A Quick Getaway to Bayonne and San Sebastian

J-boy’s one week is almost up and we were already feeling a bit of separation anxiety. So before he left, we planned to meet one of his friends who was living in Bayonne.

Bayonne is just two hours and a half away via train from Bordeaux. We took one of the earliest train out of Bordeaux. We arrived around 10am and his friend, Genelyn, came to pick us up at the train station. We stopped by for a bit at her place and get acquainted with her family. Since her husband was still finishing up some last-minute work, we got to see a bit of Bayonne with her beautiful son, Shaun.

We crossed the Pont Saint-Esprit, one of the oldest bridge in Bayonne crossing over the Adour river which connects Bayonne to the Faubourg Saint-Esprit. We walked through Rue Port Neuf. This whole street features a distinct type of architecture design. Its façade is rich with exposed wood frames painted mostly in brown red but also in green, grey, and blue. We stopped by one of the shops to grab a few macaroons for our road trip to San Sebastián.

Afterwards, we went to the Cathédrale Sainte-Marie de Bayonne. This cathedral was built in the 13^th and 14^th century and have a gothic style. I wanted to take a photo of the frontispice of the cathedral, but we didn’t have any time. Afterwards, we crossed the Nive river and passed by one of the farmer’s market on the way back to Genelyn’s place to get ready for our road trip to San Sebastián, Spain.

*From inside the Cathedral*

It takes about an hour and a half to get to San Sebastián and just like that, we were in a different country already. First on our itinerary was to have lunch at this amazing place called, La Mejillonera, where you eat while standing. Since the place was quite small, the only way to communicate to the kitchen was to shout! This restaurant is definitely the go-to place if you are searching for a lively ambiance and fresh sea food. One thing that went unnoticed was the bell whenever someone gives a tip. *ding!* The food was incredibly amazing! It has been awhile since I had some moules and squids, so I was just totally in heaven.

After the amazing lunch, we walked it off around the bay before we found our way to the Cathédrale du Bon Pasteur. Unfortunately, the church was closed when we got there. We decided to head to Monte Igeldo to get a full view of the city and the Atlantic Ocean.

We made a few more stops before we went back to Bayonne and at some point, we were left to take care of Shaun. He is one beautiful kid but he is still a baby and a smart one. When he knew that his parents left the car, he started to cry. We tried anything to keep him calm down, I even tried to talk to him in my broken french and it still did not work! That was the point when J-boy and I realized that we are CERTAINLY not ready for this kind of responsibility. Haha. It was a good thing Genelyn and her husband came back soon.

When we got back to Bayonne, we spent our remaining time with Karaoke while waiting for our train. It was a definitely a wonderful day, spent with new friends and with my other half. We are also thankful for the hospitality, and for showing us around, given by the Hythier Family.

Even though J-boy left the next day, I know we have more places to see together someday.

Love, J.