Sea, sun and lighthouses

A town of two palaces
Saint-Jean-de-Luz is famous for being the place where Louis XIV married Maria Theresa, the Infanta of Spain. Therefore, there are three main places of attraction: the house he stayed in; the house she stayed in; and the church where they were married, very old and cutting a formidable figure.
What impressed me about the houses is not their architecture or decorations or something, but the fact they are both still private. Moreover, the Maison Louis XIV is owned by the same family that owned it back then! If you’re Russian, you can’t imagine anything like that.
Both owners let visitors in. In Maison Louis XIV you can see several rooms that kept the heritage of the 17th century and represent the family life at the same time. It’s obvious that the house always has been inhabited and it looks so cute. For example, in one of the rooms that are open to public there’re several family photos. From the windows of this ex-palace you can observe the oldest house of the city which survived the spanish attack in the 16th century because was the only stone building in town. Since then, they started using stone for construction. That’s a good idea, isn’t it?
Unfortunately, you can visit only one room in Maison de l'Infante. Officially the main feature of it are the frescos that were recently discovered and restored. Unofficially it’s a great view on the port from the windows. The guides and personnel here are much nicer, by the way.
What I personally liked about the town were two lighthouses, one in Saint-Jean-de-Luz and another in Ciboure which is a city right across the tiny river. They are twins created by a French architect André Pavlovsky and look pretty unusual. They reminded me of Picasso a little, and I loved that they are color-coded: one is white and red, and the other white and green.
On our way back to Anglet, Zoé took me to the road which goes to Hendaye and then to Spain. It goes along the sea, and there is a parking lot people use as a viewing platform. It’s unbelievable: on the left you have the Atlantic ocean, and on the right there are towns and Basque villages and then Pyrenees. You can see Spain behind you and Bayonne and Biarritz in front of you.
I’d suggest this trip to those looking for a calm day near the sea. To complete the experience, make sure to try a gateau basque in a small local restaurant named Le Marinela, it’s delicious.