POSTCARDS FROM BAYONNE
As I’m counting down the days to spring (let’s just say I’m not the biggest fan of winter), I keep thinking how great this past summer was, including the road trip I took in the Basque country (little sneak peek right here!). Bayonne was our last stop in France before taking the train across the border to Spain and one of the biggest surprises of this trip. Had I known it was such a cute little town, I would have definitely arranged to spend at least one more day there.
Just a short ride away from Biarritz and and built in between two rivers, Bayonne is lovely. I always think towns are attractive when a river runs through them, but two rivers – double the pleasure! Bayonne may be the capital of the French Basque Country but it was so calm, that it didn’t feel busy at all. Quite the opposite, it was very relaxing to stroll around its cobbled streets, lined with tall and narrow buildings adorned with wood shutters and timbering in shades of red, blue or green.
Thanks to a bit of research that I had done beforehand, I knew that chocolate and ham are both local delicacies and of course, I had to try them. I do realise I am spoilt with choice when it comes to chocolate in Belgium but one can never have too much of it, right? Bayonne was actually the first city in France where chocolate was consumed for pleasure by everyone. A must-try spot is Casenave, a beautiful cafe with Art Nouveau details famous for its ”chocolat chaud mousseux”. Do order one, thank me later! It’s hand-whipped (an homage to the whipping baton in the chocolate services of the 18th and 19th centuries), so you get to enjoy a very rich and frothy hot chocolate – a dream for chocoholics!
Another great foodie spot is this restaurant that I had booked for dinner. Not only was the food and service lovely but we also got to seat on the terrace across the water which was sparkling under the twinkling lights of the river bank. The perfect way to say ”au revoir” to beautiful Bayonne.