Bayonne

Being back in a town is quite a shock, after walking through forest for a week, and I'm already wanting to be back with the trees, which is a bit of a scary reaction.

I'm staying in a pilgrim hostel with a German, a South Korean, and three French. I was disappointed the South Korean guy hadn't walked but I hid it well.

The French lady who volunteers at the hostel speaks a little English and Spanish so we've been talking in all three, often in the same sentence, and it works really well. She's trying to get me to walk through Portugal next!

Bayonne is surprisingly small but the centre is very vibrant and pretty. It is the capital of the Basque region in France so it has a bit of a Spanish vibe. They have bullfighting here, there's tapas in the bars, and there's an Irish pub so you could think you were in Spain.

I found out today that as well as being famous for its ham, it is also famous for its chocolate. After Spain started to eradicate Judaism in 1492, many Jews hopped across the border to Bayonne. The Bayonnaise limited the trading options available to the Jews so they became experts in making drinking chocolate and today's fame grew from there.

Photos - Bayonne is impossible to photograph as the rivers are too wide and the streets too narrow but I've tried.Read more