A long but lovely drive to Bayonne over the western edge of the Pyranees crossing into France but filling up with Spanish diesel first. It’s €1.42 per litre whereas the average price in France is €1:92!
We stopped at E.Leclerc for basics but mostly to add to our red wine stocks for T. They are our favourite supermarket in France with a fine selection of food and booze.
Today we are parked in a municipal motorhome car park backing up to the beach in Anglet just outside Bayonne. It’s €13+ for 24 hours, on a bus route into Bayonne and next to the promenade, so suits us fine.
Once we arrive we eat a very very late lunch and then wander out. It’s a half hour bus ride into the city. Our first stop is Cathédrale Sainte-Marie de Bayonne. It’s another huge gothic structure which twin towers and spires. Inside the knave soars above our head, and there are beautiful and highly decorated chapels including the Chapel of the Virgin Mary with colourful restored walls and ceilings and gorgeous stained glass windows. T finds St Anthony of course and lights a candle. There are lovely gardens in front of the cathedral and cool cloisters around the side that we peer into through locked gates.
Outside there are half timbered houses and we enjoy a walk along the city ramparts to the Porte d’Espagne one of the original city gates.
By now we’ve earned and enjoy a cold beer in the sunshine.
Onto the River Adour where we cross and enjoy a beer with many others soaking up the rays. It’s a friendly happy atmosphere.
We return via a pretty park to Place des Basques for our bus. Happily we make it to the beach in time for a little food, another cold beer and watch the sun go down in the Sunset bar.
Another fab cathedral day in a pretty city bathed in sunshine.
16:06:26