You've heard of Saint Jean de Luz, right? I wouldn't blame you if you haven't…..when I mentioned this charming seaside town; once a major Basque port town, now a major resort and beach town, folks often respond with "huh? Where?"
Initially, I had originally planned to go straight from San Sebastian to Bordeaux. But then I started to wonder about French Basque country and thought a short stop over might be good. The obvious destinations would be Biarritz and Bayonne, but for some reason, Saint-Jean-de-Luz caught my attention. It would be offseason and a Tuesday, so we'd avoid weekend crowds. Whether it's Poperinge, Miyajima, or Evora, we like taking these interesting side trips during our journeys.
Which is how we found ourselves catching the train from San Sebastian to the border town of Hendaye, via Euskotren, then walking over to the SNCF station in Hendaye. One interesting 
woman spoke perfect English on the train to the border, then as soon as we entered France would only speak in French to everyone. We walked across the street from Hendaye Station to grab a cup of coffee and there she was chatting to folks in French! Train tickets and such was easy as the ticket machines all had English translation buttons and we simply typed in our reservation number, etc….. The ride from Hendaye to Saint Jean de Luz was a mere 10 minutes or so. I had booked a little hotel named Hôtel Txoko which was a few seconds away from the main shopping streets and less than five minutes away from the beach. The owner was a wonderful, warm and friendly woman, and while the room was rather small, it was comfortable.
We soon headed off down the main shopping street Rue Gambetta.
Past all the shops; many of which tempted tourists with local delicacies…..
And gave folks; both the four legged and two legged kind the opportunity to socialize.
There was one place I wanted to visit in the town; the Église Saint-Jean-Baptiste (Church of St. John the Baptist), which is one of the most important churches in Basque Country.
It was in this church on June 9th, 1660, that Louis the XIV of France and Maria Theresa of Spain were wed in what was an arranged political union, one which ended hostilities between the two countries. I read that little Saint Jean de Luz was chosen because it was just about halfway between Madrid and Paris.
At the time the church was constructed, the village was famous for its shipbuilders. Thus the ceiling looks like the bottom of a boat. There's also the replica of a ship hanging from the ceiling in the middle of the church. This was a gift from Eugenie, the wife of Napoleon III, a model of a ship that sunk offshore with her on board.
Right outside the church is a bricked up doorway. According to legend, this was the doorway was closed up after the wedding of Louis the XIV and Maria Theresa to symbolize the closing of hostilities between France and Spain. I've been told that the story isn't true though…..
We walked North than headed to the shore. This area is dominated by resorts and Casino La Pergola.
And headed down along the beach…..
And eventually ended up on Rue de la République, the street the hotel was on and the close by Place Louis XIV and the famous Maison Adam which was founded in 1660.
Well in 1660, Maison Adam made the favorite macaroons of Louis the XIV. There's a nice story here. These are definitely not macaroons as you probably know them. According to what we were told; these are still made with the original recipe in mind.
Maison Adam
6 Rue de la Republique
Saint-Jean-de-Luz, France
The Missus enjoyed Her macaroon…..
After a short respite, it was dinner time. We had chosen a shop on one of the side streets that served up what we were told more traditional French Basque dishes of the region named Chez Maya. When I mentioned the place to the woman at the hotel she smiled and said "très bon"…which I believe means very good.
This quaint, rustic little shop was staffed by what I can only term women who will totally remind you of your aunts!
We both ordered a glass of wine and a nice amuse was delivered, a tiny bowl of small shrimp. It's perfect for the Asian palate; very shrimpy and straight forward. If you like dried shrimp; you'll love these.
The Missus went with the Chipirons Sauce a la Encre ( 17,5 €) – a very nice mild briny flavor, the squid very tender.
I went for what I read was the house specialty; a Basque Seafood Stew called Ttoro ( 18,5 €).
This was quite delici-yoso! The seafood was cooked perfectly; especially the shrimp. The broth was like a peppery caldo de siete mares; Mexican seafood soup. It really had that "aaaah" effect. As the Missus and I were halfway through the stew, one of the women brought a bowl with more broth to the table……so we wiped out all the bread sopping up the soup.
They have an interesting fan system in the place that really grabs your attention. Even though it wasn't hot, they turned it on for a minute….just so everyone could see…..
Very warm and friendly folks, with a nice, rustic, comforting meal.
Très bon indeed!
Chez Maya – Le Petit Grill Basque
2 Rue Saint Jacques
Saint-Jean-de-Luz, France
As we rolled out of the place, the Missus decided that we (I) needed to walk off a few calories so we headed back to the beach. Along with some folks with the same thing in mind.
And was rewarded with a beautiful sunset.
The evening here was much different than the day had been; the day-trippers were gone and I think folks retreated to their resorts….plus it was a Tuesday night.
