Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
can help translate (€20-25 per person in D, Db, Q, or Qb, includes breakfast, 15 Rue de la
Citadelle, tel. 05 59 37 05 83,
www.chambres-camino.com
).
Eating in St-Jean-Pied-de-Port:
Tourists, pilgrims, and locals alike find plenty of
places to eat along Rue de la Citadelle (heading up to the citadel), Rue du Trinquet (the
main traffic street into town), and Rue d'Uhart. Consider
Café Navarre
(1 Place Juan de
Huarte, tel. 05 59 37 01 67) or
Cafe Ttipia
(2 Place Charles Floquet, tel. 05 59 37 11 96).
Ifyouwantto
picnic
andareluckyenoughtolandhereonaMondaymorning,shopatthe
weekly market. Farmers, cheesemakers, and winemakers bring their products in from the
countryside.
St-Jean-Pied-de-Port Connections:
A scenic train conveniently links St-Jean-Pied-
de-Port to
Bayonne
(5/day, 6/day in summer, 1.25 hours) and from there to
St
-
Jean-de-
Luz
(about 25 minutes beyond Bayonne,
www.sncf.fr
)
. It's about a 1.25-hour drive from
St-Jean-de-Luz.
Four of the seven Basque territories lie within Spain. Many consider Spanish Basque cul-
turetobefeistierandmorecolorfulthantherelativelyassimilatedFrenchBasques—you'll
hear more Euskara spoken here than in France.
For nearly 40 years, beginning in 1939, the figure of Generalísimo Franco loomed
large over the Spanish Basques. Franco depended upon Basque industry to keep the
floundering Spanish economy afloat. But even as he exploited the Basques economically,
he so effectively blunted Basque culture that the language was primarily Spanish by de-
fault. Franco kicked off his regime by offering up the historic Basque town of Guernica as
target practice to Hitler's air force. The notorious result—the wholesale slaughter of inno-
cent civilians—was immortalized by Pablo Picasso's mural
Guernica
.
But Franco is long gone, and today's Basques are looking to the future. The iron de-
posits have been depleted, prompting the Basques to re-imagine their rusting cities for the
21stcentury.Truetoform,they'rerisingtothechallenge. Perhapsthebestexample isBil-
bao, whose iconic Guggenheim Museum—built on the former site of an industrial waste-
land—is the centerpiece of a bold new skyline.
San Sebastián is the heart of the tourist's
País Vasco,
with its sparkling, picturesque
beachframedbyloominggreenmountainsandacharmingOldTownwithgourmet
pintxos
(tapas) spilling out of every bar. On-the-rise Bilbao is worth a look for its landmark Gug-
genheim and its atmospheric Old Town. For small-town fun, drop by the fishing village of
Lekeitio (near Bilbao). And for history, Guernica has some intriguing museums.
