Bayonne & St Jean de Luz

Bayonne is just next to Biarritz so it was a easy day trip. Being the foodie that I am, I wanted to check out the place famous for the Bayonne ham, chocolate & something called bayonnaise - a combination of mayonnaise & Espelette chillis. We actually had nothing to do with food while we were there, instead we found ourselves spending time in the Musee Basque - a small but impressive collection of everything you want to know about Basque arts & culture.

Houses along the Nive with
St Marie Cathedral in the background

Musee Basque in a 17th Century house

Next day, we made our way to St Jean de Luz. It's a complete contrast to the wild waves of Biarritz. The beach is sheltered so the sea is calm. When we arrived, there were already groups of children playing on the beach. The main pedestrain walkway rue Gambetta, runs from the beach to the centre of town. If I thought Biarritz is laid back, well St Jean de Luz is even more so. If we had more time, I would have wanted to stay here at least for one night.

This was taken just before
she fell into the water & got herself all wet

The magnificent church of St John the Baptist

Chez Theo

After eating nothing but tapas for the past 2 days, I was ready to try some Basque food. For that, we had lunch in Chez Theo, just beside the church. A cute little restaurant decorated with typical Basque paraphanelia. Their Axoa - a veal stewed in sweet chilli & espelette - is delicious.

Chez Theo
25 rue de l'Abbe Onaindia