Ultimate--International Championships, Royan France

Rayon's bay and beach

My son, Jim, has been an exceptional Ultimate player (Stanford, San Francisco's "Jam" club team), coach (University of Colorado team, Johnny Bravo club team) and aficionado for 25 years.  Right now, he's playing on the USA senior (called "grandmaster") Ultimate team in the international beach championships in Royan, France.  So, I'm here to watch him play.

USA team marching into stadium (Jim is 4th from the left)

Royan is on the Atlantic Coast, in the Bay of Biscay.  It was mostly destroyed by British bombs in World War II as the RAF attacked 2 German fortresses at the mouth of the Gironde Estuary.  So, there are virtually none of Rayon's historic buildings left, but its beaches are the real attraction. There are a series of bays with wide golden beaches lined with a beautiful boardwalk that continues for several miles around the bays.

USA team backed by flags of competing nations

The opening ceremony of the championships was today, very hot but quite thrilling to see the flags and teams of 39 countries march into the stadium.  France is on high security alert because of the recent terrorist attacks here and in the UK, so the boardwalk and surrounding streets and squares have roving patrols of heavily armed soldiers.

French soldiers on patrol by the beach

We are grateful for them, sweltering in all their gear and obviously watching the area with great concentration.
Last night, my first here, I walked around one of the bays about 9 p.m. as the sun was getting low in the sky.  Sunset didn't actually occur until nearly 10:00 p.m. on this close-to-the-longest day of the year.  The old stone lighthouse and the small boats in the harbor glowed with the setting sun.  Finally, a cooling breeze eased the heat of the day.  By the time I went to bed, it was going from scorching to balmy, a lovely way to end a long day of travel.

small boat harbor and lighthouse at sunset

I'm trying out my first Airbnb accommodation, a small condo with a pretty view of the bay. It's basic, but perfectly located about 2 miles from the Ultimate fields, so I can walk along the beach to get to the games.  While the town is quiet right now, despite the large numbers of tall, super-fit men and women who thrive on a tough, fast-moving sport, you can see that when summer is in full swing, the place throbs with music and activity.