Monthly Archives: October 2013

Nîmes , Marseilles and Cassis

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We couldn’t leave the Arles area without a quick stop in Nîmes.   Yes,  another Roman arena—but this one is probably the best preserved Roman Arena in the world, with 24,000 seats and 60 arches.  There is also a temple, the Maison Carrée, surviving almost intact from the Roman Empire, smack in the middle of the city, dating to 4 BC.   Pretty amazing.

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After that, we drove south to Marseilles.   We had a bit of a problem finding our apartment in this big bustling city.  Then, when we finally found it we were sorry we did.  It was a garret straight out of La Boheme, a seedy seven-story walk-up with some maintenance issues.  We complained, the owner got us moved into a better place (not a GREAT place, but better) a few blocks away (this one only six stories up!) and the rest of our time in Marseilles was great.  It was the first place in all of our bargain-basement lodgings that was not acceptable.  Considering all the moving around we’ve done, one bad experience is not so tragic.

We were so very happy that Ray’s old chum John from the UK decided to meet us in Marseilles for the weekend.  It had been several years since they’d seen each other, and though I’d met John when he was in New York, we had not known each other as couples. As expected, Julie is as fun-loving and sweet as John.   J & J stayed in the Sofitel near the old port—much more elegant digs than we had, to be sure! Good thing, or they’d never have agreed to travel with us again!  Nevertheless, they stopped by our ‘hovel’ to share in the lovely wines we brought back from the Cote du Rhone wine tastings earlier that week.  Incredible vintage Gigondas in water glasses, sitting on Ikea bar stools in a 6-floor walk up.   Definitely a contract between beverage and setting.  It was such fun just to be with them.  We couldn’t have had a better time, and I know that it won’t be several MORE years until we get together again.   Ray and I were both so touched that John and Julie took this trip just to spend some time with us—that’s real friendship!

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ImageBeside enjoying some wonderful seafood dinners and way too much wine in Marseilles, we took a drive together to Cassis to see the port and the amazing Mediterranean fjords—the Calanques.  The little port town of Cassis is post-card pretty, with castle ruins, fortress walls, sunny beaches, and a charming port with sport, tour, and fishing boats—and the occasional uber-luxury yacht.

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We had a lovely lunch outside on a café terrace before boarding a boat.   John is not the world’s most enthusiastic sailor, and we were warned that the sea was a bit rough that day; but he was a great sport and managed to get through the trip without-er—incident.  Gouged out by glaciers thousands of years ago, the dramatic cliffs and inlets are incredibly beautiful.  I was envious of the kayakers we saw in the inlets, even though conditions seemed pretty challenging.   If we’re lucky enough to visit Cassis again, I know we’ll give the kayaks a try! (If they don’t have a “no geezers” rule!)

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Ray has really enjoyed driving the winding and scenic routes all through our travels, and he has been a great navigator and adventurous wanderer throughout.  But nothing compares with La Route des Crêtes.  This winding road up to the top of Cap Caneille (the largest of the cliffs with a 1200 foot drop straight down) and then on to the next town, La Ciotat.   The views were worth the white knuckles!   Then back to Marseilles for some well-deserved wine and another great dinner.

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Next morning, we took the “petit train” –the little tourist put-put—from the old port up and up through the narrow streets to the Basilica de Notre Dame de la Garde overlooking the city. Another high point—literally and figuratively.   Magnifique!

The Camargue–Provence

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After driving up into the mountains of Provence, the open flat lands of the Camargue were quite a contrast.   This marvelous area contains everything from rice fields to ranches for the bulls raised here for both bull games and the ubiquitous taureau dishes served in every restaurant.   The Camargue is also known for the salt flats, from which a terrific culinary product is produced and sold throughout France.  (We learned to use it sparingly, as the flavor is really intense compared with regular sea salt.)   The small light grey or white wild horses also inhabit the Camargues, and are said to be one of the oldest known breeds.  The drive through this area was so scenic and the terrain and plant life so varied, we felt as if we’d driven to another country.  But it’s just another side of wonderful Provence.  At La Capelìere we walked the nature trail and enjoyed the shelters built at various points where we were able to stay hidden while using the high-powered binoculars to spot ducks, grey herons, and hundreds of flamingos.  Apparently, the flamingos summer here, but some of them enjoy Provence so much that about one fourth have now taken up permanent residence, and no longer migrate.  I can understand that inclination. We didn’t see any of the wild boars that roam this area, but we enjoyed walking through the preserve at on a short hike that included different environments:  forest, wetlands, salt marsh, and lagoon.  We had a perfect day for this excursion, warm and sunny but not too hot.   By October, the mosquitoes were no longer a problem, and we stayed to enjoy another of those great picnics with wine we had bought on our Cote du Rhone tour the previous day, along with wonderful cheeses and bread we bought in the small bakeries and cheese shops in the town of Arles that morning.

As we were heading away from the marshes to visit Stes-Maries-de-la-Mer, the little beach community on the west ernend of the Camargue, I mentioned to Ray that we hadn’t seen any wild horses.    Then we rounded a curve in the road and there they were—lots of them.    We were able to get very close–they were not the least bit people shy.   Gorgeous creatures.

Stes-Maries-de-la-Mer was a quirky little beach resort with kind of a counter-culture vibe—probably because it is a mecca for the Roma community. (a.k.a. gypsies)  It reminded us a little of some New England seaside  communities.   Definitely not the French Riviera crowd at this resort.  We were so lucky to have this mild fall weather, when the beaches are still warm enough to enjoy in mid-to-late October.  We are so lucky for a lot of reasons!!!

A week-plus in Provence…

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We enjoyed the many sides of Provence…the ancient cities, the Rhone River and Valley, the Apilles, foothills of the Alps, the flatlands and salt marshes, the Wine Country, the bustling port of Marseilles…so many different experiences in a small area and a short period of time. This post is about Arles, Les Baux, St Remy, and the Rhone wine country.  There will be more about the Camargue later.

We arrived in Arles after dark, and had a bit of a hard time finding the gate to the old city.  We pulled over near a roundabout on Place Lamartine with a fountain in the center.   Turns out, the gate was just on the opposite side of the fountain, but we couldn’t see it!   We must have driven around that circle 5 times before we finally said, “DUH!”   Our wonderful little hotel, the Regence, with only 16 rooms, is right on the river.  Who knew that for such a low price (60€,) we could enjoy both convenient free parking and a view over the Rhone from our bed? http://www.hotel-regence.com/us/http://www.hotel-regence.com/us/

  We felt really lucky as we watched boatloads (literally) of tourists each morning coming from the barges docked just steps from our front door.   We walked along the river, then to the Place du Forum and Place de la République to check out the old town center and café scene.  With high season in the past, we felt as if we had the entire city to ourselves, at least until bus or barge tours crossed through the squares the next day. We walked in Van Gogh’s footsteps, on the river and in the squares.  Seeing the Café la Nuit in real time and space was enjoyable, especially because I spent hours staring at a print of the painting hanging in the kitchen of my first apartment. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Night_Caf%C3%A9

The first day we just enjoyed exploring Arles.   The church of St. Triomphe and the cool and slightly creepy Criptoportiques –the Roman arches underneath the Forum–reminded us of the long and diverse history in this part of the world.    At the church, after enjoying the very special Romanesque arched entrance depicting stories and lessons from both Christian and Hebrew bibles and classical mythology, we visited the cloisters, where we ran into a few hikers stopping here along the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela and wished them “Buen Camino.”   Then on to the classical theatre and the Roman Arena, dating back to the 1st Century BC.   After a terrific dinner of Soupe de Poisson, which was just what I needed to treat the terrible cold I was battling (no worries, I won the battle, gladiator that I am). We went to bed early planning to visit Les Baux and St. Remy the next day.

The midievil town of Les Baux was really special—I hope the photos give you some idea of the drama of this setting.   The castle ruins, high up on the hill, overlook the incredibly green and fertile Rhone Valley.   Very beautiful. ­And another excuse to climb up to a high spot for pictures and bragging rights!   After a special lunch of Provencal lamb and ratatouille back in the village (it’s said the flavor is so good because the lamb is seasoned “on the hoof” as the sheep graze on herbs and lavender, and eat grasses from the salt marshes).  On the way out, we stopped at the Carriere des Lumieres—a cave just outside Les Baux with projected images of artworks on the quarry walls.   It was, um, interesting.   Ray described it as “trippy.”   I think that’s the perfect word.  If you missed the 60’s, this attraction may give you a little taste of what it was like.

Then, we continued on to St. Remy.   The drive was quite lovely, with great long stretches of road bordered on both sides by plane trees, just starting to show their golden fall colors.   After walking in Vincent Van Gogh’s footsteps in Arles, we thought St. Remy might feel a bit redundant.  But visiting the Monastery of St. Paul and the mental hospital where he was treated in St. Rémy, where he completed over 140 paintings and 100 drawings in just a year (1889-1890) was very special.  The setting is peaceful and serene.   It was moving to walk in the same gardens and groves that soothed and inspired the tormented genius.  It’s easy to believe that he was happiest here, with nothing but his art, quiet gardens and the ever-changing Provencal landscape to sooth the soul.   I can’t wait to try some paintings and pastels inspired by the photos I took here.  Homage to a beloved artist.

The next day was the vineyard and wine tasting tour.  I will let Ray tell you more about the wines, but will post a couple of photos here.   The Cotes de Rhone area has some breathtakingly beautiful scenery, and we were so glad that the sun came out for us right after noon.  The vineyard Domaine Coyeaux is located in one of the most picturesque spots I have ever been. If the wine wasn’t good, I wouldn’t have cared, really.  But it was really very good, and we tasted and bought a Baume de Venise there to enjoy later with our friends in Marseilles.   Even if you are not a wine aficionado, anyone would enjoy the scenic drive through the mountains, across the Col de la Chaine mountain pass, circling the Dentelles de Montmirail peaks on a sunny autumn day.

After returning to Arles, we had a special dinner prepared by the well-known chef Jean-Luc Rabanel at A Côté.  We thought his restaurants would be too pricey, but the chef has now consolidated his higher-end and casual restaurant’s menus for mid-week and off-season tourism, so it was very affordable.   The weather was warm enough, with the help of propane heaters, to enjoy our meal outside on the quaint stone-paved patio in the fragrant night air.  I had pissaladeire and brandade, traditional Provencal peasant food.  There, we planned our next move, which was to visit the Camargue delta of the Rhone, where rice fields, salt marshes, and a Regional Nature Park right outside of Arles offer a gorgeous landscape and wildlife experience away from the cities.  More to come about that.  Meanwhile, click on the thumbnails above to enlarge and toggle through our photos from Arles and the Rhone Valley.

   

 

Padua—too little time!

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Padua was so much more than we expected—and we expected a lot.

We stayed in a wonderful little B&B with a gorgeous dramatic room and bath with 10 foot ceilings and a charming host named Mario.   Little B&B’s are popping up all over Italy since the category was created in 2000.   It’s a great alternative to hotels, and we’ve had nothing but good luck in the last three places in Italy where we’ve opted to go this way.   It’s like having a friend who lives in town.   If you’re careful about checking the location and feedback online, it’s a great way to go, and saves a fortune over hotels.

We were more lucky than clever in Padua.  We arrived in the afternoon and took the tram to our place, then wandered into the old city to see what we could see.  I thought we should go to the Basilica of St. Anthony first, since it stayed open until 7:30 and was one of the major reasons for visiting there.    This was a twofold pilgrimage—for art and for the spirit.   St. Anthony was the saint to whom my grandmother prayed for many things.  Whenever we lost something, she would tell us to pray to St. Anthony.  When I was trying to have a baby, she prayed to St. Anthony for me.   Visiting the basilica was a chance to see one of the most visited pilgrimage sights in the Christian world, and to get in touch with my grandmother’s roots as well.   So many pilgrims lined up to touch the tomb of the Saint and to deposit notes and photos with their intentions or thanks for answered prayers.  I was one of them. It was very moving.

I was also moved, of course, by the beauty and majesty of the phenomenal basilica itself, especially the Donatello altar and his bronze equestrian statue outside of the church.  I could only get photos outdoors, so check out the web site for more about the church:  http://www.basilicadelsanto.org/ing/home.asp  The marble reliefs in the Saint’s chapel were beautiful and we had to return the next day for a second look at them, the reliquary chapel, and the frescoes in the Chapel of St. James.

After the Basilica, we decided to walk across town to get a feel for the city, and planned to stop for a drink in one of the many great piazzas—probably Piazza degli Signore.   But on our way, we came across the crazy celebrations of newly minted graduates of the University of Padua.   Among all of this religious tradition, the city of Padua has one of the oldest and most progressive universities in the world.  As for the craziness–Please check out my earlier post “Dottore, dottore” to see the video—the link has been fixed so you can watch it and hear the song.      Graduates wear the traditional laurel wreaths and then add crazy costumes, as they stand in front of their caricature posters and read their friends’ list of “charges.”   It’s really entertaining, including the song that is sung over and over by friends and family to each of the grads, all afternoon and well into the night.   IN spite of all the Italian swear words, we couldn’t get the little ditty out of our heads the next day!   We were in their good company for our cocktails in the piazza.   We tried to stop for a drink, a meal, or a coffee in every piazza in Padua during  the few days we were there—and I think we may have succeeded!  Maybe it’s because it’s a College town, after all, but we just felt so comfortable in Padua from beginning to end.

However, the main reason we wanted to visit Padua had been the Scrovegni chapel.   Ever since a course years ago on Italian Renaissance Art History, I’ve been obsessed with seeing Giotto’s masterpiece, arguably the turning point for Renaissance painting.   I never use the word “awesome”—but in this case, it’s appropriate.   I was surprised by the efficiency and seriousness of the reservation and entry process, designed to keep temperature and humidity constant and preserve this precious site.  In spite of having seen and studied each one of these works on web sites, in slide presentations, and in books,  I was absolutely overwhelmed by the four levels of frescoes adorning the chapel.   I can’t possibly describe it—just read about it if you’d like to.   But I can tell you that when I walked into the chapel, I gasped out loud.  Before leaving, I shed a few tears.  There were others weeping, though admittedly most were little old ladies.   Maybe it was Stendhal Syndrome?  I don’t know, but Ray and I were both quite overwhelmed by its beauty.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scrovegni_Chapel#Anthology_of_images

Great Italian food and wine—amazing iconic artworks, why is it we are going to France now?   I guess you’ll find out in a few days.

Verona

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After Venice, we spent a few days in Verona.  Unfortunately, some of our time was spent on “housekeeping” issues.  Crisis #1 was about getting the laundry done.  Our apartment had a washer but no dryer.   In the damp and rainy weather, we had a hard time getting everything to dry.  So we put our wet clothes on plastic coat hangers and hung them from the chandeliers.  An interesting decorating idea—Wish I’d taken a photo to show you.  By the way, the apartment was lovely, and in a great location in the old city.   Another Italian B&B find.  Crisis #2 was my Iphone deciding it would no longer have WIFI access.   After spending half the night on live chat with Apple tech support, then half a day in Verona with a “Certified Apple Genius” we realized the board was gone and a new device would not be compatible and I might lose all my data.   So now my smart phone is just a dumb phone.   No email checking, no aps.    Could be worse, as travel crises go.   Last night we met people who had their luggage stolen, and others who had their rental car break down in the middle of nowhere.  We’ve been pretty lucky so far.  Knock wood and keep praying for us!!

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So, how was Verona?   We did all the usual things–climbed yet another bell tower–the tower Lamberti.   When I have time I’ll have to put together a slide show of all the views from the tops of bell towers on this trip.

We visited the Castelvecchio, the churches, the Scaligeri tombs, and enjoyed people-watching in the Piazza Erbe and Piazza Bra.   Image

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We also toured the most central of Verona’s sights, the Roman Arena.  The night we arrived there was a huge crowd in the Piazza Bra waiting to enter the arena for a “Moda” concert–an Italian pop-rock boy band.   Fun to see an ancient arena being used for contemporary music.   Next day, we went inside and Ray played emperor.  I’m not sure if he was giving the thumbs down to me or to the band!Imageo

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But THE MOST visited place in Verona is “The Home of Juliet.”  People from all over the world line up to feel the connection to Juliet Capulet here in Verona.   They lock up their hearts with padlocks, leave her love notes, pack themselves into the little courtyard to gaze up at “Juliet’s balcony,” and buy all manner of tacky love trinkets.  Busloads of tourists show up for this! I’m glad that Shakespeare’s young heroine touched so many hearts, but really, don’t they know that this is a fictional character?  They even travel to the outskirts of town to visit “Juliet’s tomb!” Weird and fascinating.Image

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Magical days and nights in Venice

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Venice on a budget is possible.  When we first started planning this trip, we made a wish list of places we’d like to stop.   Venice went onto the list almost as a joke—we were certain we couldn’t travel in the Veneto on our limited budget.  We scoured the internet but didn’t find anything with decent reviews that was well located.   Then we came across Al Campaniel –  A B&B for 70 Euros a night.  I was reluctant, but could not have been more delighted by this wonderful home. http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g187870-d563561-Reviews-Al_Campaniel-Venice_Veneto.html

Marco, the owner, made us feel as if we lived in Venice.  The room was lovely with a big queen-sized bed and private bath, a window opening onto a little garden area, and the location could not have been better—a one- minute walk from the San Toma vaporetto stop.   And the vaporetto pass saved us.   For about 12 Euros per day, a multi-day pass covers unlimited rides.  Since it was raining about half the time we were in Venice, we really took advantage of the ability to hop on and off to see the sights and cover territory without getting lost (and wet) on the narrow lanes.

We also saved on food costs by eating our main meal at lunchtime—which we’ve done as much as possible through most of this trip.    Then in the evenings we ate something light—a salad, or pizza, or in the case of Venice, a cichetti crawl.   As they do in Spain, many of the wine bars and shops put out lovely little snacks which you can buy for a small amount of money and enjoy with a glass of wine.  A couple of stops along the way home took care of the evening meal.    Then there are our picnics, of course.   With the incredible Rialto market within a short walk, we managed to pick up fruit, (fresh figs and dates!) wine, cheese, and bread along the way and had our “dinner” in our room one evening.   Marco even chilled the Prosecco for us and provided glasses on our last night—just ideal.

The Scuola San Rocco was a revelation.   If you are a Tintoretto fan, you will never see so many in one location—at least 50 scenes from the bible, a real labor of love by the Venetian artist.  The Frari church, right next door, was also pretty amazing.  And both of these sights were right near our B&B. Of course the Doge’s palace and St. Marks basilica were unbelievable, too.  And of course, we had another bell tower to climb.   But alas, this campanile had no stairs, only an elevator.   Maybe in the humid weather that was a blessing.     I posted a short video of the Vivaldi concert already—Impressioni Venezia is a very good chamber group, and the concert was a great way to spend an evening.   We would have loved to attend “Musica a Palazzo” where opera is performed in an actual Venetian palace, but their schedule and ours just didn’t work together. Not sure it was in the budget anyway, but a blowout from time to time for something really special is not out of the question. It was highly recommended by people we met.

The Rialto market was great fun for we two foodies–as you’ll gather by the disproportionate number of “food porn” shots included in this slide show.

There were no crowds in early October—we were really lucky to enjoy Venice in such a relaxed and stress-free way.  And as far as the talk that Venetians are unfriendly—we met more people here than any place we’ve visited.   While lunching near the Rialto bridge at Trattoria da Bepi, we got into a nice long talk about politics and food with Giorgio and Loris, the owner, and got lots of inside information about the city.Venice was the perfect romantic getaway – although at this point in our trip, getting away has already been accomplished.    Enjoy the photos.  Click on a thumbnail image and toggle through using the arrows.

Bilbao–Capital of Vizcaya

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Before we get to Bilbao, I have to mention the gorgeous drive along the coast road from Donostia.  We stopped in a few places for photos, but really felt like there was a painting around every bend.  This is just one example of the views along that wonderful drive.

We had fun for a few days in  Bilbao.  The highlight, of course, was the incredible Guggenheim museum.  It’s amazing how the genius of Frank Gehry united the river and the city so perfectly.    We saw lots of tourists like us and even wedding parties taking their photos with the museum as background.

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As for the art—well—apologies to contemporary art fans—but a lot of it left me cold.  We enjoyed Richard Serra’s work The Matter of Time, part of the permanent collection, with the enormous scale working so beautifully with the building.   The “baroque” installation was an interesting juxtaposition of old and new, though maybe a bit contrived.  But the featured exhibition by the late Catalan artist Antoni Tàpies: From Object to Sculpture (1964–2009) seemed to me like an excuse for art historians to write thousands of words of nonsense.    I’m sure I’ll be accused of being anti-intellectual for that statement.   Oh well, for me, sometimes a pile of plates is just a pile of plates.  Sorry!pile of plates

Aside from that, you may have seen our facebook post on the Txikiteo in Bilbao.  We were delighted to see the lively crowd in the old town, where it was PACKED both night and day for a tapas crawl.   People of every age and demographic gathering in the bars, spilling out into the streets, singing, eating, talking.    At Kasko, where they had one of the best pintxos selections, including carpaccio of octopus with potatoes and foie gras with sour apple puree, and others, made it hard to leave, even though we tried to sample just two pintxos at each place.  IMG_0722

Then we got caught up—at least I did—with a group of men singing scores from American musical comedies.   When they realized I knew the words in English, I became very popular.   Nothing like singing, loudly and badly, with a group of cute drunken Bilbaoinos.

It was a great time in Bilbao, and it did my heart good to see that the city was clean and safe and being reinvented a little each day.   So different from the depressing city, under the fascist Franco, that I remembered from years ago.   Public transportation was excellent.  We took a bus from the airport to the city center for about 3 euros, and the tram circling the city is inexpensive, quiet, and clean.   Ray managed to pick up a pretty girl on the tram—typical of him!   Here is her photo, but I don’tDSC04529 think he got her number.

When we got off the tram at the stop nearest our hotel, we ended up in an enormous demonstration for amnesty of Basque political prisoners.   There were tens of thousands gathered, with helicopters above, bands, people chanting and handing out flyers.   Funny, though, the mood was more like that of a street festival than a political rally.  We enjoyed being there–and really got to see the passion of the Basque people demonstrated once again.

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We’ve been so busy this week in the Veneto, and I promise to post more soon.  We’ve been staying in B&B’s – a new category of lodging for Italy since 2000.   Each place is better than the last—and the costs have been super-low.  Who knew you could stay in Venice for about 70 Euros a night?   We expected very little and got a great room and private bath in a fantastic location    But we’ll do some more posts about the Veneto later this week.  Not that there’s much we can say about the beauty and magic of this region—but we’ll check in nevertheless.

Ahhhh….Donostia

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Pintxos display
Facing Mt. Urgul
Picnic on Mt. Urgul
View from Monte Igueldo
La Concha beach at night
Getaria
Buildings along the Boulevard–facing the beach
Panorama of Donostia Beaches
PLaya La Concha–in Basque, of course
Breast of duck–a 3 euro pintxo
Fishing port – Getaria
Iron railing on the La Concha Promenade
What should we eat next?
chalk board of pintxos
Boarda Berri tavern
Beach soccer–strategy session
Pouring the Txakoli
Panorama
Betxa market
View OF Mt. Urgul–before we walked up
View FROM Mt. Urgul

Donostia is the Basque name for San Sebastian on the northeastern Coast of Spain.  I’m quite sure that I have a prejudice for this part of the world, so pardon me for gushing.  The city itself is elegant and joyful, the people friendly and exuberant, the beach is amazing, the food—well, the food is simply the best. Many of Europe’s leading chefs have their roots here in the Basque countryside and the creative cuisines of the Pais Vasco (Euskal Herria).

We stayed in an apartment near Ondaretta Beach—a great location and because we were (paying) guests of the homeowners, they were able to show us where to park for free in the city.  Last time we were in Donostia, we paid for underground parking lots and prices were obscene.  This time, there’s more of our budget left for food and wine.

We visited the really entertaining aquarium, as well as the sensational Museum of Basque Culture, San Telmo.   San Telmo is a former convent with a new modern addition.   You move from modern wing to chapel to cloister while walking through the beautifully curated exhibitions.  I learned a lot here, and found it to be the best Basque cultural museum I’ve seen—much more comprehensive than the one in Bilbao or Gernika.  And free on Tuesday, which is when we decided to go. We used the excellent English audio guide because text is displayed only in Euskara and Castillano.

While we’re talking culture, a major focus of Basque culture is FOOD! That said, I posted a facebook video of the Txikiteo——that is the Basque word for a tapas crawl. (Here they are Pintxos, not Tapas—a funny scene in the film “The Way” with Martin Sheen illustrates this.)  We had such amazing food.  Our budget doesn’t allow for visits to world-famous Michelin starred restaurants such as Arzak, but we don’t feel the least bit deprived. The bars and taverns here take great pride in their food offerings—displaying them artistically and happily describing and recommending their favorites.  Hot pintxos are sometimes displayed and then heated to order, but more often listed on a chalk board and made one by one.   Our favorite was Bordi Berri, where we enjoyed a slow-cooked breast of duck—still pink in the middle with a wine sauce that defies description.  For non meat-eaters there is an embarrassment of riches when it comes to fish and seafood.  PInxtos of Bacalao al Pil-pil (cod with an olive-oil emulsion sauce, the technique for which I may never master), and possibly the best grilled octopus I’ve ever tasted.   We’ll talk a bit more about pinxtos in the Bilbao post.  House reds are a Euro or two, there’s a list of fancier wines by the glass, and it’s worth ordering a Txakoli with seafood—if only to watch the dramatic style of pouring this local fizzy white wine—made in Getara.

We’ve had a lot of beach time on this trip, so we walked on the beach in Donostia, but didn’t really linger—too little time to waste.  October weather was warm, and although it was overcast people still gathered at the beach.  Swimmers, paddle-boarders, kids playing beach soccer, and all the usual beach activities.   Then there’s the promenade at Playa La Concha—it goes all the way from Ondaretta to the fishing port—a couple of miles.  The white-painted cast iron railing is world famous; the lighting at night is almost theatrical. There is a designated bike and jogging path, and the main promenade is filled, day and night, with people strolling along, enjoying the breeze and observing the action.   Everyone seems to walk A LOT here, and people seemed so fit and happy.   The walkers range from age 2 (with their families) to age 90, with beautiful people stopping by the Belle Epoque bath houses to visit a spa or rent a bike or kayak.

The beaches of Donostia are bordered by two small mountains.  Monte Urgul on one side and Monte Igueldo on the other.   One day, we stopped at the exciting Betxa market, where the meat, fish, and produce being sold was overwhelming.   Who knew there were 50 kinds of bacalao?   We wished we had the kitchen time available to make a nice seafood stew, but opted instead to let the local restaurants cook for us.    But we did buy some amazing cheeses—Idiazabal—a cured sheep’s milk cheese iconic in the Basque Country, and a blue queso pais that rivals the finest French roquefort, in my humble opinion.   Then we bought some apples and wine, and headed for the hiking path up Mt. Urgull.   There’s nothing as motivating to a hiker (at least these two hikers!) as a picnic at the top.   The whole spread cost about 10 Euros.   Not counting the knife and corkscrew we had to buy at the Chinese “dollar store” (euro store?) It was a bit of a scavenger hunt, but the locals were happy to give us hints and tips along the way.

The last day, we rode the tired old funicular up Mt. Igueldo.   A bit of a time warp but worth the thrill of passing two cars passing on the cable line.  At the top, the tacky old amusement park was pretty much empty, but reminded me of some 1960’s beach resorts in their decline. But the views—amazing!   If you can’t decide between a beach vacation and a European city vacation, go to Donostia.

On the way out of Donostia, we followed my cousins’ suggestions and stopped in Getaria—about 30 kilometers west, a town renowned for great food.   Every restaurant had a big wood grill outside, and the fresh catch just coming in from the port was the featured fare.  We had a three course, fixed price lunch at for 20 Euros, wine included!   Asparagus from Navarra, Jamon Iberico (again!) grilled sea bass, and basque tarte for dessert.    We almost decided to take a nap in the square before heading back up the coast, but settled for a coffee instead.

Agur, Donostia!  We’ll be back, I promise.