Bayonne and a rugby match (19 October 2024)

 

Confluence of the Nive and Adour rivers

It was a short drive into Bayonne.  I wanted to go to the local market on Saturday.  However, what should have been a short drive into Bayonne took quite a while as there was a truck protest going on which involved a small convoy of trucks going very slowly through one of the many roundabouts that feature in France.  The traffic was backed up and moving very slowly with vehicles trying to  slip between the trucks as they inched their way through the convoy.  While waiting a woman got very angry with me for not letting her go in front of me. I had no room to manoeuvre with a camper van behind me.  There was lots of wild gesticulating but eventually I managed to make room. With no acknowledgement the woman eased her way to the other lane. 

 

Les Halles de Bayonne

There were cars everywhere in town and I was worried we would not get a park.  Taking public transport had been considered but the buses ran so infrequently that they were no much use. 

 

Eventually we found a park and made our way to the market.  The old part of Bayonne is quite attractive.  It is largely pedestrianised.  There was a reasonable sized Les Halles where there are permanent food stalls and then outside there are dozens of stalls selling everything from charcuterie, to meat, to vegetables and of course cheese.  There were even cakes available. 

 

We purchased our goodies then sat and had coffee before going for another walk and finding a place to have  lunch. 

 

There was a rugby game on (which helped explain the crowds). Bev thought it might be fun to go and we agreed with her.  We deposited our goodies in the car before heading across the road to the stadium where the match was being held.  Unfortunately the it was sold out.

It's a day for socialising

 

The passion for the game in the south is really apparent with rugby fields very much apparent as we traversed from Taillades to Bayonne.  New Zealand would be delighted with the size of crowds.  I wonder how they do it here.  I suspect that having games during the day helps as that seems to be when most are held. 

 

We spent the rest of the day wandering around the city.  The only downside was the constant hooting and honking of the trucks who kept circling the city and disrupting the traffic.  I have no idea what they were protesting about but it did occur to me if it was finance related. Ironically, they  would used a lot of expensive fuel during the eight or so hours they were circling.  On the way back to our apartment we discovered that the police had forced them to park up on a road.  I suspect the police had had enough escorting them around the city and with people pouring out of the stadium they did not want any more traffic jams.

Some of the trucks

 

I liked Bayonne.  It was much bigger than I expected.  It is located between the Adour and Nive rivers.  There are two parts to the old city, Grand Bayonne and Petit Bayonne.  We spent most of our time in Grand Bayonne.  Like most of the towns we have been in the centre is mostly pedestrianised which makes it a nice place to walk around and window shop.  

Love is in the air

Local architecture