Bordeaux
Part 2
Bordeaux - Saturday - October 19
Today, we start in the French city of Bordeaux and end in the Spanish port town of San Sebastián. In between, we're stopping for a while at Biarritz, a famous resort on the Atlantic Coast in the south of France. This promises to be a big day. Debbie and Neil leave Bordeaux very early in the morning to catch a flight that will take them back home. Our group is now seven individuals.
The departure is scheduled for 9:00 AM. This is a more leisurely exit than on the previous days. The extra time gives everyone an opportunity to do last minute packing and eat breakfast. Some of the luggage loading has been done early so it doesn't take much time to get the expedition moving once we're all gathered at the designated hour.
Our stay in Bordeaux has been great. The schedule has kept us busy and we needed a whole week to squeeze in all the things we wanted to do. Staying in the center of town worked out well. This made it easy to get to city destinations. By using just one hotel, the group coordination was simplified. The length of our stay allowed us to become quite familiar with the local area. That was particularly helpful when we needed to find a place for an unplanned evening meal. All we had to do was walk to a known area a few blocks away and survey the many restaurants.
Now, we're back on the road. The driver-navigator teams have the usual stress of crossing the city streets of Bordeaux. To be fair, the streets are becoming more and more familiar so driving is actually easier than earlier in the week. Nonetheless, some of us are glad to get to the outskirts of town and be rid of the crowded, narrow urban streets. From here on, today's drive is mostly on freeway-like highways.
Biarritz is about a two hour drive from Bordeaux. The roadway passes through a countryside filled with farms that are at the end of their growing season. The crops have been harvested and the ground is now bare. What we're seeing is a mosaic of agricultural lands and forest plots. It's an attractive landscape.
It is fortunate that traffic is quite light. Although there are a lot of big trucks, these big rigs appear to stay well within the speed limit and usually occupy just the right lane. We whiz by them.
The time goes quickly. We’re at our mid-point destination.
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Biarritz - Saturday - October 19
Our two-car caravan enters the city of Biarritz. We’re ready for a break from driving. The Google Maps destination is set as the Casino Barrière. It’s a logical choice as we know that we'll find parking at the Casino and we've arranged for lunch at this classic location. Both cars roll into the garage at about the same time and everyone makes the short walk to the Casino.
Biarritz is a famous resort. In the 1920s, it was known as the “Queen of resorts and resort of Kings” (according to Wikipedia). Many of the old buildings remain, often refurbished into high-quality destinations.
The first stop, once we are inside the Casino, is to admire the view. Huge windows face the ocean and we can see the general layout of the shore and beachfacing buildings. The beach is famous here and we can understand why crowds descend on the sands during warm weather. The long, curving plage, as it is called in French, is wide and the surf appears to be quite docile. An ideal beach.
It takes us a while to get to the Casino restaurant. It isn't inside the Casino. Instead, we must walk around the outside of the building and enter from the beachside walkway.
Our three main activities now are enjoying the sights, drinking some excellent
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Huge windows in Casino Barrière provide a view the Atlantic Ocean.
The Hôtel Du Palais Biarritz, with its bright colors, sits behind Miramar Beach. This hotel was originally built for Empress Eugénie around 1855 as a summer villa.
Casino Barrière, one of the center points of activity in Biarritz.
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wine, and eating great food. We’re at a beautiful venue. It’s time to eat and drink. After lunch, we're motivated to walk. It’s a nice day and this is a city with a coast-
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line designed for foot traffic. The sidewalks are very broad and there are places to stop and enjoy the view.
One of the first commercial establishments we encounter is a surf shop. A surf shop? We shouldn’t be surprised; Biarritz is a big surf center. It’s just that we aren’t seeing surfers. We learn later that surfing is mostly done on beaches adjacent to the one fronting the Casino. Surfing, it seems, brings some much-needed tourism to this city.
A surf shop shouldn’t be a surprise. Biarritz is Europe’s surfing capital.
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This isn't the prime beach season. We notice this because there are few people out on the sand. In contrast, the sidewalks are filled with visitors. We do spy a group of young people in the ocean; they're all dressed with red vests. From their behavior, they are carrying out some sort of exercises or competitions in the surf. (We later learn that this is a class for lifesaving.)
Walking along the shoreline sidewalk gets us higher and higher above the beach. This gives us a good view of how the shoreline curves. There are a lot of large
Students learning life-guard skills in the ocean.
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buildings, probably a mix of expensive homes and hotels, lining the cliffs. A tall lighthouse stands at the far end of the curved beach.
There are large rocks in the ocean. Waves splash on these interesting landscape structures whose composition is a mix of dark and light elements.
The tide appears to have receded, exposing some areas of nearly flat sand along-
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A mix of architectural styles gives a unique character to Biarritz.
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Phare de Biarritz, the tall lighthouse built in 1834, stands on a point of land.
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More contrasting architectural styles in the buildings in Biarritz.
side the cliff. Looking down we see a "sand artist" scribing a symmetrical composition. It's big and quite complex. The artist has walked around and around the artwork, adding visual elements on each circuit. A beach towel is nearby. The idea is for viewers to toss coins from above so that they land on the towel. It's a bit of a challenge that many people have taken up. This kind of temporary composition might be a good way to make money as there are quite a few coins on the towel. This is an interesting endeavor that needs to be timed right. All this effort, and the ability to collect money, will disappear in a few hours at the change of the tide.
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Randy, Jana and Nancy watch the artist drawing in the sand.
A sand-artist adds to an already large masterpiece.
A detailed view of some sand art.
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There are a few buildings that grab our attention. One is a church, Sainte-Eugénie, built between 1898 and 1903. Looking at the nearby crowd, it's obvious that there has been, or will be, a wedding here. Otherwise, it’s hard to explain why there are quite a few small boys dressed in suits with ties. Girls, too. They’re wearing dressy clothes.
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Sainte-Eugénie, a Catholic church known for its ornate windows.
Sainte-Eugénie church is ready for a wedding.
Wedding celebrants gather next to the Sainte-Eugénie church.
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Wandering farther down the walkway we come to an overlook from which we see a small-boat harbor. It is quite interesting as the boats are contained in highwalled sections. These craft are well protected from ocean surf that hits the ocean side of the walls. This type of construction may also have something to do with tides. (A quick check of the tide charts shows that there is more than a 14 ft -- 4.5 m -- tidal range here.)
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The tall walls of the small boat harbor hint at the magnitude of the daily tidal change.
The day wears on. We need to go to San Sebastián soon. So we turn around and walk back toward our parked cars. There is more evidence of weddings as we encounter an entire entourage heading toward us on the sidewalk.
Our schedule leaves us a bit of time to walk in the city. The streets are lined with
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A wedding party strolls along the promenade near the casino.
hotels, restaurants and lots of tourist-oriented shops. This is a pleasant town and it’s obvious that it is a well-regarded visitor destination.
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A street view in the city.
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Myra and Teresa, out for a walk.
Now it is time for us to move on. We've got to get started on the 45 minute drive to San Sebastián.
As we are leaving the city, we take a (mis)turn and go on a narrow road around a point. This cul-de-sac gets us to Côte des Basques, an area popular with longboard surfers. There are a lot of people in the water here. We don't stop as there are no parking places and we're keeping an eye on the time. Still, we got to see the surfers out the car window. That’s given us a better idea of the breadth of activities that draw people to Biarritz.
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Surfers on the wide coastal expanse south of Biarritz.
The main highway is a toll road. Fees are collected in five places (if we remember correctly). It's a bit tedious at each stop as you don't know the amount needed at each automated toll station. There is pressure on us to have someone in the car with a handful of coins and be able to do some quick counting to handle the payment swiftly. We often failed this challenge.
San Sebastián - Saturday - October 19
San Sebastián is one of Spain's major tourist destinations. (Note: Donostia is Basque for San Sebastián.) This city has a long and often violent history. Wars and fires have periodically ravaged the area. It is only in very recent years that some stability has been achieved. There is now an obvious desire to preserve and enhance the historic neighborhoods and their architecture.
Our focus is primarily on the Old Town area. This neighborhood is located at the foot of Monte Urgull, a prominent hill at one end of the bay. The etymology of “Urgull” is “pride” and this seems to express the role of this prominent peak at the end of La Concha Bay.
The first task, as we enter the city, is to find our hotel. Google Maps says that we can't drive there. Huh? Actually, this is not a surprise as we've known about this anomaly since the start of today's drive. We’ve worked out a strategy; park as near as we can to the hotel and figure out the situation from there. That makes sense in the abstract. The reality sets in as we approach our destination. We’re encountering a combination of heavy traffic and one-way streets. Parking? Pretty much out of the question.
One of our cars makes a daring right turn across a couple of restricted lanes, goes into a "don't enter" street, and stops. This is pretty close to the hotel. This is a good place to stop as it will allow exploration (to find the hotel) by foot. The other car finds an underground parking garage in a shopping complex. This site is a few blocks away from the area with the hotel. People from this car walk in the presumed general direction of the hotel. The two groups join up, mostly by dumb luck.
We’ve found the Hotel Lasala Plaza and identified the roadway we need to follow to get to the hotel parking. That takes care of one vehicle. The other car now needs to be retrieved. One problem is the schedule. The navigation difficulties have cost a lot of time and we've got a Pintxos Tour scheduled for 6:30 PM. That's just a few minutes away. A few people need to make a dash on foot to the car which is parked a few blocks away. Then drive to the hotel. Wait! There is a protest parade that is just about to start and it is on the street that goes to the hotel. We weren't aware of this event that has brought lots and lots of people (and police minders) who now line the street. Yike! We're one of the last cars, we believe, allowed down the street. Whew! Finally, the car is turned over to the hotel valet. The rush isn’t over. Now we need to head to the place where we can
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join the other people for the dinner tour. We make it just in time. That -- without doubt -- is the peak stressful moment so far in this trip.
The dinner tour consists of our group of seven, three other visitors and our guide. Tita, a young lady from Norway, is taking us to a series of Pintxos bars. This is quite an experience! Tita's choice of places, her ability to get us into crowded places, and the way she got the food for us is simply amazing.
Finally, we are all gathered and we meet our guide for the evening.
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Here’s what we did.
There are a lot of people on the streets and in the pintxos bars. Whether this is just because it was a weekend night, or maybe there are a lot of people who have come to the protest march, is not clear. Add to this the problem of intermittent rain. (Yes, there is rain!) Then mix in the relief we're feeling from getting established in our hotel in San Sebastián. This combines to make for an unusual evening.
Political discontent is seen throughout this area.
The t-shirt message is “Make it possible ... in our hands” (Basque). Quite a few people were seen wearing a yellow whistle.
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The food? That, too, is very special.
Our first pintxos experience comes at a small place, La Mejillonera, that mostly serves mussels. Pintxos bars seem to specialize. Here, we're getting mussels -- in the shell -- topped with a variety of condiments and sauces. Each of the four or five variations is a treat. We're washing these delectable morsels down with cider (sidra, as it is called locally). It's an adequate version of cider and likely representative of the taste of the San Sebastián drinkers. Food discards: drop them on the floor.
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A sign on the wall tells us what we’ll be eating at our first stop.
Green chilies roasted and crispy.
Mussels in tomato sauce.
Mussels with a completely different treatment.
The kitchen is kept busy preparing plate after plate of food.
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Richard gets our first demonstration of the proper way to pour cider.
Then we're off to the next place. A few blocks away, we stop at a street-corner butcher shop (Zapore Jai). This is where they sell the locally-produced hams. Legs of cured ham shanks hang in the shop. Inside, one of these shanks is mounted so that the butcher can shave off pieces. We're given a set of samples that have been preserved differently. We're also eating some cheese here. The street outside is filled with people and it is quite noisy. In spite of the packed conditions, we're enjoying the atmosphere and the food.
The next stop is Txepetxa. It’s a more traditional bar setting. As we've seen in other pintxos, most of the people here are standing. We're alongside several groups and it’s easy to chat with them. English is, indeed, a universal language. Our group has become divided into several clusters. That’s understandable as it’s hard to fit a lot of people into this place.
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Ham is a regional specialty. This shop has a wide variety on sale.
Cheese goes well with the ham.
The shop also has other prepared meats.
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One of the features here is using sardines to make great sandwiches. They also have Pintxo Gilda, a pepper, olive and anchovy skewer.
There is an art to getting food and drink in these very crowded places. Our guide, Tita, has mastered the skill and tells us that you've got to be aggressive and put one hand on the bar. That somehow both reserves space and gets the bartender's attention. Fortunately, Tita handles this part of the process. She also pays the bill for the group, another complicated skill.
The next stop is outside a nearby "cooking club." These are places where men come to cook communal meals. It’s an interesting local tradition. This place is called C. D. Amaikak-bat (1907).
Moving on, we go to Gandarias Jatetxea. Think: steak. Well, we eat some steak but the quality is mixed.
display their specialty offerings. This is very enticing.
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Restaurants
Wine is an important part of the food tour.
Sometimes, it takes many hands to hold the food and drink. Cooperation is part of the fun.
Small bits often bring excellent tastes.
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The next stop is Gastroleku 148. Here we get (some much needed) “comfort food.” It’s crowded (all of the pintxos are!), but somehow we find room to sit down. That’s good because by now it is raining quite heavily outside.
Finally, La Vina Bar. Their specialty: cheesecake. It is very unusual. A superb treat that was both rich and fluffy, quite a contrast to the heavy cheesecakes found in
Each place we visited was packed with patrons. That was part of the fun.
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the US. The rain continues.
We are a tired group by the end of the evening. Fortunately, our tour ends just a short walk away from our hotel.
We are happy to get settled into our rooms. It has been a big day.
Richard goes for another taste.
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Special cheesecake and a glass of wine. A perfect finish for a night of fine dining on the town.
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San Sebastián - Sunday - October 20
This is our first full day in San Sebastián. We had a really good introduction to the food and drink of this city with last night’s pintxos expedition. Today, we’re ready for something quite different.
Breakfast is served in the hotel’s dining room. This is a great setting on the second floor (the area above the lobby). There is ample table room and a large buffet is nearby. There are lots of choices to meet the many tastes of the international visitors that stay here. You can also order cooked food to supplement your buffet choices. Overall, it is a great place to start the day.
The weather continues to be marginal. We’re expecting more showers. That’s probably not going to be a problem for us and we’re doing an indoor event today. We’re going to lunch at Martin Berasategui.
A visit to this restaurant is one of the primary goals of the entire trip. This is a Michelin Three Star establishment. In addition, it has won recognition as the world’s top restaurant by TripAdvisor reviewers. It’s received this honor several times! We’re lucky to have gotten a reservation.
Our group gathers in the hotel lobby in the late morning. The cars have been requested; we scheduled this the night before as it takes quite a while for the valet to retrieve a car. Our reservation is for 1:30 PM. We leave early since it is about a half-hour drive across town. We don’t want to be late.
The restaurant is in a community on the outskirts of San Sebastián. There is a major highway that makes the drive easier than we expected. The location is a bit of a surprise. We find ourselves in a pretty rural area filled with residential housing mixed with farms and forests. It seems an unlikely place to have a world-class restaurant.
We park in the adjacent lot and wait for our scheduled reservation time. There are light passing showers. Finally, we drop off everyone near the front entrance and repark cars.
This is an elegant place. The two-story structure is located on a slope. We’ve already seen that big windows overlook the small parking lot at the back of the building.
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There are elegant touches seen everywhere.
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Jana and Teresa confirm that this is a very special place.
Nancy agrees that it is special. Richard considers the drink menu. Myra’s enjoying being here, too.
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Entering the building is like going into a fine home. We get a warm greeting and they take our coats. Then we move into the dining room. They seat us at a large round table. We see the view, now from the inside.
Most of us choose to eat from the Chef’s “The Great Tasting Menu.” Many in the group add the wine pairings. This is going to be a long and involved meal. We’re up for it!
Here is an extract of the menu.
THE GREAT TASTING MENU
● Our marinated olives
● Tapioca with beetroot and crustaceans
● Gilda (anchovy, chili pepper and olive) with 'Agrucapers' caper soup and 'Balfego' tuna tartare
● Mille-feuille of smoked eel, foie-gras, spring onions and green apple
● Smooth flower of sepia
● Cod jelly with asparagus pickles and its cream with 'Ars ltalica' caviar
● Oyster with green olive juice, wasabi emulsion and crunchy sea lettuce
● Vegetable hearts salad with seafood, cream of lettuce and iodized juice
● Sea sedge smoothie, on tarama of scampi and chicory, anchovy and sardine canape
● Langoustine over an aniseed sea-bed and coral mayonnaise
● Grilled hake steak with squid tartar and toasted walnut herb with hint of saffron
● "The Truffle" with fermented wild mushrooms and collard greens
● Grilled sirloin "Luismi" over a bed of Swiss chard chlorophyll and cheese bonbon
● Lemon with basil juice, green bean and almond.
● Frozen rock of "Pacari" with cinnamon and saffron cream
Our waiter is very good about explaining everything. He speaks excellent English (which isn’t really a surprise).
We start with some Champagne. Then the food courses begin.
It is important to note that the food here is served in small portions. Lots of items, each one small. This makes dining a drawn out affair. That’s good because we’re not in a rush. It gives us plenty of time to talk.
A statement on the menu characterizes what we’re about to get.
My creations vary, depending on the whim of the land, the sea and the sean of year. I propose that you allow me to seduce you in small mouthfuls… seductive, light and succulent.
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The menu lists the date each of 15 dishes was put on the menu. Two-thirds of the items were added in 2018 and 2019. The ”Mille-feuille of smoked eel, foie-gras, spring onions and green apple” is a rare old holdout, dating from 1995. Clearly, inventiveness continues in Martin’s kitchen. Note for the future: returning to this restaurant in a few years will be a very different experience. Except, of course, for the service. It will remain impeccable.
The starting item, “2019 Our marinated olives,” looks like a pair of olives sitting in a bowl with a green liquid. A small sprig of a plant is perched on the liquid. Green olives, right? Bite one and you’ll be surprised. It isn’t an olive at all. The taste and texture were not at all olive-like. And that sort of surprise, where the chef has used visual cues to trick you into believing something, extends through the entire menu. That’s true creativity.
The wine pairings were excellent, as you’d expect. One “wine” was actually a cider. This consisted of a blend of twenty apple varieties. It was smooth and flavorful. Absolute perfection for a cider. It was rare to taste this particular cider because its quality was soon recognized and it was soon sold out everywhere. We were lucky that the restaurant still had a supply.
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Desert was an over-the-top display of treats.
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Chef Martín Berasategui made a visit to our table. What a special treat!
It was hard to leave as we were really having a good time. But by 5:00 PM or so, it was time to go. We drove back to our hotel, easily convinced that this was one of the highlights of the entire trip.
Some of the group headed to Maria Cristina Hotel for some dinner. Others hung out at the hotel, still full from the mid-day feast.
San Sebastián - Monday - October 21
Yesterday was a drippy day. An early-morning glance out the hotel window tells us that today's skies are clear. That’s wonderful as this will be a great day to be outside.
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We've improved our breakfast-selection skills. Here, as we've discovered, you can choose from the buffet's extensive offerings and order something cooked to your specifications. Poached eggs are done perfectly. They make a nice addition to a selection of fruit, bread, meat and cheese from the buffet.
The pre-trip correspondence alerted everyone to be prepared to walk. Today's the day we'll be doing our explorations on foot. Starting at the harbor's edge, by City Hall, we see the day's challenges. San Sebastián's primary harbor, Bahía de la Concha, creates a semi-circular beach with mountains at each end. The nearer peak, Monte Urgull, rises sharply. It is a tree-covered hill crowned with an ancient fort. A tall statue of Jesus Christ (Sagrado Corazón; “Sacred Heart”) stands above the fort; this is a prominent landmark for the city. Unlike the fort, whose construction was begun in the 12th Century, the statue is relatively modern. It was
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The Sagrado Corazón (Sacred Heart) statue on the top of Monte Urgull can be seen from far away.
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The lighthouse on Isla de Santa Clara is under repair. This is just one of the lighthouses that marks the harbor entrances.
Interesting buildings acros sBahía de la Concha grab our attention. We’ll visit this area later in the day.
An amusing store-front sign.
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added in 1950. It looks old as it matches the fort's architecture.
Monte Igeldo is at the other end of Bahía de la Concha. The peak of this mountain is capped by Hotel Mercure and a tall tower.
A small island (Isla de Santa Clara) partly fills the gap between the two mountain peaks. This island provides considerable protection at the entrance to the bay.
Our first stop on our walk is at the broad promenade that rings the bay. We're able to scan the scene from here as we're well up above the water. Like us, there are lots of people out getting exercise and enjoying the good weather.
We agree that our next activity should be a climb to the top of Monte Urgull. We head north along the waterfront. There's a small boat harbor here and we can see the distinctive characteristics of the craft. Old buildings line our route as this is part of San Sebastián's Old Town. We pass by a church, then a museum and the city's aquarium.
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The sculpture at the harbor entrance (Paseo Nuevo) is called “Construcción Vacia” (Empty Construction).
A bold statue by Jorge Oteiza is on the point. This famous Basque artist created the "Construcción vacía" (Empty Construction) that is installed here. An image of the artist's face is inscribed on an adjacent wall. It is interesting how this large work of art anchors this entrance to the bay. We pause and enjoy both art and the view of the ocean. It is also time to mentally prepare for the challenge of getting to the top of the mountain.
The climb up to the top of Monte Urgull starts in a nearby parking lot. It’s a steep route. You proceed on a broad walkway. There are places where you can view the ocean as you go higher and higher. At times you need to watch your step, especially when the walkway surface becomes round stone cobbles.
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Jorge Oteiza created the award winning sculpture. His image is on a nearby wall.
Unfortunately, Randy and Jana aren’t doing the climb due to a foot injury.
The walk up Monte Urgull starts easy enough. Nancy and Teresa spot something to the side of the road.
There are closed passages or rooms seen periodically during the walk up the hill. Very mysterious.
The graves of foreign soldiers dot the slopes. These are reminders of the many past conflicts.
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The higher you climb, the greater the challenge.
Nancy and Richard step carefully on the uneven pathway.
Teresa is happy that Richard has made it to the top.
There are lots of old canons in Castillo de la Mota, reminders of the many past sieges that came from ships attempting to enter the harbor.
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Nancy, Myra, Teresa and Richard pose for a photo in a courtyard of Castillo de la Mota.
You get a good overview of Bahía de la Concha from the top of the mountain.
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A corner of Bahía de la Concha is visible through the trees.
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The walls of Castilla de la Mota must have been formattable defensive structures in their day.
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Everyone seems happier on the downhill walk.
The gentle walk down Monte Urgull provides many opportunities to view the ocean and the surrounding landscape.
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An old barometer and thermometer on the outside wall of the aquarium.
Teresa and Nancy with statue of Vicente Zaragueta Laffitte.
This fine balustrade is a reminder of the many interesting architectural details found when walking in the older sections of San Sebastián.
It's a relief to get to the top. The view is astounding. You can see the arc of La Concha Beach and the residences that line the coast. Stopping and enjoying the view is a welcome respite.
The fort, called "Mota Castle," gives strong hints of how it was part of a system used to protect the city. There are several large canons still pointing toward the sea.
We take our time enjoying the sights.
The downhill walk follows a different path. It isn't long before we are back on the coastal rim and we head back to the city, enjoying a variety of urban sights.
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Plaza de la Constitución has some outdoor restaurants. It’s a perfect place to take a break.
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Nancy orders a drink. We’re all in need of something wet.
Randy tries his hand at pouring cider. That’s pretty good.
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Our waiter shows us the proper way to pour cider.
We had split into a few groups so Constitution Plaza was selected as a meeting point. It was a good choice as we can take a break here to have some refreshments.
Sitting at the outdoor table of the restaurant gives us a good view of the Plaza's activities. There are plenty of tour groups. A woman is entertaining her children by "shooting" balloons up into the air.
The next walking goal is the other end of the bay. It is a leisurely walk that starts by going through the streets of the Old Town. We spot a few places that are familiar from our Saturday Pintxos outing.
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The expansive sand areas allow artists to create huge message boards that are easily seen by people walking on the waterfront.
Sand artists show their creativity and collect a few coins for their effort. The message here: Learn.
A wide walkway adjacent to the beach enhances the appeal of this city to visitors.
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The board walkway along the beach is a great feature of this city. It isn't crowded, even with a lot of people out. An attraction we run across is a few people drawing in the sand. One sand-artist is focused on what appear to be political messages. This is a reflection of the considerable unrest in the Catalonia region. Another artist combines a word, "Aprender," with a symmetrical design. The word is particularly striking as it is rendered to appear 3D. It's hard to imagine how this artist transfers the image from his mind to the sand. It is very effective. True talent.
We continue our walk. The buildings here sit behind the promenade so we have a clear view of the bay. Most of the buildings are about eight stories tall. There is a slope that rises as the promenade reaches the middle of the bay. Here, there are buildings perched higher and higher and they look out over the structures closer to the water. This terraced structuring provides a lot of real estate with a good view of this scenic harbor.
There is an area with signs identifying this area as "Plaza del Bicentenario" (Bicentennial Square). This commemorates the 200th anniversary of the burning of San Sebastián in 1813 by the Anglo-Portuguese forces. This sign is a reminder of San Sebastián's violent history.
Our walk takes us through a short tunnel and continues on the other side. The tunnel itself is very interesting. The ceiling is painted in a way that gives you a
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Plaza del Bicentenario commerates one of the most violent episodes in the history of San Sebastián.
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The false tunnel beneath the grounds of Palacio de Miramar is painted with interesting scenes.
feeling of being under water.
The beach in the area we've reached is called "Playa de Ondarreta." It is most likely part of La Concha Beach as this sandy stretch extends to near the western end of the bay.
The walk turns away from the water and goes through some sports facilities. This includes some indoor and outdoor clay tennis courts.
Finally, we get to a building near the end of the bay that has a funicular. This is one way to get to the top of Monte Igeldo. You can walk up the mountain, but this rail system, which dates from August 25, 1912, makes it much easier. Because it’s a true historical relic of technology, we can't pass up this opportunity
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Monte Igueldo lies ahead above the western-most entrance to the harbor.
Purchasing funicular tickets was a bit of a challenge.
The funicular goes up a very steep track.
A ride up to the top of Monte Igueldo is a good idea. We’ve done a lot of walking.
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to experience an unusual form of transportation.
Unfortunately, the funicular's ticket office is closed. Sigh; we need to wait a bit for the office to reopen. A small crowd joins us as we pass the time. Finally, the office opens, we buy our tickets (which are round-trip), and head to the wooden funicular cars. The train is pulled up the mountain by cables. Counterbalancing is done with a car that’s heading the other direction. We know that we're halfway up
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San Sebastián as viewed from the top of Monte Igueldo.
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A group photo of (L to R) Randy, Jana, Myra, Richard, Teresa and Kim taken at the top of Monte Igueldo.
Beer is a much-needed refreshment after all of the day’s activities.
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Richard helps Nancy take a photo of Jana and Randy.
A fake military tower at the top of Monte Igueldo, built to attract tourists.
when we pass the descending cars.
The view from Lookout Point is spectacular. We're seeing virtually the entirety of í de la Concha, this time at the opposite end from Old Town and Monte Urgull. This view is about three times higher, too; 400 ft (123 m) vs 1,210 ft (369 m).
It's time for some panoramic shots and group photos. Then we’re off to nibble a bit of food and enjoy some drinks. We've earned a beer with all of this walking. The outdoor terrace at the hotel's bar is a perfect place to take a break.
After a while, we head back down the hill on the funicular. The group splits. Some take a bus back to the Old Town. Others walk.
We saw several large buildings when we were on the mountain tops. Walking back, we have a chance to explore one of these. Miramar was Queen Maria Cristina's summer home. It was created by Selden Wornum in 1893 and later enlarged in 1920. It remained as a royal residence until 1931 when it was appropriated
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Heading to the funicular for the ride down Monte Igueldo.
The funicular tracks have a section where the two cars pass each other.
Palacio de Miramar was completed in 1893 as a place for royalty to enjoy seaside visits. It is now used for summer courses and conferences.
The lawn in front of Palacio de Miramar is a perfect place to relax and enjoy the view. Royalty choose great views, right?
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The casino, built between 1882 and 1887, is now City Hall for San Sebastián.
Lorenzo Coullaut-Valera’s sculpture of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza. This is an exact copy of the one in Madrid’s Plaza de Espana.
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Some sand artists take this artform to a new level.
The lion was moved from the city walls to this location in 1847. It stands in front of the Lasala Hotel where it has become the emblem of this institution.
by the state, then, a bit later returned to the Royal Family. In 1972, the property was purchased by the local government. Now it is used as a facility of the Basque Country University. As we passed by, we saw that there was a conference (International Discussion Meeting on Polymer Crystallization) being held inside this facility. This seems like an ideal venue for small meetings.
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The Lasala Hotel bartender pours seven glasses of Champagne.
We’ve discovered the roof-top deck at the hotel. It’s a great spot to spend our last night together.
Enjoying some evening companionship before heading off to dinner.
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The Miramar property has a great view. There are extensive grounds. We now realize that the tunnel that we passed through earlier in the day was created to protect Miramar's landscape views and ease transportation along the waterfront.
We return to the hotel with a plan to enjoy a drink on the hotel's rooftop bar before dinner. Each hotel guest gets a free glass of champagne so the group meets at the bar to claim this benefit. Up on the roof, there's a good view of the city. We watch the sunset and enjoy the sight of the city as it undergoes its transformation to night-time activities.
Dinner is just a short walk away. We'd gotten a recommendation for a place, Restaurante Muxumartin, and made a reservation for the group. As we head to dinner, we note that there are few people on the streets. That's a big contrast from Saturday night when we walked through the same area.
We get to the restaurant a bit before they open. “No problem,” they say, and accommodate us by letting us in early.
We've brought some wine that we bought in St. Émilion. This is a very good meal.
With dinner finished, we walk back to the hotel, chatting about adventures here. For some of us, it’s the end of our last day in San Sebastián. It’s a city well worth visiting. We really enjoyed our time here.
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Walking down the nearly-disserted streets, heading to our hotel.
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