Bilbao/San Sebastian

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Following the demise of Fenlands i decided to start getting some more travelling done and started with a week in the Basque country in sept.

To begin with i spent 3 nights in Bilbao, my little hotel was right next to a bar called Bilbao Beer,(always a good sign), this is where i finished all three nights with visits in between.(many brain cells destroyed)!

The main reason to come to Bilbao was to see the Guggenheim musesum and travel to San Sebastian.

The museum is amazing , at least from the outside, not worth ten euros to go inside and see a handful of modern art items.

My Favourite thing about Bilbao was the Pinxtos, food on a stick, not free but really good and easy to order, just point!

I was struck by how Green and cloudy and wet northern spain is, not at all like the south.

i loved it but felt guilty for sending to aussies i met in San Sebastian there on a sunday, theres nothing open in Spain on a sunday, they work so hard they need a day off!

San Sebastian is an amazing setting, a horse shoe bay with two peaks either side and a beautiful beach.
More touristy, expensive and busier than Bilbao and i didnt think the Pinxtos were as good as Bilbao.

However at the weekend the old town is mad, very busy and unlike the rest of spain they seriously like to drink, beer and Cider mainly. no Sangria up here!

i was sorry to leave and go home via Barriatz in france, very clean , polite, organised and more expensive!

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Photos

Sunset at San Seb
one of those moments you needed a picnic and a place to sit with a loved one, loads of people watch the sunset out to sea, very relaxing

Bilbao
Me and Ossie, aka the duck from Ballygally castle, on the hill overlooking Bilbao, cloudy and Green, very unspanish.

Spider outside El Goog
The biggest attraction in Bilbao is El Goog or the Guggenheim museum.
This is spider outside, reminded me of Shelob from Lord of the rings

El Poop
The Puppy made of flowers, went well with the modern building behind it and made me chuckle

El Goog
This was my favourite view, it was really hard to get a handle on the strange shape of the building, was genuinely over awed when i stood and looked up at this angle

El Goog
the whole thing is covered mith shiny metal to look like the skin of a fish, Gehry is a genius

El Goog
when the sun shines on the metal it does look quite magical

El Goog
This view makes it look like a big sliver fish as Gehry intended or a big strange boat!

victor Morientes
fantastic collection of bottles around the place,pinxtos were ok but nothing special

Basque Flag
saw quite a view of these, reminded you of the recent history of the place

Pinxtos
i think my favourite tapas , quality wise was from Bilbao, easy to order too since all you had to do was point

Cafe bilbao
prob the best pinxtos/food in all of spain, and in a fantastic place!

More Pinxtos
this was a trendy place with Czech lager in the old town, on the bar were also little dishes of snails, yum, not!

Bilbao by night
a very untouristy place, i enjoyed bilbao although there isnt much to do, felt quite gentile

San Seb Bay
the view from one of the two hills, pic doesnt do it justice

San Seb
Fantastic beach, Barca;s is a cat box in comparison

San Seb
there was something quite sad yet noble about this fella in his little beret selling snails, a quiet dignity

San Seb
the side of San Seb where the surfers go before the weather toke a turn for the better. still pretty cool though

2008 cider festival
3 euros for a glass then walk round 49 stands!, couple of stands doing baguettes to soak up the hooch

Pouring cider
from a height to create bubbles, quite nice but my belly was feeling it after two hours of cider tasting

cider Festival
it was packed, quite a battle to get to the stands