Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
David and Julie Browning's Travels
- Blog
-
Location Date France 
1452297600 Germany 1451520000 Italy 1449360000 Spain 1448841600 Switzerland 1448668800 UK 1447718400 Belgium 1389052800 Luxembourg 1387497600 Austria 1387152000 Hungary 1387065600 Croatia 1386806400 Ireland 1357948800 Czech Republic 1356480000 Turkey 1354233600 Netherlands 1324771200 Greece 1290729600 -
Location Date Paris 1452297600 Rouen 1451952000 Montpellier 1449014400 Bordeaux 1448323200 Clermont-Ferrand 1448150400 Strasbourg 1389484800 Calais 1388361600 Honfleur 1388275200 Caen 1388188800 Grenoble 1385596800 Chamonix 1357171200 Amiens 1323993600 Bayeux 1323907200 La Baule 1323648000 Saint-Martin-De-Re 1323561600 Saint Jean Pied De Port
1323388800 Biarritz 1323302400 Toulouse 1323043200 Argeles-Sur-Mer 1322956800 St-Remy-De-Provence 1322870400 Nice 1322784000 Menton 1322697600 Annecy 1322265600 Talloires 1322179200 Mont Saint Michel 1292371200 Saint-Malo 1292198400 Orleans 1292112000 Dijon 1291939200 Colmar 1291852800
Road trip today. Going to a small place in the foothills of the Pyrenees mountains called Saint Jean Pied de Port. Its about 60km SE of Biarritz. Looks like it could be an interesting
drive. According to the towns website Saint Jean Pied de Port was an
important town along an ancient trade route from France to Spain.
The road takes us along narrow valley SE from Biarritz. There are towering
hills on both sides of the valley - I say hills because, although quite
high, probably not high enough to class them as mountains (makes Castle
Hill look minuscule though). The temp dropped to about 6 degrees as we
climbed higher up the valley.
We passed through numerous small villages, each one would be worthy of a visit in their
own right. But our destination is Saint Jean Pied de Port, so we drove
through them and admired the charm from afar.
It isn't long before we arrived at Saint Jean. What a treasure tucked away
in the Pyrenees hills. It doesn't just have the charm of your typical
french village, but there is also a Spanish/Basque influence as well
(we're only about 5km from the Spanish border). We spent an hour or so
exploring the citadel above the town, and then wandered through the back
streets of the "Old Quarter". Some of the buildings in the narrow
streets are hundreds of years old. The original stone and woodwork is
still apparent in the walls. Many of the windows have signs in them
advertising rooms to rent, meals to buy, or crafts and arts to inspect.
For now, the streets are largely deserted (except for a noisy crowd of
school kids who explode out of a side street, herded along by a couple
of teachers). It's clear that the town is a summer destination, a
favorite of hikers and climbers.
After a spot of lunch (including one of the best omelets I have ever had), We headed
back to Biarritz. While not having the spectacular peaks of the Pyrenees
Range further to the east, the area has a beauty and charm all its own.
Well worth the day trip, or even staying longer to explore further.
Our stay in Biarritz has been exceptional. From the delightful hotel, the
rugged coastline, impressive monuments and churches, to the wonderful
food in charming restaurants.
Tomorrow we head further up the coast towards Brittany. Not sure yet where we'll be staying. Decide on the way.
drive. According to the towns website Saint Jean Pied de Port was an
important town along an ancient trade route from France to Spain.
The road takes us along narrow valley SE from Biarritz. There are towering
hills on both sides of the valley - I say hills because, although quite
high, probably not high enough to class them as mountains (makes Castle
Hill look minuscule though). The temp dropped to about 6 degrees as we
climbed higher up the valley.
We passed through numerous small villages, each one would be worthy of a visit in their
own right. But our destination is Saint Jean Pied de Port, so we drove
through them and admired the charm from afar.
It isn't long before we arrived at Saint Jean. What a treasure tucked away
in the Pyrenees hills. It doesn't just have the charm of your typical
french village, but there is also a Spanish/Basque influence as well
(we're only about 5km from the Spanish border). We spent an hour or so
exploring the citadel above the town, and then wandered through the back
streets of the "Old Quarter". Some of the buildings in the narrow
streets are hundreds of years old. The original stone and woodwork is
still apparent in the walls. Many of the windows have signs in them
advertising rooms to rent, meals to buy, or crafts and arts to inspect.
For now, the streets are largely deserted (except for a noisy crowd of
school kids who explode out of a side street, herded along by a couple
of teachers). It's clear that the town is a summer destination, a
favorite of hikers and climbers.
After a spot of lunch (including one of the best omelets I have ever had), We headed
back to Biarritz. While not having the spectacular peaks of the Pyrenees
Range further to the east, the area has a beauty and charm all its own.
Well worth the day trip, or even staying longer to explore further.
Our stay in Biarritz has been exceptional. From the delightful hotel, the
rugged coastline, impressive monuments and churches, to the wonderful
food in charming restaurants.
Tomorrow we head further up the coast towards Brittany. Not sure yet where we'll be staying. Decide on the way.
- comments