This article is part of a weekly series on cruising in The Sun Herald, Sydney. If you have done an interesting shore excursion and are interested in being featured, please send an email to jane@janeefraser.com.au.
WHO Judith Iland, from Adelaide, on her sixth cruise.
WHAT A taste of the Basque Country, in the Pyrenees region of southern France. Basque Country is a region defined by its people and spans the border between France and Spain.
WHERE The shore excursion started and finished at the French port of Saint-Jean-de-Luz.
THE SHIP Judith cruised with her husband, Patrick, on a 16-night “Taste of Europe” cruise from Dover to Rome. They cruised on the Marina, a new ship for Oceania Cruises.
“We did many excursions during our cruise – a mix of history, food, scenery and wine regions. Previously, we have hired a car and driven to the wine regions in Europe, but when we saw details of the cruise we thought it would be a leisurely way of visiting wine regions and other interesting ports, plus the bonus of having all the organisation done for you!
“One of the most interesting shore excursions was to the Basque Country. We left the port of Saint-Jean-de-Luz and travelled through the countryside to visit a typical Basque village, Ainhoa. We did a walking tour down a beautiful street of timber-framed houses.
“The guide was excellent; she was so proud of her Basque history and gave us a brief history of the Basque people. In Ainhoa, there was also a beautiful church, three storeys high. As the congregation got bigger, the villagers would just build another storey. The men had to… (click here to keep reading)
