On the Road Again - September 25, 2025

Selfie in Biarritz

In a sense, our real vacation started on this day, as this was the beginning of our road trip and our exploration of new parts of France. In the morning, we grabbed breakfast at Paul Bakery, a well-known patisserie chain in France, and then made our way to the car rental company through which we had hired a car. By about 10:30, we were on our way in a hybrid Peugeot 408. 

Beautiful french road near Sarbazan

Another road near Pouydesseaux

We had paid extra for a built-in GPS in the car, so that we would always have a map (and an expert voice) to guide us on our way. I had also purchased an esim for my phone which allowed me to be connected to data as much as possible. Although we had both systems working as we drove, we managed to get very lost that first morning. The problem was that I had no idea that there was more than one place called Bayonne in France. The car's GPS was taking us in one direction while Google Maps on my phone was suggesting another. It took us over an hour to realize the problem. As a result, we lost a lot of time. By midday, we were in a tiny hamlet in the middle of nowhere looking for a public toilet and something to eat. Happily we found both, although the men's that Bob used was very "public" as there was no privacy at the urinal he used. A local general store there provided us with a chicken sandwich to share and a bag of chips which would have to suffice for our lunch that day. 

A view of Saint-André from the castle

Typical Basque building in Bayonne

Our poor start meant that it was mid-afternoon by the time we arrived at the "real" Bayonne, our first planned stop of the day. I was dismayed that we had lost two hours, but there was nothing to be done. We parked the car and began a walking tour suggested in our Southwest France guidebook. 

Part of Chateau-Neuf citadel

In front of the modern library inside the castle grounds

We began our visit at Château-Neuf, a fortress built in the 15th century to defend against the Spanish to the south and the English who were a marine threat. In the 17th century, the renowned military architect, the Marquis of Vauban, remodelled the site into a citadel, most of which still stands today, although it now houses the Nive campus of the University of Pau and the Ardour Region (APPA). In the photo above, I am standing in front of the school's library, an ultra-modern triangular building of metal and glass. 

The new and the old

Beside it are archways, remnants of the ancient walls. The ramparts that face southwest are much more intact, however. They include embrasures at various levels within the walls. Today, this area is parkland, providing a pleasant place to walk while overlooking the old city below.

Château-Neuf stands above Petit Bayonne

Petit Bayonne

This is where we went next, to the part of the city known as Petit Bayonne. We were drawn to the Church of Saint-André first, where services are conducted in the Basque language. This is the case because Bayonne is the entryway to Pays Basque, and here was evidence of this unique culture. 

Vespas and church

Église Saint-André

Saint-André is a neo-Gothic church constructed in the mid-nineteenth century. Inspired by cruciform shaped churches of the 13th century, its large rose window is its most striking exterior feature. The interior contains notable paintings by Basque artists, such as Léon Bonnat and Eugène Pascau. 

Interior of Saint-André

The Holy Family by Pascau

I was struck by the use of colour inside the church. There is a great deal of red used here, a colour closely associated with Basque culture. The ironwork is also vermillion while the clustered columns have been joyfully decorated with bright designs. 

Multi-coloured columns

Shutters and balconies

From here, we wandered narrow streets past buildings designed with shutters and wrought-iron balconies. These features are also typical of this region of France. Unlike the half-timbered houses we had seen earlier, the ones here lacked contrast, but Bob soon discovered evidence of the local sense of humour and creativity on a damaged wall. Is the Bayonne Banksy?

School with balcony

Creative apprach to a broken wall

All the buildings were several stories high, but they were clearly residential in nature. An exception to this are two local museums in Petit Bayonne. We stopped briefly in front of the first of these, the Musée Bonnat, named after Basque's most celebrated artist who, upon his death, bequeathed his personal collection of drawings, paintings, and sculptures to the city. 

Typical narrow street

Walking toward Saint-André

Then, we moved on to the second, la Musée Basque which stands near the Nive River. It presents an historiographical and ethnographic collection dedicated to the Basque Country. It is housed in a bourgeois residence dating from the 16th century. It would have been interesting to visit one or both of these museums, but we had to pass since we were so far behind schedule. 

La Musée Basque

The waterfront houses on the north embankment as seen from Pont Marengo (looking east)

And so, we crossed the Nive on Pont Marengo to the south part of Bayonne, known as Grand Bayonne. As we did so, we tried to capture the beauty of the half-timbered houses reflected on the river. Even though some of these buildings were in poor condition, they were lovely when mirrored on the water.  It was a dull day but the effect was nonetheless striking. 

Looking west at the waterfront

Reflections on the River Nive

In Grand Bayonne, we first visited the market area. On this Friday afternoon, it was relatively quiet here. As we approached a cafe, I heard a woman comment on the maple leaf flag key chain I had attached to my purse. Like most Canadians, I always travel with a symbol of my country to avoid being taken for an American. 

Bob stops to smell the roses in the market area of Grand Bayonne.

Chatting with fellow Canadians

We shared stories about our travel plans while in France. Hamilton natives, the woman and her husband  were staying with friends in the area, and taking day trips regularly. They were nearing the end of their French vacation while we were just starting ours. Like us, they were enjoying Bayonne.

Pont Pannecau

Maison Moulis

While I was chatting, Bob took pictures. We were now close to a second bridge across the Nive, Pont Pannecau, built in 1867. Beside us was the beautifully preserved Maison Moulis. Dating from the 17th century, it is notable for its intricate half-timbered decor.

Bayonne architecture

The left bank of the city is its oldest part. It is larger and generally better preserved than Petit Bayonne. This is where most visitors eat, shop, and explore, although its museum, la Musée de Jambon, had little appeal to us–except for the silly photo op above. However, I have since learned that the ham and other charcuterie meats at la Maison Aubard are fine examples of Basque cuisine.

Foulards in a window

Banners

In July, there is a five day festival here, les Fêtes de Bayonne. During this time, local people wear "foulards" (bandanas) as they participate. Afterwards, they put these foulards on display as a sign of the celebration. Evidently, some people exhibit them in their windows indefinitely, as can be seen in the photo above. We also noticed another sign of the festival–red and green pennants festooned across a narrow street. These are the principal Basque colours.

We approach the cathedral.

I stand in front of the cathedral.

We were walking towards what would be the highlight of our visit to Bayonne, the magnificent Cathédrale Sainte-Marie de Bayonne. We approached it from the rear and made our way around it until we found the entrance. While construction on this grand church began in the 13th century, it was not completed until four centuries later. The two spires which can be seen from anywhere in the city were added in the 19th century. 

The main entrance

The gothic interior

As we expected, the interior was lovely. The style is northern Gothic with clustered columns, pointed arches, tracery on the windows, and a vaulted ceiling–all working together to lead the eye upward, closer to heaven. In true Basque fashion, there is a lot of colour here. 

Colourful decorations in the ambulatory chapels

The choir

The oldest part of this lovely church, the choir, is decorated in subtle colours. In contrast to this are the seven chapels in the ambulatory. The most stunning of these is the one below. The stained-glass windows here create a soft glow over boldly painted walls and statues. A recent restoration has brought back the original hues of these chapels.

Beautiful chapel

Paintings and vaulted ceiling in another chapel

Like the cathedral in Bordeaux, Sainte-Marie de Bayonne is a popular stop for pilgrims en route to Santiago de Compostela. We really enjoyed our visit to the interior, but we could not find our way to the cloister from there. Instead, we lined up on the side of the building in order to enter one of the largest cloisters in the world. 

Lining up for the cloister

We arrive at the cloister.

Bob and I love cloisters and have visited many of them in Europe. This one, a masterpiece of the Flamboyant Gothic style, is in very good condition with three of its original galleries having been restored in the 19th century and well-maintained since. 

The spires of the cathedral

The north side of the church. Can you see me?

As we walked through these corridors, we had a good view of the cathedral itself. Its iconic spires were hard to see from the narrow streets surrounding the church but from this perspective, there they were in all their glory! We also enjoyed a close-up sight of the north side of the church, where the details of its constructions are clearly apparent. 

Peeking at the spires

A view of the north side

Every time we visit a cloister, Bob and I always shoot some of our photos through the traceried openings of the gallery, thus creating a dramatic effect. Above are two of our best efforts capturing already photographed subjects, the spires and the north side of the cathedral. 

A line-up of costumed mannequins

Love those hats!

The space inside the arcades is quite wide, so much so that it was decided at some point to fill part of the area with life-sized models of people dressed in Basque costumes. These are organized by date, and so the costumes vary. Those in the first group above are clad in festive attire, and seem to be in some sort of parade. I particularly liked the ornate hats worn on this occasion. 

More Basque folks from another century

Women and baskets

This charming installation also includes the Basque people going about their daily lives. If you focus on the floor on the gallery, you will notice many large rectangular textured stones. These grave markers are evidence that the cloister was used as a burial site. There are also funeral slabs against the walls.

I stand outside the cathedral's porch taking the pic you see below. 

A gorgeous square

After our visit to the cloister, we returned to the area facing the cathedral in order to resume our walking tour of the city. Before we did that, we admired the plaza in front of us. The Chanoine Dubarat Square is  a beautiful gathering space, with a couple of restaurants and brightly painted half-timbered buildings visible through some shade trees. 

The view across the Nive from the right bank, with the Pont Pannecau on the right and the cathedral spires in the distance

The Pont Pannecau and the Maison Moulis on the left

Not far away from here, some large photos of the city on public display caught our attention. These are fascinating, as they digitally connect two scenes from about a century apart. We recognized some familiar corners of Bayonne, ones we had just visited. Here was a version of living history created by local photographer, Mathieu Prat.

We arrive at the Hôtel de Ville.

Place de la Liberté and its main building

Had we had sufficient time, I would have enjoyed having a look inside the shops in Bayonne, because there were many that attracted me, but under the circumstances, we moved on. We soon arrived at Place de la Liberté where a grand building stands on the north side. It houses the city hall (Hôtel de Ville) and the Théatre Michel-Portal. 

Bridge over the Nive leading to another bridge over the Adour

The junction of the two rivers

This square stands at the junction of Bayonne's two rivers, the narrow Nive which we had crossed earlier and the Ardour, a much wider waterway which leads to the Atlantic Ocean. Here we came to understand the city's long time role as a port and fishing centre. 

Looking south 

Looking north

We crossed back to the right bank and were soon in our car, ready to leave this charming city, and continue on our road trip. Our next stop was a mere 8 kilometres west of us–the famous resort town of Biarritz. As we followed the main road through the town, passing by resort hotels and beaches, we sought a place to park, but alas, there was nothing until we arrived at the southern end of the town. 

The Coastal Path

Plage du Vieux-Port

It was approaching five p.m. when we parked the car and began our walk back toward the centre of the town. We followed a promenade, the coastal path, which offers terrific views over the ocean, as it hugs the winding coastline and takes its users up and down worn stairs along the way. After about 10 minutes, we arrived at Plage du Vieux-Port, a small beach in a sheltered cove. In spite of the chilly weather, we spotted a couple of swimmers. 

Église Sainte-Eugénie

Rocher de la Vierge

From this point, we proceeded around the cliff past the gothic Église Sainte-Eugénie to an iron walkway–designed by Alexandre Eiffel–that crossed to an isthmus that juts into the Atlantic. We were now on le Rocher de la Vierge. a natural rock formation shaped like a ship's hull. Here, at the city's emblem, we took the selfie that begins this post. Afterwards, we climbed a stair to see the statue of the Virgin May standing there, and then, conscious of the time, we made the return trip to our car. We knew we had to arrive at our final destination before 7:00. 

I stand on the Rocher de la Vierge.

Beach and resort hotels as seen from le Rocher de la Vierge

Fortunately, it was a short 25 minute commute to Saint-Jean de Luz, so we made it to Hôtel Relais Saint-Jacques in good time. This place was certainly a step up from our Bordeaux hotel. Our room was spacious and we were very well located. Our host was very helpful too, suggesting a delightful resraurant close by for our evening meal.

Filet of sole

La Txalupa

La Suisse et la Txalupa is actually two restaurants side by side, one more formal than the other. We chose the fancier place which was contained within a glass cube. When we arrived, we were the only guests, so we received very good service. We both ordered the filet de sole and chose local specialties for dessert. This evening we enjoyed our first (but not our last) Gâteau Basque and Gâteau Russe. Thus, our first day on the road ended much better than it had begun. In spite of a few setbacks, we had seen most of what we had planned, walked 13 000 steps, and enjoyed a satisfying and delectable dinner.