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Left: Hôtel du Palais and its curved poolat the heart of Biarritz. This page: theRussian church, and sommelier at work.THE RICH AND FAMOUS HAVE LONG BEEN DRAWNTO BIARRITZ. BUILDINGS IN THE STYLE OF THEIRHOMELANDS GIVE THE TOWN A WHIMSICAL AIR.supplier knocks on the door of his coop three timesbefore entering so as not to alarm the occupantswhen he steps through the door. “The meat is moretender if they stay calm,” he explains.While suites named after famous guests whohave stayed over the years—Winston Churchill,Igor Stravinsky, Edith Piaf—are furnished withcanopied beds and chaise longues, all ocean-facingrooms have windows that open to the rhythmicrotating beam from the lighthouse and poundingof the waves. Up on the fifth floor are some of themost intriguing places to stay. A cluster of roomshave been designed like ships, with teak decking,hurricane lamps and a cosy “captain’s cabin”. Oneis named after previous guest Ernest Hemingway,whose visit to this region inspired The Sun Also Rises.The outdoor pool with its sought-after cabanasand the Grand Plage beach beckon for the dropand flop set. But Biarritz—and the surroundingcountryside—are packed with places to explore. Startin the town centre at shops selling deli specialitiessuch as pimiento pepper pâtés and Bayonne ham.A visit to Mille et Un Fromages is a must: Madame—quite rightly—presents her cheeses with full details oftheir terroir, as if they were grands crus wines.Hop into a car (a chrome yellow Deux Chevaux,77