Bayonne & St. Jean de Luz
We arrived in the beautiful port of St. Jean de Luz this morning at sunrise. The picturesque harbor was glowing orange in the early morning light. After taking Zodiacs into the dock, we boarded buses to go to the town of Bayonne.
Bayonne was initially shrouded in fog, which later burned off into a brilliant, sunny day. The city itself is regarded as the French capital of the Basque country and boasts a quaint, historic center. We visited the Cathédrale Ste. Marie and photographed the twin spires from a distance. Next, the majority of our group wandered along the narrow, winding streets of “Grand” Bayonne in search of hot chocolate. Some of us indulged in the rich, frothy version, while others dared to try a thicker, spoon-worthy treat. The history of the hot chocolate dates back to the 16th century, when it was brought by Jewish settlers fleeing the Inquisition.
We returned for lunch to the National Geographic Endeavour in St. Jean de Luz and then dispersed to spend the afternoon ashore. St. Jean de Luz is a beautiful town, with great examples of traditional Basque design on the homes and buildings. Buildings decorated in true Basque style are white with red or green shutters and trim. Originally, the red paint used was from the blood of cattle and acted as a preservative as well as a decoration. The town owes much of its early fame to the wedding of Louis XIV and Maria-Teresa of Spain. Those who joined the afternoon walking tour strolled past the homes in which the bride and groom stayed during the month prior to the wedding, both of which were owned by wealthy merchants. The highlight of the tour, however, was the beautiful church of St. Jean-Baptiste, where the wedding took place in 1660. This surprisingly ornate church was unlike any of the others visited thus far, as it boasted a set of three tiered, oak galleries alongside the walls and a spectacular gilded altar.
The remainder of our afternoon and evening was spent in the streets of the old town, indulging in local treats such as Macaron Adam cookies and Touron almond paste, and watching the sunset in this charming, French town.
We arrived in the beautiful port of St. Jean de Luz this morning at sunrise. The picturesque harbor was glowing orange in the early morning light. After taking Zodiacs into the dock, we boarded buses to go to the town of Bayonne.
Bayonne was initially shrouded in fog, which later burned off into a brilliant, sunny day. The city itself is regarded as the French capital of the Basque country and boasts a quaint, historic center. We visited the Cathédrale Ste. Marie and photographed the twin spires from a distance. Next, the majority of our group wandered along the narrow, winding streets of “Grand” Bayonne in search of hot chocolate. Some of us indulged in the rich, frothy version, while others dared to try a thicker, spoon-worthy treat. The history of the hot chocolate dates back to the 16th century, when it was brought by Jewish settlers fleeing the Inquisition.
We returned for lunch to the National Geographic Endeavour in St. Jean de Luz and then dispersed to spend the afternoon ashore. St. Jean de Luz is a beautiful town, with great examples of traditional Basque design on the homes and buildings. Buildings decorated in true Basque style are white with red or green shutters and trim. Originally, the red paint used was from the blood of cattle and acted as a preservative as well as a decoration. The town owes much of its early fame to the wedding of Louis XIV and Maria-Teresa of Spain. Those who joined the afternoon walking tour strolled past the homes in which the bride and groom stayed during the month prior to the wedding, both of which were owned by wealthy merchants. The highlight of the tour, however, was the beautiful church of St. Jean-Baptiste, where the wedding took place in 1660. This surprisingly ornate church was unlike any of the others visited thus far, as it boasted a set of three tiered, oak galleries alongside the walls and a spectacular gilded altar.
The remainder of our afternoon and evening was spent in the streets of the old town, indulging in local treats such as Macaron Adam cookies and Touron almond paste, and watching the sunset in this charming, French town.
