After breakfast, we learned that Bayonne gave its name to  a musket with a blade attached that was originally used by hunters in the 1600s, but eventually became a weapon: the bayonet.
Todd led us to the cathedral. Nick and I had already been there, but it was a much richer experience having both Todd and a local guide who lives in the town. The cathedral is a UNESCO World Heritage site, as is the entire town. The area was once called Aquitaine. Eleanor of Aquitaine was the mother of Richard the Lionheart. Continue reading Basque Country, Day 5 — September 9, 2023 →

Today’s temperature was expected to  be cooler, reaching a high of only 89 degrees. H’mm. The breakfast buffet was as tempting and yesterday’s, but we noticed that there were also “American” foods such as cold cereal, pancakes,  and yogurt,  and  also a variety of cold meats, cheeses, and fruit. After breakfast, we decided to go for a walk on the town’s ramparts. Continue reading Basque County, Day 4 — September 8, 2023 →

This morning’s breakfast  made me think that  we were inside a bakery. There were so many varieties of tea breads, muffins, croissants and other pastries. Our favorite was something that reminded us of lemon squares that had a bottom layer of pastry, a creamy filling, and more pastry on top. Continue reading Basque Country, Day 3 — September 7, 2023 →

September 6 was a sunny and hot morning, with the temperature at about 90 degrees. After standing at the back of a long line of people who were waiting for a cab for quite awhile with no cabs in sight, we decided that Plan B was in order. We walked across the airport to the bus stop. Continue reading Basque Country, Day 2 — September 6, 2023 →

On the morning of September 5, we were ready.  Our regular airport driver has retired, so we took an Uber. We recalled previous airport trips when it took an hour for us to reach JFK. The amount of traffic has increased greatly, Continue reading Basque Country, Day 1 — September 5, 2023 →

Nick and I enjoy travel very much, but several years  have passed since our last trip. This is due in part because of  Covid, and  also because  we have each had a variety of medical issues that needed our attention. In early summer, we were very pleased that our doctors declared us to be  in excellent health, and  they cleared us for travel. Continue reading Preparing for a New Travel Adventure →