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Published: September 15th 2009
doorway
another one of my passions - doorways and arches from San Sebastian mountainCalpe, to Alicante via Madrid to Bilbao is the next part of the journey. What a trip! We set off early in the morning, which was a journey that only good friends would make. Nader and Brigitte took me to a café on the way for breakfast only to find out the cook was having a day off. We were bemoaning the fact of trying to give your guest the best possible experience, only to be thwarted in your attempts. I reminded me of the time I took JD and Kimberley to Kangaroo Island. It was a rough crossing and kids were throwing up on the ferry in front of us, then when we did arrive, in all our criss/crossing the island, nary a kangaroo, koala or penguin to be seen apart from the road kill everywhere! We did get to cuddle a baby marsupial in the honey factory that had been rescued. - so Nader was having one of those times, very frustrating.
We arrived in Alicante to find that the train was booked out and I had to wait 2 hours for the next one which only allowed for a 15minute changeover with the train to Bilbao. But
Memorial
memorial to the unknown fallen english, but vandalised from SS the upside was that because I purchased my ticket at the last minute (and had the Senior! Renfe gold card) I got a whopping 42% discount!
The train to Madrid was packed, but finished my book and was talking to the lady in the seat behind who was traveling to Nepal and India. She was a gastrointestinal specialist going on holiday. She showed me to the Bilbao train (with 10 minutes to spare). As I boarded the train, there were two ladies who had Qantas pouches around their necks and looked very tired. I spoke to them and found that one was from Sydney and had brought her sister from Melbourne to do the Camino walk (the not too hectic one, I have asked them to give me all the details for future trip with Gloria). We spent the journey talking of all sorts of things and arrived in no time!
Little did I know that my hotel was in the Red light district and it was just outside of a railway station -one out from the main station, so I walked the 6 blocks. I was walking to my hotel behind a group of male revelers who
insisted on letting off crackers as they walked, my ears are still ringing. I arrived at my hotel to find it only has stairs!!! And I was shown to a two metre square room - maybe it was my puffing and panting, or the look on my face, but the guy on the desk hunted up a better room. Then when I asked for a fan, he then went and found a room with a big window -poor guy.
Sunday was spent walking the town of Bilbao, along the river; crossing each of the bridges (it seems so many towns on rivers have three main bridges - hmmmn!). Then off to the Guggenheim and didn’t leave for hours. Now I am wandering around the old town and have just had the most delicious cake and coffee (evil chocolate with thick chocolate custard in the middle) at I would presume to be a lesbian café (or at least very feminine, from the decoration, staff and customers) and reminded me of a café in Glebe Point Road in Sydney called Bad Manners, a lesbian café which served the BEST Chai I have ever had. It was a treat after attending lectures
at Sydney Uni during my Masters.
After the old town, it was time to try the trams, not that you could get lost, it only goes on one route. I found my way to the bus station for the next day to go to San Sebastian. The Aussie girls suggested we meet for dinner. After walking around the old town looking for a restaurant (forgetting that Spain does not open for dinner till late) we went back to the café I had been in earlier, but they did not serve anything other than cake, so a young guy sitting outside heard this and suggested a place around the corner with good food and early service for ‘non Spanish’ people. He gave us the name, but after 4 or 5 blocks around the city, we could not find it, and we ended up back at the same place, he again said this time he would take us there, only to find he had given us the wrong name! We ended up having a great fish dish and enjoyed the night. The girls went off to bed to prepare for the first day of the camino de santiago walk.
Everyone
I talked to complained about the sleeping situation. The noise was terrible. I thought it might just have been in the area I was in, but it appears that it was the same in all the areas. It is Murphy’s law that if you want to get up early and have a good nights sleep, something will happen. I woke at 4am with some sort of very loud argument going on in the street below, it got louder and louder! It was even too loud for the industrial strength ear plugs that Cath had given me.
Finally, I gave up, read until 7 then headed off. The receptionist said there was an easier way to get to the bus station, by train and gave me directions, Darn it, it was just a block away and easy to access. On the bus to San Sebastian, my seat companion was a German Accountant in Spain to find a Spanish language school. We ended up deciding to go around the town together, we went to the tourist info and made the decision to get the tourist get on - get off type bus.
Next week is the beginning of the international
film festival there, so it is getting hyped and is probably why there was no accommodation to be had in the town. We boarded the bus and had not gone more than a kilometer when the guy behind me started talking to us - a guy from Ireland starved from hearing English (or so he says!) started a conversation. As we toured around, we made a decision to have lunch on the beach, It was a great restaurant, sun shining, good food, good wine and good talk - amazingly, they were both accountants - can you imagine, 2 accountants and a psychologist!
We then decided to walk up Urgull mountain, Simone went the hard way, and Dominick and I traversed the easier way, at least until we came to the cemetery. Did a bit of rock climbing have the bruises to show for it) and found some amazing tunnels and fortress areas before reaching the summit where there is a large statue of the Sacred Heart. We were impressed with the exhibition at the top and enjoyed the chance to hear the information in English - there was even a section set up as an old fashioned theatre.
Going down the mountain was a lot easier, and of course we had to reward ourselves with an ice cream at the bottom (after calling in to the church of course!).. Back on the bus and decided to have drinks together before we parted company - then back to the hotel for an early night as I was leaving at 7.48 the next morning for the train trip to Barcelona. Another bargain price of 60% off! I think the way to go is, if you know your dates and destinations, book ahead before you leave home as this is very cheap - otherwise if you can take the risk, either the day before or on the day are the greatest bargains in Spain.
San Sebastian was a beautiful town; I have enjoyed this part of Spain and see why so many people speak so highly of the area. It is green and mountainous, and of course it has some good beaches which helped. You can see the French influence in the architecture and streetscape. It was marred by the litter, all up the mountain and on the streets there were broken glosses, bottles and plastic bags and food litter.
Although the tourist season has just ended, it seems as though there was an extended celebration where people had drunk a lot and trashed the place, it was such a shame. The town itself was pretty and clean, it was just going up the mountain. Northern Spain is very different; it is like comparing the Blue Mountains up to Byron bay with South Australia and the Red Centre. This morning there is mist sitting on the tree tops reminding me that autumn is here and the summer months are behind me, maybe I will have to unpack those woollies! One last day inn Barcelona, then off to Chicago.
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Angie
non-member comment
Keep up the good work.