A Morning sightseeing in Bayonne

Our group was given a tour of Bayonne by a local named Claire. She explained that under Franco the Basque language and customs were forbidden. Our generation was not allowed to learn Basque but the next was. This area came under British rule with stained glass of the crest of Richard the Lionhearted. The Nazis had an appreciation for the architecture of the area and moved in on many buildings thus saving them from destruction during WWII. We had a sampling of pasteurized and unpasteurized sheep cheese of the area; Claire’s husband is a shepherd and sells his milk to the producer of the samples from the market. It was Saturday so the market was in full swing. Next a young woman from the Basque Museum provides insights into the history and customs of the Basque. Her grandparents taught her Basque, her mother French and her father Spanish and she picked up English from school and friends.Read more