Setting

Bayonne is a city in the Basque Country region of southwest France, where the Nive and Adour rivers meet. Narrow medieval streets characterize the old Grand Bayonne district. Here lie the Gothic-style Bayonne Cathedral, with its 13th-century cloister, and Château Vieux castle. Across the Nive river in the Petit Bayonne district is the Musée Basque, a museum devoted to the region’s arts, crafts and traditions.

Biarritz, an elegant seaside town on southwestern France’s coast, has been a popular resort since European royalty began visiting in the 1800s. It’s also a major surfing destination, with long sandy beaches and surf schools. A symbol of Biarritz, the Rocher de la Vierge is a rocky outcrop topped with a statue of the Virgin Mary. Reached via footbridge, it offers sweeping views of the Bay of Biscay.

San Sebastián is a world renowned resort town on the Bay of Biscay in Spain’s mountainous Basque Country. It’s known for Playa de la Concha and Playa de Ondarreta, beaches framed by a picturesque bayfront promenade, and world-renowned restaurants helmed by innovative chefs. In its cobblestoned old town (Parte Vieja), upscale shops neighbor vibrant pintxo bars pairing local wines with bite-size regional specialties.

The Principality of Laàs is situated in south-western France. Laàs was declared, after “savant mathematical calculations” to be the “center of the world”. Mixing humor with territorial marketing, the principality” has its own castle, a written constitution, a commitment to local well-being, and one of the largest art deco collections in Europe. As any respectable “principality”, Laàs has its own industry producing French berets, southwest cuisine, jewelry, handicrafts, and tall tales!