A newly-dubbed “European Montauk” (by yours truly), Saint-Jean-de-Luz was quite the treasure to find in the Basque Country. In addition to (more wonderful) sandy beaches, Saint-Jean-de-Luz’s downtown has a very colorful and almost bohemian feel to it. That day, all of the shops had an outdoor display in addition to their storefronts and between that and the sprawling farmer’s market we stumbled upon, it was hard to walk more than five feet at a time without stopping at every shop. The style here was the perfect laid-back urban island look and I could have spent all day in this one store in particular with all of its neon, fringe, and Anthropologie-style decor in full effect. Everything seemed effortless. Even the architectural style here was different from what we had seen in San Sebastian and Biarritz; though all in the Basque Country, Saint-Jean-de-Luz has the most Basque aesthetic with its white façades marked by dark accents resembling little farmhouses built as a single unit.

But the best thing I saw was this elderly couple walking hand-in-hand along the waterfront. They walked slowly, taking in the scene of the sea, only diverting their attention away from the ocean to speak quietly to each other and share their thoughts. The woman’s pink hair was glistening in the sun. Yes, pink. Everything about it was perfect.