Bayonne is just a 25 minute bus ride inland from Biarritz but has a totally different atmosphere - a bit like Biarritz´s rebellious sister. Bayonne smells of Pays Basque and olden days and has just about everything you could wish for: it´s multicultural, beautiful and friendly. It has water, open spaces, good shopping and loads of places to eat and drink, a climate that is close to ideal, all in an area you can easily walk around, plus great rail and air communications. It would be great to live here - as long as you could speak fluent French.

The two "marching girls" were collecting signatures for a petition against cruelty to animals (yes, I did sign it).