Sat 12 Sep - Go south old man

So I did...

I had a train ticket for 12.28pm from Paris Gare Montparnasse to Bayonne in the southwest of France. Bayonne is the stepping stone to St Jean Pied de Port if you come from the north and from Paris. 

Lise joined me walking from hers and Greg's place to the Gare. It became a bit of lightning fast tour of some of Paris major tourist attractions as we passed many of them along the way. Bastille yet again, Notre Dame, the Louvre, Pont Neuf, Latin Quarter etc. 

Here is the map. 

The weather started raining before we left, then stopped as we walked and again rained as we approached the train station. 

You may not see that in this picture of me with my baguette lunch in my hand but I was a bit damp.  

Lise, of course, was wearing proper wet gear. 

Then it was "Bye Lise / Bye Hans, come and visit us in Melbourne / when are you and Di coming back to Europe" before I found my seat on the train and Lise wandered off to meet a family friend. 

As the TGV Atlantique left Gare Montparnasse, the rain was coming down good. 

I set myself up for the 5 hours train journey. 

Me and my backpack on the shelf above me. 

The train arrived in Bayonne as per schedule 5.30pm and my Hotel Cote Basque is literally across the street from Gare Bayonne. 

This will possibly be the last time for a while where I have space to myself and some privacy. Better make full use of it. 

View of Gare Bayonne from my hotel window. 

The same view as dark settles.

And the view the other way. This must be explored. 

And in the dark...

So I did. Bayonne was quite a surprise to me. It was much nicer that I somehow anticipated. The town is clearly built where two rivers meet. 

I am not sure what this lovely building it. Google Maps doesn't say. Neither does my freebie map I got from reception. I seem to recall that it said "Theatre" or similar at the front. Maybe some secret French business....

A few photos from the lovely old town on the other side of the river. 

As I returned to base, I popped in at Gare Bayonne to get a train ticket for St Jean Pied de Port for tomorrow. It took a while to navigate the software of the machine but I got my ticket in the end. 

There were only two choices for a Sunday, either 7.56am or the one I chose 2.56pm. Not a long journey. It takes a little more that 1 hour with a train change in between. 

Dinner. Time was approaching 8pm and I passed a pizzeria selling Calzone for 10€.  

What the heck. I get one and take it back to my hotel room which was a couple of minutes away. 

This must be the most sorry Calzone that I have ever seen. Very ordinary but it all went down in the end. 

Time is 9pm and I wrote this. No alcohol tonight and with an early night, pilgrim style.