We drove south from Biarritz, to Hendaye, across the Bidasoa River from Spain, where we saw boats in the marina with the Pyrenees behind, and we walked along the beachfront. Hendaye was rather quiet this morning, with surf lessons in progress.
We drove around the bay, through Ciboure, to Saint-Jean-de-Luz, an historic fishing town with 12,000 residents, at the mouth of the Nivelle River. We found our hotel, Les Almadies, then took a walk around town. King Louis XIV married Marie-Therese of Spain in 1660 in Saint-Jean-Baptist Church, with a beautiful gilded baroque altarpiece and three stories of wooden galleries. The King and future Queen stayed in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, for a few months before their wedding, and the houses they lived in are well preserved and used today.
Saint-Jean-de-Luz suffered from weather and wave action over the years, and n the mid-19th century, Napoleon III authorized construction of new sea defenses, with large sea walls that took 30 years to build. They continue to be maintained and added to every year. As a result, the houses along the waterfront are set behind the sea wall and have bridges to the second floor. The beach forms most of a semicircle, and is wide, with relatively came water.
