Basque Country - Day 6

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Another gorgeous day!  So I decided to do a quick trip back to Bayonne to check out the chocolate shops and then spend the rest of the day at the beach in Biarritz.

Half ritzy coastal resort, half summer surfers' hang-out, the seaside resort of Biarritz has been a favorite beach getaway since Napoléon III and his Spanish-born wife Eugénie arrived during the mid-19th century.  Its elegant villas and heritage-listed residence, which glitter with belle époque and art deco details, have retained their glamor.  Unfortunately the 20th century wasn't quite so kind, and the seafront is "blessed" with its fair share of concrete that has done little to enhance its aesthetic appeal.

Today, Biarritz is considered the surfing capital of Europe.  The Atlantic coastline of France, from the English Channel down to the Spanish border, has excellent surfing conditions because the ocean's low pressure generates a huge funnel toward the coast, and the climate is not unlike that of Northern California.

I don't have many photos -- so, I'll use the space to provide some history on the Basque Country ☺.

When most people think of the Basque Country, they think of Spain.  Bilbao began the so-called Guggenheim effect.  San Sebastián has all those Michelin stars.  And Pamplona, notoriously, lets bulls run through its streets once a year.  But Basque Country is made up of seven provinces, three of which are in southwestern France.

The Basques are an ancient people who have inhabited this territory for thousands of years.  Today, the Spanish part is an autonomous region with a Basque government, while the French part answers to the central government in Paris.  The Spanish side has had a strong independence movement, which has lately been eclipsed by Catalonia's.  At the height of its activity in the latter part of the last century, ETA, the Basque separatist group, did most of its fighting on the Spanish side, saving the French side as a hideout.

Basque is the oldest European language still in use today and is thought to be a descendant of Aquitani, an ancient language which was spoken around the Pyrenees, dating as far back as 200 BC.  The Basque people were isolated from the rest of Europe for thousands of years, mainly due to its dense forests and mountainous landscapes.  This is probably why, unlike the rest of the ancient European languages, Basque managed to survive.

Basque is not an Indo-European language and it's not related to any other known languages spoken today.  It is known as a language isolate, its roots are not based in Latin, any other Romance languages or even Germanic languages.  Over the years, Basque has of course been influenced by Romance languages in terms of some of its vocabulary, but its structure and grammar are still completely different.  Today, less than 30% of the population in the Basque Country speak Basque (it's an official language in Spain, not in France).


  • Absolutely gorgeous sunrise!


  • 3:  Back in Bayonne


  • Bayonne is renowned for its hot chocolate (originally flavored with cinnamon) and its dark and bitter chocolate -- a very good thing since they happen to be two of my favorites.
  • As mentioned earlier, the city of Bayonne first introduced chocolate to France in the early 17th century.  Today, eight artisan chocolate makers still operate in Bayonne; four have shops on Rue Port Neuf where the rich scent of chocolate wafts through the air and a chocolate festival is held each year.
  • Click here to read more about Bayonne's history as the chocolate capital of Europe.


  • Biarritz


  • 2:  a bunch of school children sketching the lighthouse / rocs

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