Well its was a rainy day here today. Usually when it rains it does so for just a few minutes in the morning and then clears up for the afternoon. Today, this was not the case, as it poured rain all day. We had planned to go surfing today but decided to hit the road and spend the day in fabulous St. Jean de Luz.
We decided to take Rypien with us on our little adventure - he's currently on probation as he hasn't been behaving too well lately. We decided to take him because we didn't want to leave him tied up outside in the pouring rain and we didn't trust him enough to leave him on his own in the kitchen - he has gotten into the garbage several times - a huge mess!
The drive to St. Jean de Luz only takes about 45 minutes. We weren't sure what or how many places would be open once we got there, given the fact that it was Sunday and everything usually shuts down for the weekend. However, when we arrived we were pleasantly surprised to see how many cafes and restaurants were actually open. We did some wandering and then stopped for lunch at a great restaurant in one of the town squares. It had a great covered patio and despite the rain almost everyone was sitting outside. I love how people here live very much outdoors. Dennis had a steak with shallots, frittes, a salade and a couple of beers, and I had a salade de chevre chaud with some red wine - it was great! After lunch I had my usual cafe creme - so tasty and delicious. After lunch we continued our meandering and window shopping and then stopped at a patisserie (the only one in town that I think was open)on our way back to the car to buy a baguette for dinner.
St. Jean de Luz is easily one of the most attractive cities in the Basque Country that I've been to so far. This endearing small beach city is just dripping with charm, from its port lined with colourful boats to its boutique shops. The delightful squares, quaint pedestrian shopping area all equal a visit that is sure to be unforgettable.
