Blogs from San Sebastián, Basque Country, Spain, Europe - page 2

Things we’ve found through painful experience: In planning for the trip, we chose medium size luggage (to meet the airline limit of 23kg per bag (50 pounds). Our criterion for the bags was mainly weight. Why buy a bag that already weighs 11pounds when you could buy one weighing 9 1/2 pounds and give up two to the airlines? We settled on Swiss Army bags, slightly different models in different colors. They have compartments for small items as well as a waterproof bag for medications. They appeared strong enough, so we went with them. We’ve had them for some time now, but the work we are putting them through is starting to show. With 43 pounds of clothes in the bag and another strapped to the top, we have both struggled with train platforms and stairwells, ... read more

Tag 2 – Bayonne, San Sebatián & Llanes Unser Wecker klingelte um acht. Wir machten uns schnell fertig und gingen in Stadt. Auf dem Weg kauften wir uns in einer Boulangerie was zum Frühstücken, beziehungsweise bestellte Namid für uns „deux croissants“ sowie noch zwei weitere Blätterteigteilchen. Ich nahm noch eine Dose Kakao dazu, was Namid sehr merkwürdig fand. Aber die Milch kam aus Frankreich, es waren keine komischen Inhaltsstoffe enthalten und ich dachte auch, dass Metall ja wenigstens ganz gut zu recyceln war. Mit unserem Proviant im Rucksack liefen wir in die Altstadt. Als erstes liefen wir zu einem Garten am Flussufer. Hier in Bayonne wurde irgendwie überall gebaut. Wir folgten den Schildern, die uns als Piétons durch die Baustelle leiteten. Von weitem konnten wir einen Blick auf die vielen Blumen erhaschen. Wenn der Park nicht ... read more

Even 'though it is off season San Sebastian is a party town. Imagine South Bank, New years eve, with a surf beach and thousands of merry tourists. It was good fun, the sun shone a warm welcome, the surf wasn't the best and it was crowded but Carl rented a wet suit and enjoyed himself. The food was the best part. All day and most of the night hundreds of bars and restaurants offered Pintxos or Tapas. Sea Urchin was delicious. I felt I left no more personal foot prints on the lives of the people of San Sebastian than I left on the sands of its beaches. But it was fun. We went to the Guggenheim. What a fantastic building, such imagination and creativity shame most of the exhibits inside were a bit disappointing. MONA ... read more

One of the most fun long hikes we’ve done The Haute Route Pyrénées, (HRP) is a long distance hiking trail that follows the mountainous divide along the French-Spanish border. These grandiose mountains are home to some of the most dramatic scenery in all of Europe. The 497 mile (800 km+) long HRP trail follows the backbone of the mountain range all the way from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Mediterranean Sea in the east. On average it takes about 45-50 days to complete. It took us 40 hiking days to complete (excluding rest days in Lescun, Salardu and Gavernie) – we wild camped* the majority of the trail which was just magical as often only us were camped by glacial lakes or in meadows and we also enjoyed beautiful Refugios (staff serviced huts ... read more

We walked. We talked. We laughed. We photographed. We posed. We videoed. We looked. We listened. We interacted. We mingled. We ate. We marvelled. We drank. We rode. We got wet. We got dry. We sweated. We rested. We read. We made agreements. We met people. We made friends. We tasted. We critiqued. We gave. We received. On returning to the hotel, tired and fulfilled, we looked at each other … and … smiled. Yes, we had had a good day indeed. As way of comment: Part of our day involved us walking along La Concha Beach. Beautiful and awesome as it may look, it is very sad to comment negatively … humans, can’t be ‘anything’ else, have polluted the beach no end. One could not walk 30cm, and that is being generous, without seeing plastic ... read more