Basque Country

Aaah, the Basque Country. I had been there briefly in 2004 and had the chance to rediscover it properly in October 2021.

Stunning region of France, lovely and friendly people and fantastic food. I only stayed there 5 days, but managed to visit Biarritz, Bayonne, Saint-Jean-de-Luz, Bayonne, Cambo-les-Bains, Bayonne... Did you get that I loved Bayonne?

Here are a few photos taken during that trip. Some photos also appear in the Events section, since my timing coincided with the Patrouille de France Airshow and Bayonne's Ham Festival.

Gears used: Canon EOS R, mainly RF 24-105mm, EF 55-250mm.

BIARRITZ

Walking the dog. Even, mid October, it was still possible to have a swim there. I love the colour and shape of the rocks and the reflections on that image.

Biarritz is very famous for surfing. I saw plenty of surfers there, but the waves were far from spectacular during my visit so couldn't get the shot of the century. I couldn't have it all :-)

I must have been a paparazzo in a previous life as I enjoy taking photos of people without them knowing. The only difference is that I take them fully dressed and from quite a distance, so they're usually hardly recognisable.

I enjoyed taking that one. A couple, the sea, the blue sky and a few items: it's classic, but I do think it works.

Lifeguards on duty. It's not Baywatch, but almost.

Rocher de la Vierge (Rock of the Virgin) gateway. Touristic site that can't be missed if you're in Biarritz.

A normal day in the office for some people. Do you envy this worker? It was such an unusual scene that I had to document it.

Above: Mad sunset taken on my last day in Biarritz. I love the result but too bad I didn't have my tripod with me to get a perfectly sharp image.

Below: The old port of Biarritz (or part of it).

Saint-Jean-de-Luz

Scene taken near the port of Saint-Jean-de-Luz. Lovely houses, amazing colours. It couldn't have picked a better day.

Pyrenees seen from Saint-Jean-de-Luz's port.

Town of Saint-Jean-de-Luz taken from the port.

Place Louis XIV in Saint-Jean-de-Luz.

An old lady at the window. Yes, she definitely saw me!

An evening in Saint-Jean-de-Luz. It was so crowded that I couldn't really take any decent photo. I decided to shoot people from a different angle, while playing with the light.

Cambo-Les-Bains

I only heard of Cambo-les-Bains a few weeks before my unplanned trip to the South-West. French TV journalists were doing a report about "Villa Arnaga", which was the Edmond Rostand's house (Cyrano de Bergerac's author). It was well worth a visit.

After leaving the train station and climbing the hill leading to the village, you can really enjoy lovely panoramic views of the area.

Corn field beside the train station. I had to kill a bit of time before the next train, so why not?

Villa Arnaga from a distance.

Villa Arnaga (Neo-Basque style).

View from inside. I hope you enjoy my garden.

Edmond Rostand's typewriter.

Bayonne

Big thumbs to the City of Bayonne. I definitely recommend it for its character, its colourful streets, its people, its food and its atmosphere (and I'm not even sponsored to say this). It was hard to sort my photos and picked only a few for this website.

Fantastic murals. Hats off to whoever did these wall paintings. They're really outstanding.

Above: I haven't seen one of these comic strip characters in years, but I remember his family name in French (les Rapetou). It allowed me to discover their name in English: the Beagle Boys.

Below: Kid with a "donkey's hat" (it would happen if the kid wasn't nice).