Basque Country - Day 4

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The forecast was for another day of gorgeous weather -- so I decided to go to Bayonne for a wander and lunch and then drive up the coast a bit to Capbreton.


Stretching along the banks of the rivers Adour and Nive, the waterside city of Bayonne is considered one of the prettiest in southwest France, and the capital of the French Basque Country.  As the predominant town of the Basque province of Labourd, it came under English rule from 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Henry II; France only regained it in 1451.  Whaling and later cod-fishing were important industries, forging the Basque connection with Newfoundland and maritime Canada.  Around 1500, many Jews arrived here from Spain, fleeing the Spanish Inquisition - they brought with them the art of chocolate-making, and this too became a major industry.  Around 1700, Vauban enclosed Bayonne within sturdy ramparts.  The town was much battered and besieged in 1814 as Wellington's forces advanced out of Spain against Napoleon's France.


  • 1-2:  Oddly, the botanic gardens in Bayonne are closed on Sunday.  I did spend a bit of time in this little garden -- very pretty and peaceful.
  • 3:  Walking around Bayonne -- almost everything was closed.  


  • I obviously have a fixation on doors & shutters ☺
  • 3:  The twin towers of Bayonne's Gothic cathedral soar above the city.  Construction began in the 13th century, and was completed in 1451.  Above the north aisle are three lovely stained-glass windows; the oldest, in the Chapelle St-Jérôme, dates from 1531.  There are also several beautifully restored frescoes.


  • Bayonne Cathedral aka The Cathedral of Saint Mary of Bayonne or the Cathedral of Our Lady of Bayonne


  • Bayonne Cathedral


  • 1:  Bayonne Cathedral
  • 2 - 3:  Scoping out places for lunch


  • Ended up eating lunch at a cute little café right across the street from the cathedral
  • 2-3:  Lunch was very good - fish risotto & chocolate profiteroles


  • Bayonne


  • River Nive, Bayonne


  • 1-2:  River Nive, Bayonne
  • 3:  River Adour, Bayonne


  • Driving up the coast, stopped at a beach, quickly realized that bathing suits were optional (and stopped taking photos ☺)


  • Capbreton - very pretty seaside town; parking was next to impossible!
  • Situated on a branch of the Adour River, at the border of Basque Country, about 40km north of Bayonne.  During the Middle Ages, Capbreton was the most important ocean port of the region -- it it here that the Vikings invaded the region in 930.  At its heyday during the 15th & 16th centuries, Capbreton was a thriving town of 2-3,000 residents -- many of them long distance sailors -- whale hunter and cod fishers going up to the Canadian Northeast -- and merchants selling the local wares (wine, cork, pine resin) to Spain, Portugal, Holland, and Belgium.


  • Capbreton:  clouded up a bit - but still warm & lovely beach weather

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