Pretty in Pink, Bayonne

 

 

 

 

Photos by Natalie Hayllar {eat, read, love}

We visited the beautiful city of Bayonne this week, dating back to the 3rd Century close to the French-Spanish Border in the heart of the Basque region in South West France. It is now well known for its fine chocolates, produced here for more than 500 years, and Bayonne ham - cured ham seasoned with Espelette chillis (a nearby village which we hope to visit). Apparently Bayonne is the birthplace of mayonnaise (possibly a corruption of Bayonnaise, a French word describing the city's people and produce). Now Bayonnaise is the name given to mayonnaise flavoured with the Espelette chillis. Apart from the wonderful produce and delicious chocolate, the city is just gorgeous to wander through. Wandering through the narrow lanes spotted with lovely boutique, cafes and brightly coloured doors and shutters, occasionally catching a lovely glimpse of the spires from the Gothic Cathedrale Sainte-Marie, rising up above the homes.