Everybody knows about BOURDEAUX and wine so I don’t really need to say much about that. But the city of Bayonne is something very different. It is a little bit touristy but it is a small city and very interesting to walk around. You should spend at least a day there. it is in the Basque area so the people are very different from the French and the language seemingly has no relationship to any other language in the world. So when you visit see if you can tell the difference between the atmosphere around the Basque people and the French.
But getting back to BOURDEAUX they have a very nice and beautiful wine museum where you can also do the experience where you learn about wine tasting and flavors and so forth. Coming from the Bay Area as a kid we did this so many times it’s something you should think about doing if you have done this before. I didn’t want to do it but they’re also are some specific things about the area and the taste of the wines in that specific area you might want to consider.
of course you have to try the wine wherever you go in France This is the new wine museum and experience center Actually I have found the French to be experts at parkingParoisse St. Louisif I were you I would just wait to cross the border to Spain to have tapas St. Andre Cathedralif you have seen the movie “lion in winter“ with Catherine Hepburn and Peter O’Toole you will understand the storyI had the pizza with melted cheese on top but it tasted mostly like mush. This is one of the worst tasting pizzas I have ever had. I picked the wrong restaurant ScreenshotThis is a small wine tasting and sales shop with excellent service, a very interesting guy, Jerome, and the food was extremely nice. Of course he is a sommelier. you should talk to Jerome also when you’re there but stand to the side of him. He tends to spit quite a bit, French and Basque habit which is very stereotype. I’m sort of kidding but he is just an interesting fellow and he has a lot of information and he will go out of his way to give you good service.
just south of Bordeaux, a few hours by train, you come to an interesting small town in the Aquitaine. Bordeaux is known for wine, especially red wine but honestly I found the wine offered experiences to be really great for novices and people who have never visited a vineyard or had the chance to hear someone’s explanation of how to appreciate wine. But I started learning about wine when I was 10 years old and visited so many vineyards in California and through the years in many countries. Wine being my drink of choice always, maybe because I grew up with it or maybe because I enjoy the incredibly huge variety of flavors and combinations of tastes that come with a new bottle. So go to BOURDEAUX if you want to learn something about wine or want to spend a lot of money to try to wines at the new exhibition hall for wine in the city. But for that reason I did not do any wine tasting in Bordeaux. Instead I experienced it in this small town. I will explain below.
Wine and cheese and salami are my evening heaven. Ever since I was a kid it was the really stinky cheeses that pleased me. Bier cheese was often available when we had guests over for a bridge game. I would sometimes sneak into the kitchen, very quietly opening the refrigerator door and pulling out the bier cheese. To understand how stinky this cheese is, you count to four after peeling back the rapper to cut a piece off in the kitchen while everyone else is in the living room playing bridge. After those four seconds mom would say in a very stern and loud voice, “ Billy, stay put the cheese back“. Two days ago I passed by a cheese shop and asked for the stinkiest cheese they had. This is what she provided. It is not quite as stinky as bier cheese but the taste is just as pungent and delicious.The train station This is a really bizarre outfit. It reminds me of a Japanese ancient Shintopriest outfit.
above I mentioned wine tasting. While walking I passed this Small restaurant and the owner, Jerome, a sommelier, greeted me and talked a little bit about the wine tasting he offers and some foods he has in the restaurant. But the most interesting things he mentioned were concerning the local and tourist attraction to big name and fashion restaurants and chains. He explained it’s not easy for independent shops like his to attract attention. Since I am not really attracted to big names or fashion I decided to give his offering a try as he provided to tastings of reds, one with a lot of tanin flavors and another one from 300 m up in the hills not far from Bayonne. That one was more interesting for me so I ordered it and then the second option on the menu which was a pork liver pate with chestnuts and a vinaigrette dressing for the lettuce and tomatoes. It went extremely well with the wine. These little shops are the places you should be visiting since they have not only good service and attention to details but they are very personalized and the people are interesting. Jerome knew some of the wines from California and so we had a discussion about some different flavors. Having the opportunity to receive an introduction to local wines and pairing foods from a sommelier is usually extremely expensive but not at Jerome‘s shop. If you’re ever in Bayonne make sure you stop by, taste a few wines and get his suggestions for the food that goes with it. This was the highlight of my visit to Bayonne.
The menu The food was delicious The Spanish gate. I was wondering if this was a dividing line between France and Spain. The old buildings still standingOld buildings in one of the plazasCathédrale Sainte-Marie de BayonneThe lone woman in a private conversationBeautiful ceilings I found this church to be amazingly beautiful The colors inside are really stunning
