Le Baccara

After breakfast at my hotel, I walked a few blocks to the Gare Montparnasse train station to catch my train bound for Bayonne. It was a 4+ hour train ride and I spent most of my time sewing Camino patches onto my backpack. Nothing like waiting until the last minute! 🙄 I do love train rides, however, so I made sure to take in the sights of the beautiful countryside and the vast yellow fields of rapeseed.

After arriving in Bayonne, I had to wait quite awhile for a taxi to take me to Biarritz, a charming seaside town. When my taxi did show up, my driver was a woman and she apologized for not speaking English. I apologized for not speaking French and then we both rode in silence to my hotel.

My room at the Hôtel Littéraire Jules Verne was lovely and within walking distance to the restaurants, shops and the beach. I got restaurant recommendations from the hotel staff and opted for one with local fare given I was now in Basque Country.

The roasted peppers I ordered for my starter were cooked to perfection with the perfect amount of salt flakes that glistened in the light. Unfortunately, I was so famished that I ate most of them before I thought to take a picture. 🤣 For my main course I enjoyed trout and paired it with a Pinot noir. My girls will tell you that there’s nothing better than French bread in France and the bread on my table was no exception. I also love how they served it in a small bag.

During my dinner I had the perfect view of the almost full moon coming up in the distance. What a beautiful sight! Afterwards I strolled through the streets of this inviting town and then ventured down to the waterfront to take in the beautiful sunset.

Back at my hotel I discovered a Sleep Bar on a table near my room with three containers filled with herbs. The sign next to them explained that you were to fill a small bag with the herb of your choice and place it under your pillow. Of course, I did just that, but to no avail, I had a terrible nights sleep. 😩Maybe a third glass of wine would have been more sleep-inducing. 🥴

The buffet breakfast in the morning was wonderful with the BEST creamy scrambled eggs, assorted breads and jam, yogurts, cheeses, and make-your-own waffles. A perfect start to another wonderful day! ☺️Read more