FUN-travel: Northern Spain – Hondarribia to Bilboa to Cangas de Onis, Spain
July 20, 2012 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-travel: Northern Spain – Hondarribia to Bilboa to Cangas de Onis, Spain
Day 10 – Thursday, July 19 – Hondarribia to Bilboa to Cangas de Onis, Spain
Guggenheim Museum
What I LIKE
Atrium
- “Goldilocks Bed”
- my computer is still working
- 10 am depart for Bilbao
- Guggenheim Museum – designed by Frank Gehry is a work of art – limestone, titanium & glass – inspired by a silvery fish – evokes wind-filled sails heading out to sea
- only driving 3.5 hours before our next overnight stop
- pretty drive with mountains & lots of trees
- take “secret way” to Cangas de Onis – narrow, twisty, back roads
- see fox run across road
- drive past farms
- Cangas de Onis is 12th century monastery next to river – cows grazing across the street
Outside Sculpture
What I DON’T LIKE
- bed is a little on the hard side
- wake up to clouds & cooler temp
- my computer pop up warning saying “hard drive failure imminent”
- Garmin & Road Atlas have different exit ramp #’s to Cangas de Onis (first time this has happened)
- dinner starts @ 8:30 pm
- can’t open windows here – lots of bugs – where there’s cows there’s flies
FF (FUN-fact) – Main entrance to museum features Jeff Koons’ 42-ft-tall West Highland Terrier sculpture covered with 60,000 plants & flowers.
FUN-travel: Northern Spain – Hondarribia, Spain
July 19, 2012 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-travel: Northern Spain – Hondarribia, Spain
Day 8 – Tuesday, July 17 – Hondarribia, Spain
Courtyard at Parador
What I LIKE
- having my nice hot cup of coffee followed by plate of fresh fruit
- saving meat & cheese & fresh baked bread from breakfast buffet
- having it later for a picnic
- walking the promenade along the bay out to the marina and beach
- clear blue skies and warmer weather
- strolling back through town
- getting suggestions from Parador front desk on where to eat
- dinner @ Sebastians – very good – Carpaccio, Salmon with apple & citrus, Monk Fish with Scampi, chocolate dessert with strawberry ice cream & more good wine
What I DON’T LIKE
- the stores & most restaurants close from 2:30 to 5:30
FF (FUN-fact) – Our Parador is a 12th century Castle. Great service and ability to stay in such unique properties gives them a 10+ rating and a Gold Medal in the Travel Olympics.
More Parador
FUN-travel: Northern Spain – Pamplona to Hondarribia, Spain
July 18, 2012 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-travel: Northern Spain – Pamplona to Hondarribia, Spain
Day 7 – Monday, July 16 – Pamplona to Hondarribia, (near San Sebastian) Spain
View from Parador
What I LIKE
Old Quarter
- good cappuccino @ hotel only 1.5 Euro (same price as house wine)
- driving to Hondarribia only takes 1 hour
- GPS & road atlas to takes us
- nice, helpful woman in dress shop writes down directions to Parador
- beautiful old 12th century castle sits high on the hill overlooking the bay and town
- takes 30 minutes to walk around the old quarter
- nice lunch recommended by front desk @ Danontzat – 35 Euros – fresh salad & rice w/vegetables – wonderful wine Novellum de Toro
- nice nap before going to San Sebastian
- direct bus only takes 25 minutes and costs 2.25 pp
- meet up Mariana – travel agent from GSincoming we booked the Balcony & Bull Fight with in Pamplona & new friends we met in Pamplona – Susan & Jay live in Bay Area
- go on “Tapas & Wine Crawl” – 6 different entree tapas & one dessert – really, really good!
- having FUN walking around & eating little bits & good red wine
What I DON’T LIKE
- GPS can’t find our Parador because our reservation name & the name of Parador are different
- GPS can’t find it even with the address programmed – has us going in circles 2 blocks away
- TI closed from 1:30 – 3:30
- no bus after 9 pm
- taxi costs 30 Euro & he can’t find parador either – only been a taxi driver for 2 weeks
Tapas & Wine Crawl
FF (FUN-fact) – The Basque Region of Spain is the “Paris of Spain.” Lots of balconies and very cute, well maintained buildings.