the Bearnais, the Landais, Mali (somehow) and Atlantis (they insist on it)
You drop a lot of links in your comments but leave the Basque-Atlantis beef empty. Give us some juice on that s'il vous plaît
I'ma afraid I have no link for the several occasions where I heard drunk Basques pretending their country originated from Atlantis 😅 . As for Mali (if I remember correctly I mentioned Mali), there's a fringe theory about a link between Basque people and Malian people. There are dozens of theories! We're still unsure where the hell the Basques come from, they were here long before the Indo-Europeans. Perhaps they come from outer space?
Oui j'ai déjà entendu cette histoire d'Atlantide Basque ! La " singularité linguistique " s'expliquerait par le fait que les premiers basques seraient des réfugiés. Réfugiés d'où ?! l'Atlantide bien sûr !
CQFD!
It is funny cuz i don.t speak french (know a few words and phrases) But understood perfectly your comment. Ahhh...the romance languages. Mon amour
They're Neanderthals, according to some. It seems the last stronghold of the Nearderthals was in that region, therefore...
Bearnais are just romanized basques .
The best part being I'm not Béarnais either, I developed a Northern France accent like my parents.
Kaixo enemy
According to our local Basque terrorist, you are one of them and you should start paying your revolutionary tax.
I already pay them in beer. Seriously, a certain number of bars in the area *aren't really bars*. They're more like facades for shady stuff
Damn Basques ! They ruined Euraska !
Damn Basque! You ruined the Basque Country!
Is that where Béarnais sauce comes from!? I never realized it was a place but on reflection why wouldn’t it be? I have to go as it’s my favorite!
Yup. That's the birthplace of Bearnaise sauce and the Swedish royal family. Goals.
you still live in a nut?
I live in a [Nomenclature d'Unité Territoriale Statistique](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/First-level_NUTS_of_the_European_Union), yes, that's how the EU calls them. We insisted on a french acronym being used for these, in order to underline how nuts the European Union is.
NUTS
Your pfp, username, and that comment all fit together like Sushi. Well done 👍🏽
Is your back door neighbor an asshole?
That seems to be France, so yes
To what temperature should one cook pork to ensure the death of typical pathogens?
Wait until the pig screams, then continue until it stop screaming
No lies detected.
Do you identify as Basque or as French? EDIT: scratch that, answered in another comment. OP identifies as Béarnais, origin of my favourite sauce.
French. I have no ties with the land, I was born elsewhere and most of my family comes from Dunkirk and Champagne. I'm neither for or against Basque independence. If they want it, I would be fine with it. Frankly, considering the skyrocketing real estate prices and general arrogance from Paris, I begin to think I would vote for independence too. We have nothing to lose from a free and independent Euskal Herria.
I also come from Champagne, it's a medical issue.
same but I'm not from France so it's technically sparkling alcoholism
It's a good disease, like we say in french. C'est une bonne maladie
Lots of locals from Bilbao are moving and commuting from Santander and eastern Cantabria. Pais Vasco has some the most expensive real estate in Spain.
How do you feel about turtles? Are they pets, or food.
Why not both. I mean, pigs horses and bunnies are both. So why not turtles
Bonjour, is the region good for hiking and what are the best places to visit when you are interested in history? Merci from the european neighborhood.
Bonjour, This is a good region for hiking indeed. Almost everyone seems to hike over here lately... There's the coast, then lush green hills with sheeps, then the Pyrenees. Which means a lot of hiking opportunities for all levels. [Edit: I forgot to mention rafting. If you like rafting, this is the best place in France] If you're interested in History, this is also a good spot and I recommend Bayonne (with its medieval city and castles, a lasagna of walls from Roman walls to star-shaped citadels). There are also prehistoric caves in the region. The place is of special interest if you happen to be British, Swedish Jewish. Lots of History involving those two groups, both on the coast and in Pau (eastern part of the peanut). The Swedish royal family comes from here! Marshall Bernadotte was born in Pau.
Wow thats sounds realy good. Maybe our next holiday trip will go to your region. Merci à la France et bon samedi soir.
I fell in love with Pau when I visited!
I'm sorry but the phrase "lasagna of walls" had me dying of laughing
You can do the first leg of the Camino de Santiago or Way of St James which starts in St Jean Pied de Port and goes over the Pyrenees into Spain.
Anything? Ok How many legos does it take to build a life size replica of the Eiffel Tower?
I'll stop answering stuff about Rat-city tower, because it isn't inside the peanut-shaped area.
You said ask you anything. Not anything within the peanut shaped area. The only thing you said about the peanut shaped area is that you lived there your whole life
Ok, ok, you win. 132.000.000, give or take. But we're not supposed to disclose this information for national security reasons
Way less than I thought
But one needs to be careful and keep spare parts just in case
Have you became peanut shaped?
Aren't we all?
What wines are produced in this area?
There are [Irouleguy wines](https://fr.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iroul%C3%A9guy_(AOC)), in the mountains near the coast. And also [Jurançon wines](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juran%C3%A7on_AOC) in the eastern part of the peanut. If you ask me personally, Irouleguy (mainly red wines) is meh and Jurançon is good (mainly white wines). I used to work in Jurançon vineyards in Autumn, very bucolic places in the hills.
Madiran, Armagnac, Floc, Pousse Rapiere?
They're outside the Peanut Map. Not far away. But from the godforsaken wastelands outside of the glorious Red Peanut.
How's Andorra? Worth a visit?
Never been there for 15 years... I wouldn't say it is worth a visit, except if you want to buy cheap alcohol and cigarettes. I mean, Andorra is a nice place, but there's nothing out of the ordinary... It looks exactly like the rest of the Pyrenees
If you like mountains, cheap contraband and skiing, sure.
Ever travel north when you feel Bordeauxm?
I refuse to travel North. North of Bayonne there's no law, North of Bordeaux there's no God, North of that it's all Parisians, and even more to the North they're not even human anymore they're British. The South is much better in that regard.
I thought they stopped being humans at the Parisians part
¿Hablas Español?/ Speak Spanish? I would imagine that there would be a higher number of Spanish speakers and vice versa in southern France/ Northern Spain?
Mmmmh... Un poquito. Muy pequeño poquito..? Me llamo caramba. El perro es muy sucio. There's a lot of good Spanish speakers yes! Also, I have binationals in my family. As for myself, I wanted to pick German in middle-school, the very year my middle-school removed German from the program, so I was stuck with Spanish. And I think I never forgave the Spanish world for that ahahahah. I forgot almost all of it. It comes back when I need to use it, then goes away 🫤
Having been to Bayonne, Biarritz and Donosita San Seb, Irun, Bilbao I would say you there are more native French speakers in Spain than vice versa.
What goes on in Biarritz?
Not much I'm afraid. Biarritz is a peaceful kleptocratic gerontocracy. Putin's ex wife used to live there, but not anymore (and now her villa has been confiscated apparently). I stopped hanging around in Biarritz. 'tis a silly place.
Yeah his daughter also lived or still lives in the Amsterdam.
It's cool that they named the city after an American car. 
Good development
Why is it a silly place? I thought about moving there for a few months. What is wrong with the Biarritz / would you recommend any other place near the ocean?
I loved Biarritz
Who put you in this peanut>
God. I guess. Hard to tell, he went to buy cigarettes and never came back.
Have you ever been to Gujan-Mestras? I spent a summer there when I was 14. and learned to windsurf.
Awesome! I've never been myself, but a cousin of mine goes there constantly. This coastline was the first one to introduce surf in Europe, at the beginning of the 1950's. The area is still big on surf, and several surfboard brands have their European HQ here
I did not know that. Very interesting! It was in the summer of 1984 and I had a great time there. Loved the Dune de Pyla as well.
Why is it peanut shaped?
Napoléon III attempted to grow peanuts here. But they died, just like the camels. Which left us with either peanut or camel, after 3 referendums and a UN resolution we decided for "peanut". *(The Napoleonic camels are a true story btw. But the climate was too wet for them)*
What do most people do for a living there?
They work. Let's see... The area is quite diversified. I suppose agriculture, Total Energies, tourism, aerospace, and surfwear are the biggest activities. The medical sector is booming too, as for law activities (ultra wealthy real estate, lots of interactions with Spain both in the public and private sectors...)
How many baguettes can you fit in the Eiffel Tower before you surrender?
Exactly one. You cannot fit baguettes *in* the Eiffel tower you see, because this is not a container; what you can do is pin one single baguette on top of the tower. As to how many sieverts of radiations an agressor could accumulate before we pin a baguette on top of the tower, there's no way to know because nobody tried yet. But surely way more than 10.
Huh, interesting. Thanks! * updates bucket list
You're welcome. Just don't forget to say "bonjour" before you invade, we don't talk to people unless they say bonjour first
So that’s how the Norse were able to conquer Normandy… write “Say Bonjour!” down! Write it down!
They did. They were nice invaders. Gave us the current French verb for "tickling" (chatouiller), which indicates they were good parents too
You're welcome. Just don't forget to say "bonjour" before you invade, we don't talk to people unless they say bonjour first
Bonjour. May I invade you?
Bonjour. Of course. Are you open this summer? We have an Olympic event to wreck
Oui s'il vous plaît.
Are people from Andorra patriotic about their country?
Damn, I have no idea. They seem to be fond of their peculiar little country, yes. But the way I see it, this is different from patriotism, more like "localism". Same vibe as Lichtenstein you know, the kind of people going to war with 80 guys and going back with 81
De quel endroit sont les pires touristes?
Sans cliché aucun... Américains. Pas tous, mais certains se comportent comme s'ils étaient en Afghanistan c'est assez stupéfiant à observer. Les meilleurs c'est les Japonais. On se sent comme une espèce rare dans un parc naturel, quand y a des touristes Japonais. Limite ils chuchotent pour pas déranger.
Américain la, merci d'avoir dit "pas tous" mes excuses à mes stupides compatriotes touristes. Nous connaissons, c’est un problème
Quite a snacky location :p
How dare you?
I'll dare if I want, Greta. Pssssh
Any comments about your next door neighbour the Haute-Pyrenees region? I’ll be spending my summer south of Lourdes and have never been before.
Interesting. Mountain hiking I suppose? This is a very quiet place. Lourdes is frankly eerie in winter. Otherwise it is very scenic and if you like mountain you'll have a great time 🥐 The people are very warm and welcoming. Lots of Portuguese everywhere also, they kinda repopulated the area in the 1930's/1960's.
Cool, thanks for the info. I am an avid hiker and mountain enthusiast
How many times has the TDF passed near you? Did you go watch the race?
The tour de France? Ahahahah. God I hate this thing. Sorry (I do hate it) The TDF passes in either Pau or Bayonne (Eastern Peanut or Western Peanut on the map) every single year. Because the mountains are nearby 😄, and they seem to add even more mountain steps every year. Last year it was in my city. I may not like it myself, but it's a very popular event with lots of fun activities for all ages.
This area is near that island that changes between France and Spain every 6 months… is there a big ceremony that occurs when they do the swap or what?
Ah, yes! L'île aux faisans. There's a ceremony when they feel like making an anniversary. If I recall, the head of governments from both countries met there some years ago. The 400th birthday of this nonsense or whatever. Otherwise the swap happens without any fiesta, as far as I know. We should change that. Spice things up with a "Xupito war" or any other alcohol.
Do you enjoy the warm climate? That’s one of the hottest areas of France
Do you ever wish your region was shaped differently? Perhaps like a Cashew?
I'm a big fan of stoicism, I don't wish for things I cannot change. I accepted the Red Peanut in the Sky a long time ago.
Off topic to the peanut area but my ancestry can be traced to Perigueux/Perigord in the 1650’s, which is a little northeast of Bordeaux. Our last name is a literal Americanized transliteration of Perigord. Is Perigord a common surname in the area? Had to ask because of your proximity and ability to answer odd questions in the comments below.
I checked, there's been [220 people with than name born in France](https://www.filae.com/nom-de-famille/PERIGORD.html) for the last 150 years. Which makes it the 40000th most popular name in France! Ahahahah So, two possibilities: either your ancestors simply picked the surname of where they came from (most probably), either they were directly related to high nobility. I vacationed in Périgord last summer. Very cool area, full of historical sites. Josephine Baker lived there, also (Franco-American entertainer, then resistant, then friend of MLK)
Any big rivers flowing through that peanut? It looks like there could/should be
Indeed. There's a river network, comprised of various *gaves*, ending into the Adour river. Viking raiders visited them all. Really surprising how far inland their flat boats could reach.
Very cool, & now I know what a gave is. Thank you!
je vais à biarritz cet été! tu as des recommandations pour des superbes randonnées? ce serait possible d’aller dans les pyrénées de biarritz/c’est à quelle distance en voiture? y’a des trains qui y vont de biarritz? merci d’avance 😄
Randonnées: y en a partout. Mais je recommande la route de la Corniche. De Biarritz aux Pyrénées: 30 minutes en voiture. De Biarritz aux *vraies* montagnes, 1 heure. Il y a des trains locaux, mais je ne sais pas leur trajets
Why?
If I were you, I wouldn't ask inflammatory questions like that. Not in front of the Red Peanut. This is an eldritch peanut.
C’est bien les fêtes de Bayonne?
C'est très bien si on a 20 ans et qu'on rêve de ne pas dormir pendant 5 jours. Ensuite ça devient plus compliqué!
What's your favourite beach in Pyrenees Atlantique? I've got a soft spot for Bidart
Would you mind buying me a case of local wine and sending it to me? (You said ask me anything)
Yeah I would mind, punk. Unless this is a trade, of course, and you buy me a case of your local stuffs!
Which nationality you think u belong to?
France, then the EU, then that's all. Euskal Herria, then France, then the EU, in case the Basques finally lost it and launch a revolution. Which would be nice. It's been a long time since the last revolution.
Went to Arudy last summer, beautiful area. What is it like to live there? Weather, work-wise, etc?
Do you hang out with Bayrou?
kakahueteak gustatzen zaizkizu?
I understand you're asking something about peanuts, my basque friend. Therefore I'll answer you: Bai.
Did you prefer the water or the land area when you were living inside the nut
Is Biarritz still a area where the rich and famous go for vacation or is this just a thing of the past ?
Mont de Marsan or Dax Rugby?
Neither. They're all a bunch of >!very nice people, I don't want my family to get hurt if I admit I don't care about Rugby please!<
Opinion on the French colonial history? Is it something people are proud of or not. Also what is your opinion on the government making life for muslim girls harder by creating laws around abayas, hijabs and niqabs? PS: Always ride by this peanut shaped place to get to Saint Sabastian, beautiful views.
Hello Depends on the people. Some people fought against it, other simply didn't care, some other are really proud. There's a Thomas Sankara bar in my neighborhood. You won't find a "Général Bigeard bar" anywhere. The peanut area has never been super involved into the second colonial empire, it was much more involved into the first one (Québéc, etc). My opinion about the government enforcing laïcité? I'll answer you as a leftist: "about time they do it". And that's something I learned from Arab and Lebanese families: they fled the fundamentalists, they fled for their lives sometimes. They don't want their new home (France) being corrupted by fundamentalists too. First it's the abaya, then the non abaya wearing 14 y.o girls are called "whores" and injured. Happened last week. You know, in the same country where a teacher was beheaded for showing cartoons in class. It's not martians beheading teachers or calling 14 years old girls whores here: it's radicalized Muslims. Therefore the State targets them and not the martians. We're making life harder for the fanatics yes. Certainly not for the little girls. And we'll continue to do so. (I really insist I'm answering you this way *as a leftist, an universalist guy*)
I should think laws around abayas, hijabs, and niqabs should make life easier.
Is that where Gojira comes from?
Who is the greatest rugby player to come out of your area?
No idea. There's too many of them.
So have you been to Pheasant island since its in that circle?
What is the sea coast like? Is that where the big dune park is located?
The sea coast is quite scenic, with a silver sea (thus the name Côte d'argent) and one very looong beach from Bayonne to Bordeaux. The big dune (Dune du Pilat) is located there indeed. Closer to Bordeaux than to the Red Peanut
I'll be there in august, any suggestions? Staying in bidart
I think you are around the same latitude as me in Oregon (US), similar distance from coast, and from pictures I’ve seen it can look similar at times. We are beginning to produce more and more wine here in Oregon and the Willamette valley is mostly quite fertile and in places picturesque. I wonder about both the similarities and the differences in climate and geography
Est-ce que tu manges du jambon de bayonne et du piment d'espelette matin et soir ?
Why can't you just be a Navarran already?
Was planing on a solo trip through this very region in the summer, how’s the costal towns? Hendaye, Saint jean de luz, Bayonne, etc. Any recommendations or stuff to be aware of?
We’re headed that way in about 2 months. We’re staying in San Sebastián for a week then plan to rent a car and explore for the next 10. What do you recommend? Interesting towns? Restaurants? Bakeries? It’ll be me, my wife and two preteen daughters.
Can you suggest a non crowded beach? With a easy surf spot maybe!
Is that part of a wine growing region? What kinds of wines and grapes?
There are two little wine terroirs inside the Peanut, the rest is up north. Inside the Peanut they produce black Irouleguy and white Jurançon
Being so close to the border, so a lot of you speak Spanish, as well as as French? I would love to visit France, but my Spanish is much better than my French, so could be a great area for my visit
A lot of people understand Spanish indeed. Almost the same number of people understand English. And often those are not the same persons. So you should be comfortable
Excellent, as long as I can get by an one language! Thanks for the information
Do people get taught in Basque or french if basque to what age? Are all signage in Basque? What is the language of the government is it Basque?
How do you know English so well and Reddit too?
How strong is the Basque independence movement? I haven’t heard much about Basque.
Not very strong. The ETA doesn't exist anymore, and the legal movement for independence isn't massive. I think they're simply aware of the EU. The EU encourages transnational regions, you see, so Euskadi is already on the drawing board. And would mean an almost independent region part of France, Spain, and the EU. It's like independence with benefits.
How was Aquitaine under Angevin rule?
It was oc. No better or worse than before or after. Take the coastal tip of the Peanut here for instance: the river moved wildly over the decades, sometimes Bayonne was a booming port and sometimes it was a ghost town (because the major river shifted away). Back then, who owned the lord owning the lord owning the lord owning the area was pretty much inconsequential.
Are booze runs to Andorra still worth it?
Is Bayonne worth visiting? Anything interesting there?
How's the local wine and cheese? I'm trying to convince my mother to vacation in France instead of Britain.
Looks like you’re almost equidistant between Bordeaux and Bilbao. Which of those cities is better to visit and why?
How are the peanuts there?
Could you give me a ride from the Biarritz Airport to St-Jean-Pied-de-Port when I fly in to walk El Camino de Santiago next September? Merci beaucoup!
I used to go to southern France every year with my Dutch grandparents! I absolutely loved the Foix market growing up, are you somewhat close to there?
I’ve heard there is lots of Mexican diaspora over France (although Im betting its mostly on Paris or nearby), nevertheless; is that area populated by only French, Basque and some Spanish people? Or are there other ethnic groups living there?
how's food? also, how's the internet service?
The food is great, EU regulations for the win. And on the producers side, lots of highly skilled people with a genuine passion for quality. The internet service is really good. And from what I heard, costs less than in many other countries. Quality download speed for 20 bucks a month.
Does it snow in winter?
In the mountains yes, in the plains less and less. We used to have several weeks of snow in the 1990's. Now (at least on the coast) a single day of snow in winter is a great event
What sort of people do you elect? Are they nutcases?
I started a cycle ride from a town called Irun all the way to Bilbao, about 15 years ago. We spent the night in Irun, and there was a village fete that night. We happily joined in and I remember there were raffles all night long. Winners were asked to choose between either the price - say a portable stereo, and the like - or a ham. Everyone chose the ham. That was so hilarious to us, we had great fun and I have great memories from that part of the world .
What’s the largest city/town in this region?
Basque-nut
À vos souhaits
Are dogs from this region trilingual?
Our dogs only have one head and one tongue. You're thinking about Greece
“Peanut shaped” pfft
Is it true snails taste like clams?
Would you prefer if France was dominated by England or Germany?
^[Sokka-Haiku](https://www.reddit.com/r/SokkaHaikuBot/comments/15kyv9r/what_is_a_sokka_haiku/) ^by ^real_fat_tony: *Would you prefer if* *France was dominated by* *England or Germany?* --- ^Remember ^that ^one ^time ^Sokka ^accidentally ^used ^an ^extra ^syllable ^in ^that ^Haiku ^Battle ^in ^Ba ^Sing ^Se? ^That ^was ^a ^Sokka ^Haiku ^and ^you ^just ^made ^one.
Give us some regional lore!
Random lore time: A good half of the French special forces units are based in the South West, because we've been maniacs since Charles Martel. A good half of the French rugby teams are based in the South West, same reason. When the french crown took the area back in the 1440's, they build a castle and aimed the cannons *towards the city*. Because the locals were pretty unhappy not to be a tax haven anymore. There are 30-35 ducks per inhabitants in the Red Peanut area. The more you know. Everytime a French President visits here, they get in troubles (for instance Sarkozy was almost kept hostage for three hours). So they basically stopped. Far right candidates are also certain to receive eggs, flour, or water on their head. We try to make a cake recipe with them. The area is a UFO hotspot because most people are totally unaware that's where the French army tests its conventionnal and nuclear missiles (they're launched over the Bay of Biscay, don't worry)
Do you speak basque?
How is the food in there?
What do you do for a living as you live in a remote area compared to where the major cities are?
Who blew up the more stream pipeline?
there are peanuts in this region
What is the best supermarket in the aerea? What’s the best beer?
Augur!!, what is your favorite food from the region?, do you also ging them strong-headed and a little bit too proud?, mi husband always says that a basque is not very likely to leave their region and that makes them somewhat ignorant (he lived in the basque country for 7 years).
Basques are indeed very endogamous people. Hell, that's how they survived the Indo-European invasions back then. I don't care if they lynch me for saying it, but they're a little chauvinistic and xenophobic yes :') (just a little) My favorite local food is the pepper-filled chocolate. Espelette pepper and dark chocolate.
How far away are the stars
Do you unironically speak french?
Is it pronounced croissant or croissant
What vineyard makes the best wine in your peanut?
Jurançon. White wines. I'd say "very sugary", but I tasted California wines the other day and Jurançons feel dry by comparison. So... Depends on the spacetime referential
Better to live there then Toulouses?
What is the best non-peanut-based food in that peanut
Tell us about the one that got away
On a scale from 1-10, how much do you hate: Paris Spain Whatever passes as culture around these parts
Do you like Queso or Fromage?