- Biarritz is a famous resort town, still being built, when the Nabokovs arrive.
- Later, the hotels will be occupied during war, but for now, it is full of happy tourists.
- In Biarritz, Vladimir finds several new kinds of butterflies and moths, and is overjoyed.
- He kneels on the plage (that's "beach" in French), and looks through a magnifying glass, as vacationers in fancy dress hang out nearby. There are ice cream and waffle vendors.
- Elsewhere, tourists swim, with lifeguards and swimming teachers in serious bathing suits.
- A locker room attendant tells Vladimir that in Basque, "butterfly" is "misericoleta," but Nabokov, in looking it up later, finds that the closest word in a Basque dictionary is something like "micheletea."