Bassin d'Arcachon (4)

With distinct lack of planning, we chose the hottest day of our holiday (the temperatures soared to 40°C (over 100°F) to go and visit the Dune de Pyla (or Pilate). This is the highest sand dune in Europe, measuring over 100 metres high and almost 3 kilometres in length. But in that heat, the sand was burning hot. We made an attempt to climb down the far side of it to the sea, but had to give up - we would have needed boots and socks. It was quite amazing, though...And we could smell the pine sap for quite a distance.
Afterwards, we went and spent the rest of the afternoon on a nearby beach.
This was the only day that I had problems with my catering arrangements - the butter melted in the cool box!

The next day was somewhat overcast and cooler, and is really the day we should have gone to the dune. Instead, we planned to take an afternoon trip around the bay. I must have walked into the town centre in the morning for some reason, because that's where the following photos were taken. For a centre that had no grocery shops, it had an abundance of estate agents, I think there were at least two more with less photogenic signs.
The little cow bell looks as if would have belonged more appropriately in the Auvergne.