Farewell Pais Vasco

Bilbao airport is small and civilised, we can even see outside!   The 62 year old has survived a heat wave and is coming home all chilled, we had fun,, beautiful scenery refreshing sea, great weather and great food.  Looking forward to seeing T and H . 

And finally, as promised, the pinxtos. 

Our Last Night out in San Sebastián

OK, time for the HG to buy shoes!   We meet some fun women from LA.  Do pinxtos in the Casco Viejo and then it it back to the tried and tested Mala Gissona in Gros.  I will show you some pinxtos in my last blog post.  Hang in there!

Once again, we catch the sunset on our way home.

A night cap and local cheese cake, deliciosas!

A last evening of Art and pinxtos in Donastia San Sebastián

The last five stations of Tratos de Paz are at Koldo Mitxelena Kulturunea which is in the Centro District.  Following a rest and shower we decide to squeeze this in on our last evening.  We enjoyed the first part at San Telmo so much, this is a must.  This section is quiet, air conditioned and free.  Once again it is packed with information which is a wonderful summary of the futility of war. As contries re arm, diplomacy and peace talks also increase.  There is a focus on European and Middle Eastern Conflict, as well as colonization in it's various guises.  We are fascinated and overwhelmed at the same time. 

I listen to these poems, which are beautiful.  

Visit to Monte Igeldo and Playa de Ondaretta

I awake having had a refereshing sleep next to the fan despite night temperatures in the high twenties 

After breakfast we head off in the direction of Monte Igeldo.  At high tide, an outcrop splits the Playa de la Concha in two; its smaller western portion therefore technically has its own name, the Playa de Ondarreta.

But first, the furnicular. http://www.lonelyplanet.com/spain/aragon-basque-country-and-navarra/san-sebastian/transport/rail/funicular-railway

At the top there is an amusement park that has changed little in the thirty years since I was last here.  
An American Woman of mature years is having wild fun on one of the boats, yelling repeatedly 'Take a photo of us, Carlito'  Carlito, also mature, looks highly embarassed.

We recover from the heat in Miramar Parque. And picnic. 

Jo queues for water by the Queen's summer residence.   A little boy helps her very kindly.  

And at last the enticing sea wins it's battle and we are in there!  Very welcome when it is 38 degrees.  As the tide comes in we narrowly miss the chance to hop over to Playa La Concha and have to retrace our steps in 38 degrees.  But is was all worth it.  This was my best beach experience, not too busy and a perfect refreshingly cool sea with barely a wave in sight. 

A quiet, hot day in Donastia San Sebastián

A heat wave has hit Pais Vasco and it's a bit hot for anything much today.  

After a trip to the under cover market (meet my sad friend above) and a coffee in the plaza, its just sand, shade and sea today.

Post the Brexit Vote, we need to cultivate our inner Mexican. 

And squeeze in the odd ice cream 

We shower away the sand and then it's off the local again, Bar Etxeberria.  

Ullage is handed over to a rapturous reception.  Jose Jo is excited re the Berkshire pubs with their proper hand pumps and their breweries.  He gives us a glossy mag on pinxto trails and some football cards! 

Back upstairs to listen to the Archers, cook pasta and swelter.  Delicious avocado.  The only thing cheaper here than it is at home! 

Oh, and there is beer.  

A Sunday Evening out in San Sebastián

Time for a Sunday night out on the tiles.  The last night of the Festival of Carmen.  

First of all Bar Exteberria.  

Inside the bar is well stocked with local and European beers. All artistically labelled.  We try a local wheat which is really good. 

Next to Ordizia for pinxtos.  More detail of these to follow!

Then along the river to Gros, where we earlier at Mala Gissona.

Here we eat fishy raciones and salad at Casa Senra. The HG has a gin tonic!  We have a delightful Peruvian waiter. 

Then we walk back to the Casco Viejo. 

Kutxa Kultur Artegunea. San Sebastián

It is really depressing to hear the news about the failed coup in Turkey, which like el Reino Unido (UK) is stepping back in time.    Nice in France, also descended into hell for Bastille Day, my birthday.  So hard to reconcile our fun with such tragedy. 

We are expecting a heat wave and I am reflecting on how I am never content; I moan about the UK weather and now I am having anxiety about sun burn/excema risks! This is dhukka. I am definitely not quite chilled!  Today should do it: three more whole days.  Planning some art then the beach in Gros, a quieter suburb on the other side of the Rio Urumea.  

Breakfast includes the nicest natural yogurt ever found in Spain and kindly provided by our hosts.  

And also some delicious, heavy and filling bread from our local panaderia. 

We are wondering about the history of the Basque People and do some research.  The Basques are an indigenous ethno-linguistic group mainly inhabiting adjacent areas of Spain and France.  

They have always lived with a degree of indepence but that is a huge simplification.  Read more at 

http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/ciencia/ciencia_basques04.htm

We set off in beautiful sunshine.  There is an artesan market where we buy some fun earings.  But they do not last two minutes.  Ed

Today is the last day of the festival of Carmen, karmengo jaiak. Carmen is a manifestation of 

Mary and a saint of the sea. Hence the 'holidays of the port'.  It has been very rowdy so we 

are pleased they will be over. 

Kuxta Kultur Artegunea is an arts centre situated near the bus and railway stations.  

http://kutxakulturartegunea.eus/

I enjoy the exhibition entitled 'Historias Compartidas'  which is taken from the twentieth 

century collection in kluxta.

Jenaro Olaran 

Bahia y Playa 

1923

Elias Inchaurrandieta

¿Esta usted mejor? 

1950 

Here I am interested in the use of a closed question (Are you better?) in the title

which to me signifies the heplessness of both doctor and patient. 

Ignacio Ugarte y Bereciarte 

La planchadoras 1889

This is a lovely space.

The HG is interested in feminist North African Art by Yto Barrada. 

 

As we are the other side of the river we head for a beach 

experience at Playa Zurriola.

The waves are a bit much and a proper swim is impossible.  Still, 

it is refreshing.  

As is the craft beer experienced at our next stop.  

We enjoy the Mala Gissona Blonde and IPA with olives and chips.  Hard to beat. 

 

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