Atlantic Pyrenees

Lourdes in the morning

Early wake-up call, and by 7:30 we were already at the Esplanade, which was filling up with worshippers. We went to see the Grottoes of Massabielle... the location where the apparitions occurred and where a German mass is currently taking place. We continue to the area where the stalls holding candles and wax figures are located, some of which have diameters larger than that of a tree trunk. Workers are moving large basins filled with solid wax in a basin, hoping it can be recovered. At the bottom are the pools for ablutions. There is an incredible number of women already waiting while the men are arriving in about fifty. We visit the Basilica of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, the crypt and the upper basilica. The Byzantine style is more striking than the Gothic one, leaving us quite surprised. We climb up along the Via della Croce struggling to pass through the various groups of Italians who were standing in front of the stations. The sky is the same as yesterday evening, with very low clouds, but at least it's not raining.

Towards the Atlantic Pyrenees: Pau and Bayonne

We continue eastward towards Saint-Pe-de-Bigorre and arrive in the Ossau valley just before Laruns to reach the Marie-Blanque pass, at an altitude of 1035 meters, completely enveloped in mist, which takes us to the Aspe valley.

We head up to Bedous and Accous, where we purchase some cheese shop We visited a farm with sheep and cows near a production and processing center. We then went to Pau for a walk along the Promenade des Pyrenees, although the view is quite limited due to the clouds. The old town is also very charming.

Bayonne, Biarritz and evening in Bera

We take the highway towards the Atlantic to visit Bayonne under heavy rain. The town is lively despite the cloudy sky, thanks to... green and red colors that characterize Basque identity. The narrow streets are very popular with tourists, although the weather today is preventing them from enjoying beach activities.

The jewelry shops stand out, symbolizing a high-end tourism, given their proximity to the renowned Biarritz. We visit the St. Mary's Cathedral, Gothic style, which would benefit from a good renovation despite already being quite pleasant. We complete the tour with a walk along the ramparts that surround the city. Whether entering or exiting, we encounter a lot of traffic, indicating that there are still many tourists and that they have no alternative to cultural and shopping visits today. We then slowly cover the seven kilometers separating us from Biarritz, where we encounter a strong wind bringing droplets from the sea.

It's not a real rain, but rather a mist of ocean water, but it's more than enough to moisten the hair. Let's see the Virgin's Rock and from outside the church of Sainte-Élénie, the Port des Pêcheurs and the Grand Beach If the weather is nice, we can admire it in all its splendor, with the rocky islets jutting into the sea and the vast semicircular beach that surrounds it. Unfortunately, there are also hotels in a military style. We leave Biarritz, encountering the usual traffic, and move towards Spain. We pass through Saint-Jean-de-Luz without stopping, which is known for having hosted King Louis XIV in his final days before his marriage. Instead of staying on the coast, from Irun we move about ten kilometers inland to reach Bera, one of the Five Villas located in the Bidasoa Valley. Here, we find a rural house just outside the town that hosts us in a luxurious setting. The bathroom seems like a five-star hotel, while the villa itself has everything. We take a walk towards the center of the town to find a simple but good restaurant where we start to enjoy some local specialties, such as jamon, chorizo, and confit de canard. Unfortunately, not all restaurants prohibit smoking; it seems that the owner is free to put up a sign, and tonight we are unlucky. The sky remains cloudy even though it's not raining. The lady tells us that it has been a dry season and they need rain.