We had a lazy start enjoying our healthy light breakfast with gorgeous white nectarines, natural yoghurt and muesli and then wandered up through town a couple of km to the northern regional line train station which services the coast line to the French border. It is more of a metro train than the bigger diesel. A short trip of about 20 minutes brings you to Hendaye where you hop off and cross the border between Spain and France by walking around a bend to a big SNCF station and another short 10 minute trip to our destination of a charming sea side port village of St. Jean-de-Luz. Whilst you cross borders you are still right in the heart of Basque Country, albeit with a more French feel, than the Spanish Basque.
St. Jean-de-Luz is very quaint and pretty with white houses sporting Basque coloured burgendy red or green wooden shutters and trims. The port is scenic as you would typically expect of this popular but not over touristy small seaside town with blue clean, and clear water reflecting an eclectic mix of fishing and small pleasure boats, nets with large round floats resting on the docks and neat 17th century houses peering over the harbour like grand ladies enjoying a seaside view out of their windows on a sunny day. There are a series of funky white light houses that line the river entrance and to the right the neat curved beach has nice clear green blue water and golden sand. The temperature test of the water was at first a bit refreshing, but nice to wade in. Looking out to sea is a breakwater to protect from the sometimes angry Cantabrian waters. I really want to see and photograph the water coming up over the walls that they have on the edge of towns like this in France and the UK one day.
We strolled around the river mouth and port, along the beach and back into town to find some lunch and settled on a nice cosy place called ‘The Cave” where we enjoyed an entree, main and dessert for 22.50 each. It was way too much but very pleasant. Vern had a local sheeps cheese, egg and jamon salad and I had pimento stuffed with hake in a squid ink sauce. Mains were a charolaise 200 gr steak with herb butter, and a slow cooked Basque veal dish which was delicate yet flavoursome with overtones of capsicum (pimento). The steak was tough as boots and the cut come out with big tenderisation slashes – I think it was a stewing steak but they eat it like that over here – flavour nice enough and the herb butter delicious. For dessert we chose a Basque tart which was delicious almond flavour with a light egg, almond creamy sauce in the middle, and a sheeps cheese from the Pyrenees and blueberry compote plate.
Just a note that the Jamon is so good here – and local. They also sell acorn fed pork which is pretty darn special as well – same pig but uncured. When we were in Seville in 2013 it was explained the best Jamon came from up north where it is free range and fed on acorns – they also have black hoofs. Whereas Serrano is pork from other areas and not the special black hoofed one. Handy to know – on top of that the length of time the ham is aged also determines the quality and price.
After lunch we had just enough time to waddle back to the train station which took about 7 minutes to get the 4:17 train back home. As we were wandering back through town we decided to pass by the cathedral and were treated to a magical display of the early evening light coming through the stained glass, casting coloured lights all over the church like a 80’s disco hall. It was gorgeous and I was kicking myself as it was the first day in about a month that I have had my multi zoom on and no prime lenses in my day pack that would have given me some great shots! I did get some anyway, but am conscious I did not have the best equipment for the job.
At home we had a cuppa and a brief rest where I was able to complete a blog, have an online chat with Lili who is not that far away in Barcelona, and Vern did some washing. We headed out for dinner (like we needed it) at about 8:50 to a jam packed like sardines old town. It was super busy because it is Saturday and we were later – which is when locals as well as tourists go out and eat. Note to self is to go out a lot earlier tomorrow and avoid the crowds – it takes crazy to new levels I can tell you! It took us a while to try and find somewhere that was not so crowded that you couldn’t hear your self think – let alone get acces to the bar, and we ended up at a place we went to the first night and had a pork cheek dish Iberian style, and Bacala cooked with pimentos (capsicums). Both were delicious and I may have also fit in some skewered green chilli’s and octopus. I couldn’t eat all my fish though, it was just too generous and my stamina is not quite there despite the best intentions!
By the time we strolled back it was well and truely dark and we were treated to the city and beach front all lit up. The La Concha promenade is really pretty and there were still hundreds of people about enjoying the evening – even swimmers in the bay (keen I think). I noted to Vern that despite the hundreds or probably thousands crammed in and around old town heavily drinking there is very little police presence and we saw no aggressive or horrible drunken behavior. I know the night is still young but people really hit the booze over here – and early, yet they seem to handle themselves so much better than at home. I will try and muster the energy to come out tomorrow with my tripod and capture the night scenery. So ends another wonderful restorative day on the west coast of Spain and France.
Travels with Valrock 