Biarritz VillaHosts™

Wendi

I'm American, married to a Basque Biarritz native and have been loving living in Biarritz for more than 25 years. Since 1995, I’ve been sharing our wonderful region with visitors from all over the world and all walks of life. It’s been a very enriching experience and I’m looking forward to continuing the adventure with A Season Away.

My role as a VillaHost is to share and transmit my passion and enthusiasm for Biarritz and the Basque Country to our A Season Away friends. Beyond the obvious insider's information that I’m happy to supply, the real fun is to discover what facets of the area interest them most and then little-by-little unfurl the local treasures. It gives me a real sense of accomplishment when I can hit their hot button and turn their experience into something extraordinary.

One of my best memories is an experience I had last year with a young American couple. They spent some time in Biarritz and decided it would be a perfect spot for their destination wedding. I helped them plan it all and we spent lots of time together discovering the area while researching venues and outing possibilities for their guests.

After the wedding they decided it was time to purchase their first home together. And although they are American and they both work full time in London, they decided that the only place it made any sense to them to have a permanent nest was Biarritz. As they put it, we know where we come from and although we may not know where we are going, one thing is certain; the place we will always want to come back to is Biarritz!

Kris

Like Wendi, I am an American married to a Basque native. Travel has been in my blood my entire professional life as I was flight attendant for many years before meeting my husband. I have been working as a tour guide in the Basque area for the last 14 years as well as with a receptive tour agency for 7 years as a program manager for their American clients, so I am familiar with American tastes.

I believe VillaHosts are the “secret sauce” to a great European experience by insuring our guests are comfortable in their new surroundings, introducing them to the region and all that it offers, and making them feel at home and part of the life that takes place here. We also introduce them to some of the local people that they will be dealing with on a daily basis, like the grocer, bread baker or news stand operator. I’m an "outdoorsy" type person so some of my fondest memories with guests include biking along the Nive River into the historical village of Bayonne, hiking in the Pyrenees and discovering a "venta" or small shack where lunch is served, visiting the wonderful Basque villages and sampling the local wine, going to San Sebastian for tapas bar hopping or participating in the local cherry or pepper festivals. Of course a day spent shopping at the central Biarritz market with Chef Alain and preparing lunch under his watchful eye is a real treat!

At the end of it all, what I enjoy most about being a VillaHost for A Season Away is introducing our guests the wonderful people and culture of the Basque Country and making them feel at home.