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                                     “It was not hard to enjoy life in such a heavenly place”‘Biarritz – Instead of taking a leave at the end of four months, we were sent to Biarritz at the foot of the Pyrénées. This was purely an enlisted man’s leave area. 2000 coming in each week. My duties were the same as at any leave area—picnics, games excursions and dances. It was not hard to enjoy life in such a heavenly place. There were American and French families there who entertained the boys continually, opening their villas and gardens to them. The Hotel du Palais, built as a villa by Napoleon for Eugenia, was open for dances, the Country Club offered its links and tennis courts—in fact, there was nothing denied. Add with the Scrap Iron Jazz, a band of corking fine men, and the Foecy Jazz, equally fine men, from the University of Michigan, giving us music that simply made our feet jump, we never tired of dancing!’1919, American lady working with the YMCA in Biarritz – The Crescent of Gamma Phi Beta, Volume 21Photos: circa 1919 and later, Hotel du Palais, Biarritz: “Few hotels in the world can claim a more storied past than the Hôtel du Palais in Biarritz, where the G7 rich nation leaders will sit in splendor to discuss world poverty this weekend” (The Guardian) –  Biarritz coast, beach, boardwalk, pre & post WW1, on Gallica – YouTube “Leave Activities in the A.E.F., 1919” @2.38 “never get tired of dancing!” -- source link

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