For forever and a day we’ve heard about Île de Ré, a small island off the Atlantic Coast loved by tourists and year-round residents. It is so popular with Parisiens that it is has been called the 21st Arrondisement. The population of the nineteen-mile-long isle soars from 17,650 to about 220,000 in summer when sunny days are long and faint breezes cool the many beautiful beaches of golden sand.

When we realized that it would only take an hour and a half to drive to the Île de Ré from Jarnac, we couldn’t resist the urge to explore, liking the idea that while many restaurants, bars, and shops would be shuttered in early March, the number of tourists would be few.

We chose to stay in Saint-Martin-de-Ré, the largest of ten coastal villages, where the weather gods smiled on us again with dazzling blue skies by day and a canopy of sparkling stars at night. We were well cared for by the excellent staff of Hôtel Le Galion during four lazy days reading, relaxing, and striving to get in at least 10,000 steps on almost deserted quays, old paved paths, and cobblestone streets.

The island exceeded our expectations of infinite charm and beauty and endless ocean. Like we do in so many places in France, we thought “we could live here”.

Continuing along the southwestern seacoast

When Olivier passed his baccalaureate and was accepted for training as an airline pilot, he was nineteen and living at home in Grasse. Since there was a gap of months before classes started and he was anxious to improve his English, the language of airline pilots worldwide, he lived with Diane and her Kansas City family in a suite of rooms on the third floor of their Georgian home.

Olivier quickly endeared himself, not only to the family, but especially to Diane’s colleagues at her firm where he became an instant star in the law firm soccer league.

We have so many great memories of his time with us — stacks of baloney sandwiches eaten to fill the gap before dinner, zillions of autumn leaves that seemed to multiply the more he tried to corral them, lovingly teasing nine-year-old Catherine like a big brother, and driving Holly’s car on a dead run to Wisconsin to visit some now long-forgotten female acquaintance. We were delighted to attend his marriage to Carole in the Bayonne Cathedral and the all-night reception in Biarritz with delicious Basque delicacies, folk dancing, and traditional and contemporary music.

Thirty something years later, Olivier flies for Air France and currently manages the Paris-Osaka route. Once when we were on a Paris-Chicago flight that he was piloting, he made sure we had flutes of excellent champagne and great personal service.

Being able to see Olivier and Carole again, twenty years after their marriage, and to meet their children was very important to us. At their invitation to visit, we booked a room at Hotel de la Plage in Biarritz — a structure so close to the water that spray from the roiling surf dampened our windows.

We walked about 20 minutes along the long, wide, sandy shorefront and encroaching tide to the home they recently renovated around the core of a 19th century house. It is spacious and modern; filled with light and well-designed spaces that adapt perfectly to a lifestyle largely dictated by the activities of their three children. Hugo, age 18, a world-class surfer and aspiring dentist, was in Spain preparing for exams. But we met Raphael who at 15 is a serious rugby player speaking English well and aiming for a career in medicine. Six-year-old Marie colors inside the lines like a pro, tries out words in English, and gamely endures our visit while she recovers from a painful ankle injury sustained on a friend’s trampoline. A picturesque beach is just a few steps beyond the large backyard.

The weather was perfect for cocktails and appetizers on the terrace with a view of the Bay of Biscay in the distance. Carole kindly prepared a delicious meal of classic French and Basque influenced recipes while Olivier uncorked several bottles of memorable vintages. The next night we were delighted to join the family for a casual Friday evening meal with fun conversations that included the children. Afterward, Raphael did his best to explain rugby during a televised game while we sipped after-dinner cordials for enlightenment.

We parted decked out in gifts of French berets decorated with the emblem of the professional rugby team of neighboring Bayonne, and carrying presents of regional gastronomic specialties — Petit Basque cheese and cherry preserves.

But the best gift of all is our friendship with this adorable family.