Lekeitio

We wound our way through the countryside and headed for the coast. Lekeitio is a quaint fishing town. We walked along the port, had a coffee, visited the obligatory church then headed onward.

Lekeitio port

The next town on the road was Zarautz, a much more popular coastal town. The beach is the longest in the Basque country. Everyone was out for their evening paseo.

Whimsical statues dot the promenade.

We found a local heladeria and had gelato.

2012 10 12

Ordizia & Idiazabal

Ordizia is a small town south of San Sebastian with a famous market on Wednesdays. It dates back to 1512.

Covered market in Ordizia

Further south is Idiazabal, a town known for cheese made from unpasteurized sheep milk. On the day of our visit, Idiazabal was having the 25th Annual Cheese Festival.

Town church



It's a small town and the town band is equally small.

 Idiazabal Cheese Festival

Part of the festival was to choose the best cheese in the region.

A snack--chorizo tortilla for €4.

2012 10 12



Bar Borda Berri, San Sebastian

After we finished touring Bayonne, we drove to San Sebastian. We had dinner at Bar Borda Berri in the historic center.

Tapas Bar--Bar Borda Berri. They do have an English menu.

Foie Gras Terrine with Fig Compote



Rice with Squid

Mushroom Risotto

Veal Cheek in Wine Sauce

Fried Pig's Ear

Seared Bacalao

 Iberian Pork Rib

Duck Breast Slow Roasted

Sweetbread Cannelloni

2012 10 11

Biarritz

Just 15 minutes from St. Jean de Luz is the international resort of Biarritz. It was the playground of European aristocracy but these days, it's more famous for its International Surfing Competition in July.

Rocher de la Vierge--Rock of the Virgins. A rock outcropping situated right on the coast. From here, you can get a nice view of the entire Biarritz coast.

  

Grand Plage with Casino on right. It's a beautiful wide beach but swimming can be tough because of the rough surf.



Eglise de Sainte Eugenie



2012 10 11

Le Pave

We had lunch at Le Pave in Bayonne. This was an elegant 2-course lunch for €14. You can choose appetizer and entrée or entrée and dessert.

Le Pave, located at 8 Rue Gouverneurs.



Country Goat Pate with Hazelnuts, accompanied by Fig and Tomato Mousse. Delicious. You couldn't tell it was actually made of goat.

Polenta and Tomato Concasse with Fish Filets. Nice salad accompanying delicious light fish.





Gazpacho with Mussels. Another delicious dish.

Salmon Rillette with White Shrimp Mousse. This was my favorite. The salmon rillette was reminiscent of the salmon rillette at Bouchon in Yountville.

One of the entrees: Fish Cannelloni with Carrot Mousse.

Duck Eggroll with Foie Gras Sauce. The sauce was amazing and I also loved the side dishes--potato mousse, sweet potato mousse, artichoke and stuffed zucchini.

Grilled Rumpsteak with Bernaise Sauce. The sauce was delicious but the meat was tough.



2012 10 11

Thursday Night at Flavor Bistro

Here's this week's dinner. Hard to believe they can do all this for $24.95.

Bruschetta Con Capesante--Topped with Day Boat Scallops, Spicy Saffron Aioli & Garlic-Herb Salsa paired with 2011 Craggy Range Te Muna Road Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc, Martinborough, New Zealand

Risotto Alla Caprese--Arborio Rice Cooked with Oven Roasted Organic Tomatoes, Sweet Basil & Fresh Mozzarella paired with 2011 Di Majo Norante Sangiovese Terra Degli Osci IGT from Molise, Italia

Brasato Di Maiale--Braised Slow Cooked Pork Medallion Flavored with Porcini Mushrooms, Garnished with Roasted Endive & Fontina Creamy Polenta paired with 2009 Seghesio Family Vineyards Old Vine Zinfandel from Sonoma County

Crostata Di Babarbaro--Strawberry-Rhubarb Galette Served with Vanilla Cream paired with 2011 Ceretto Moscato D'Asti DOCG, Piedmont, Italia

2013 04 18

Bayonne

Bayonne is situated just 15-minutes north of Biarritz. It's divided into Petit Bayonne and Grand Bayonne. 

One of five bridges that connect Petit Bayonne and Grand Bayonne.

Pedestrian street in Petit Bayonne.

Bayonne is famous for its ham and Pierre Ibaialde is one of the classic shops.

Bayonne is also famous for chocolates and in fact introduced chocolates to France. Paries is one of the more famous purveyors and is located in Grand Bayonne.

2012 10 11