Basque Culinary Tour Daily Plan

Tuesday October 2 to Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Commencing in Bayonne, France, Ending in San Sebastian, Spain

Hotels: In San Sebastian we stay at the Hotel Niza on La Concha beach.
In Bayonne, the Grand Hotel de Bayonne in the historic town center. In Biarritz we stay at the Hotel Edouard VII.

Day one: Bayonne. Arrive in Bayonne and check into the Grand Hotel de Bayonne. Tour commences the next morning. Guests will be provided with a list of dining options near the hotel. This initial night of lodging is included in the tour.

Meet Sally at 10:00 a.m. in the lobby for a welcome, introductions and a leisurely walking tour of Bayonne. Bayonne's historic center is readily explored and it is replete with half-timbered typical Basque buildings with red or green trim. We will tour the high quality covered market the Old City and its numerous food, fashion and homewares shops, and visit the lovely medieval Cathedral and its cloister. The Cathedral was an important stopping point on the Camino de Santiago de Compostela route and still logs in hundreds of 'pilgrims' each year. We will check out the Botanical Garden and walk along the historic city walls and the riverside quais. And we will be sure to note the ‘street of chocolate', home to numerous Bayonne chocolatiers whose family firms have made chocolate to eat and drink here in Bayonne for generations.

We will stop for a simple lunch alongside the river, (not included in the tour). Free afternoon following lunch. Guests may wish to visit the Bonnat Fine Arts Museum or pick up complimentary bicycles at the Tourism Office for a ride along the riverside.

Dinner will be at Restaurant Francois Miura, a lovely gourmet Basque restaurant on the island between the Nive and Adour rivers.

Today we will visit the working atelier of the Atelier du Chocolat in Bayonne's St. Esprit quarter. There is a very good historic display on the history of chocolate making in Bayonne (chocolate was introduced to France by Portuguese Jews fleeing the Inquisition and settling in Bayonne). We can watch the fabrication of chocolates and chocolate desserts. At the end of the tour guests taste several samples of chocolate.

We will return to the historic center and enjoy a leisurely lunch at the tiny, excellent A Table restaurant and then visit the award winning Museum of Basque culture. Later afternoon free to relax, shop at will. Free evening.

Please bring your bags with you to the van this morning. We will be taken to our Biarritz Hotel following the day out in the countryside.

Our driver-guide will pick us up after breakfast for a day trip that includes a visit to historic St. Jean Pied du Port, a lively little riverside town in the mountains that remains an important stopping point for walkers just before crossing the high Pyrenees into Spain as they traverse the ancient Santiago de Compostella route. We will walk down into the village through the 'Port' the high point near the fort that was the historic entry way into this rural village which sports several nice shops including an excellent high-quality spice shop.

We will drive from St. Jean Pied du Port through the Irrouleguy wine country to the hamlet of Bidarray to have a leisurely multi-course gastronomic lunch of locally sourced foods at Ostapé, a secluded mountain- top Auberge. After lunch, we will drive through lovely rural villages like Ixtassou, famed for its cherries, and visit the charming village of Espelette, home of the DOC Espelette peppers. This is the place to buy Espelette pepper and the various gélees, purees and other good things flavored with this iconic Basque pepper. Evening free. Dinner on your own in any of the bistros, cafes or tapas bars in Biarritz.

Today we explore this lovely seaside resort town. We will visit the market and stop, if guests wish, to sample the freshest oysters and a glass of muscadet in the fish market. Late morning, we go to Artnoa, a renowned Bar A Vins owned by Antoine Vignac, a gifted young wine expert. Antoine will prepare a tasting of wines of the French southwest for us, including Irrouleguys, Madirans, and may slip in a Rioja from the Spanish Pays Basque. ArtNoa specializes in characterful wines from small scale producers who strive for quality and the maximal use of their terroir.

After our tasting with Antoine, we will walk down along the seaside, to the beloved Le Caritz to enjoy a lunch of the freshest seafood, ideally on the roof top dining area weather permitting. After lunch we will continue to explore Biarritz, walking to the Casino and through the ‘downtown' shops. Free evening in Biarritz.

Day six: To Bayonne via Saint Jean de Luz and the coastal route

Our guide will pick us up at 10:30 to take us into Spain, following the pretty French Basque seacoast from Biarritz to St. Jean de Luz. St. Jean de Luz is an utterly charming seaside resort and active Basque fishing village with a lovely market and characterful small shops. In addition to the normal Basque abundance of buttery Gateaux Basque cakes it is essential to taste the beloved regional variety of macaron. There are also excellent shops for contemporary and traditional Basque linens.

We will take a harborside and village-center walk and guests may have a relaxed lunch of regional cuisine at a café or typical bistro as they wish. We will explore the historic center and the pretty port area and enjoy free time to shop, walk, or relax in a sunny cafe in the main square. At 3:30 we will meet our driver who will take us to San Sebastian to check in to our hotel. Dinner at Bodegon Alejandro or Ganbarra in San Sebastian's Old Town, both great choices for a superb Basque meal.

Following breakfast, Sally will take you on an introductory walk to explore St. Sebastian, including the dynamic La Brexta market area, the atmospheric old town, and the newly renovated San Telmo Museum. We will walk through the fishing port and along the seaside enjoying the stunning views and contemporary public area. At approximately 2 p.m. guests will have free time to eat lunch as they wish, shop, explore, walk the beaches, soak up the sun. Dinner at La Muralla or similar Basque restaurant.

Exploring San Sebastian including the Cathedral quarter, San Martin Market, Gourmet Tapas in the Gros Quarter, KursaalCenter gallery & KoldoMitxelenaCulturalCenter.

Today we explore other quarters of San Sebastian in depth. We will visit the Cathedral quarter, walk along the lovely Urrumea river to the sea alongside the noted contemporary building that is the Kursaal Arts Center, and walk over to the Gros quarter to sample gourmet tapas and Spanish wines for lunch (lunch included in the tour). Sally will lead a 'tapeo' or tapas crawl in the ever-energized Old Town

Today we will visit Bilbao, roughly an hour west of San Sebastian. Bilbao has enjoyed a remarkable renaissance thanks to the stunning Bilbao Guggenheim museum and the creative renovation of its riverfront. Bilbao is a working city, deeply Basque, and quite different than the more resort-y San Sebastian. The Old Town is a little grittier than San Sebastian's and is full of atmospheric shops and squares, cafes and restaurants. Sally will take you on a walking tour of the Old Town in the late morning, before we go to the Guggenheim museum. We will have a contemporary Basque cuisine bistro-lunch in the museum (the restaurants are overseen by uber-chef Martin Bertesegui) and then guests will have time to explore the Guggenheim before we return to San Sebastian. We will have a coffee or glass of wine in the Hotel Bar to say good byes. Dinner on your own, or with Sally and fellow guests as decided.

Day ten: Final day. Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to San Sebastian or Biarritz airport, or, to the train to return to Madrid or Paris for homeward flights.

The tour ends in San Sebastian following breakfast at the hotel. Sally will arrange a transfer to the airport or to the train station for return to Madrid or to Paris for homeward flights if you wish. Please note, the tour price does not include transfers, international or domestic flights, or train tickets to and from the Pays Basque.


			sally@yourgreatdaysinparis.com Your Great Days in Paris LLC