Wednesday, rest day
Temperatures still warm overnight, so kept window open and was bothered by mosquitoes buzzing around, and woke up with a rather blotched face. Temperatures of 30°+ forecast, and the final hot and sweaty stretch into Dax had given me a small blister on the ball of my left foot, so I decided to (a) have a day off, and (b) go to the coast where it would be slightly cooler. See Saturday’s entry for continuation of this route.
So a lazy morning and a midday train to Bayonne. Lazy lunch in riverside restaurant, and small but not too expensive room in my favourite Bayonne hotel: the Grand. Afternoon really hot - definitely not walking weather. Everyone seeks out the shady side of the street; fortunately, there are plenty of colonnaded streets in the old town. Disappointed to find the sagarno eguna (day of cider, as I’m sure you all know) was the previous weekend, so I missed by 4 days.
Bayonne is one of those towns that I’ve changed my opinion on over the years. When I first visited it, I didn’t like it much - seemed a bit seedy and run-down. Now I like it: it’s not on the coast and has no especial tourist attractions, so it escapes the hordes that descend on Biarritz or St-Jean-de-Luz. On the other hand, it has plenty of history, and is one of those with long links with England. Its cathedral is not one of the best, but has some nice touches; I particularly like the Adam-and-Eve window with the serpent wearing a medieval PhD cap - who says church builders have no sense of humour!
Supper picnic of quiche and large bottle of beer from French Flanders (goudale - literally, good ale - from Douai) in park.