Toledo - Bilbao 2

Wednesday and we arrive in Bilbao. We had travelled in bright sunshine until at c 20 km from Bilbao, the thunder showers troubled us once more.

I had the impression that the Meseta plateau was a flat table top mountain but this was untrue. The Meseta is punctuated by numerous sierras. As we drove north, the landscape became greener, a reflection on the increasing rainfall. 

The ubiquitous bull accompanied us.  

We stopped in the Ribera del Duero area and purchased a few cases of wine. Two of the Bodegas were closed when we called -well after all it was siesta time!! 

We drove through the town of Lamia just south of Burgos. It was a  picturesque village dominated by a Parador on one side of its impressive square. In the plaza, were located many restaurants, where people sat outside enjoying the sunny afternoon 

On arrival in Bilbao, the rain was lashing down. Luckily we got the last parking spot in the hotel carpark. 

We ventured out to see the Old Town. It was dark as we reached it by the tram, which stops right outside the excellently appointed Zenit hotel. The tram circles the city and stops st the main sights- €5 per day or €1.50 per trip. 

We alighted at the Old Town. The rain was pouring down so we sought refuge in a Bar and had a glass of wine and a pintxos (Basque for tapas). 

We sought out the nearest restaurant for dinner  - menu del noche €17.50pp. The latter included a three course meal with bread, water and wine. We ordered red and white and were surprised when a bottle of each was put on the table and we were requested to help ourselves! Usually it's a glass of wine with the Menu del  Dia. We drank half a bottle each and the price remained. We noticed all tables were provided with a bottle of wine - a Rioja 100% Tempranillo - very acceptable and the white did not identify the grape but was also very acceptable. How will we ever face Irish prices again? The food too was excellent - my starter of prawn tagliatelle was the best I've tasted. 

This morning on checking the weather apps - all but one stated that rain was not imminent!! Do I believe them - no! Having breakfasted locally, we took the tram to the Guggenheim Museum. 

The museum is composed of titanium curves which appear like running water in the sun, with computer cut rectangular and  triangular windows. To me it is an architect's design set to impress and  not user friendly. If one alights from the  tram, other than that one is wheelchair bound, one has to climb at least 50 steps up and as many down again to access the main reception area! 

Up to the 1970s, This was a ship building and port area. With the demise of the ship building industry, the City decided to revive its fortunes and rebuild much of the old industrial landscape. The Guggenheim foundation aided Bilbao's development. It continues to have a similar function - today it brings tourists from all over the world to the area as the ships brought sailors in the 19th and much of the 20th centuries. On the water's edge is a photographic exhibition of this transition. 

    A view of the river from the 3rd storey 

The sky darkened and we considered going to the Old Town while it was dry and returning to the museum once the rain arrived. However, as we considered our options, the rain arrived and we sought refuge in the Guggenheim!  It acts as a European showcase for the Foundation's art. Picasso' s Guernica is not on display. The Basque's have been requesting its return ! 

It is a very impressive building, designed by the American architect Frank Ghery. My question is, is  the structure a homage to the architect or the artist? 

The interior is designed with massive open spaces - but the exhibition space dwarfs in comparison. 

While it exhibited the old masters, 

                              Monet

it also exhibits some very avantgarde works 

including Warhol's  depiction of Marlyn Munroe.  (no photographs permitted).

Having completed our visit, we adjourned to the restaurant area for lunch. There were three - the 55th best restaurant in the world at €80pp, a Bistro lunch at €28pp and neither unlike last night's  included wine!!! The final choice was Bar food reasonably priced. After some deliberation, we chose the Bar as we decided that if we lunched, we would be incapable of continuing our city sightseeing. Three pintxos and a glass of wine sufficed €9.

I would like to return to both San Sebastián and Bilbao to sample their culinary delights but on this trip, we do not have time to enjoy gastronomic delights. After a day's sightseeing, we're exhausted! 

We took the tram to the Old Town and alighted this time at Ribera and explored the medieval  Siete Calles. (Seven medieval streets)

The area abounds with restaurants and Bars. 

The shops were closed as it was again siesta time!! Some of the Bars and restaurants are long established. Their interiors exhibit all the grace and eligence of a bygone era. 

We went to see Santiago Cathedral, but only to evaluate the exterior-there's only so many churches a gal can take! 

From there we returned to the Nirvion river alias Bilbao river. We admired the Arriaga theatre (1890) 

and on the other side of the river stands Santander station (1902). 

We returned to the medieval interior once again to visit Plaza Nueva (1849), built inNeoclassical  style. 

It appeared similar to the converted bull ring in San Sebastián but there is still a bull ring in the new town. Here in the sunny plaza I sat enjoying the most densely chocolate flavoured ice cream, I've ever tasted. I won't tease you with a photograph. All afternoon we were blessed with sunshine, having escaped the morning rain whilst in the Guggenheim. 

Having quitted the Plaza, I returned to the hotel by tram, CC leaving me to take the funicular railway. Now we must decide where to eat tonight?😙

After much deliberation, we decided to dine at the Guggheim bistro. The booking system is quite confusing - when we tried to phone, we were informed the restaurant did not open til 20.00 hrs, when we tried to book online, it stated that we were joining a waiting list. When we phoned after 20.00, we were informed that we had secured a booking online!! This would lead one to believe that the restaurant was full but on arrival, it was catering for only c.20 guests, when it could accommodate at least 100!!

We chose the Tasting Menu st €38 and €12 for matching wines. 

The food was extraordinary. The waiter explained each course and the wine which accompanied it. 

     Egg roasted st low temperature etc

                          The hake etc

           Pan fried French toast etc

The dessert wine had been made in house!! The waiter gave us the recipe but I think I'll pass on it! All other wines were impressive. (Apologies - omitted to photograph the tuna tartare and the delicious lamb).

An enjoyable end to a perfect sight seeing day.  

Tomorrow, we leave Spain for France - next stop Bordeaux........

San Pedro-Toledo

We departed San Pedro at 11.00 and drove east towards Malaga, where we used the toll autovia to bypass Malaga. It is a spectacular journey as we  drove over deep rio (river) gorges and tunnels blasted deep into the sierras which dot the Meseta Plateau. 

As we skirted Granada, the weather suddenly changed and what was a lovely sunny morning  became a horrendous, with torrential rain accompanied by lightening. 

The visibility at times was less than 20 metres. 

It was difficult driving so we broke what was to be a 51/2 hour journey a number of times. The weather finally relented as we left the autovia for Madrid to divert to Toledo, just 150km short of the 545 km journey. 

On arrival in Toledo, we checked into the NH Hesperia, 1 km from the old town and across from the bull ring. 

We were so exhausted, particularly CC that we decided to eat at the hotel - menu del dia €14.95 pp - not haute cuisine but an excellent, tasty meal of 3 courses in addition to a glass of beer, wine or water. 

This morning (Tuesday), we took the 5Bus to the old town. We entered through the Puerta and the bus's final stop was outside the Alcazar, originally a fortress but the present building was constructed by Carlos V, however, as it has been bombarded many ties, little remains of the original structure. In1936, the Republicans  besieged the Nationalists (Facists) there for two months!! Franco rebuilt it after the Civil War as a tribute to its glorious defenders. (yes that man again!!).

The museum records the breadth of Spanish history and among its exhibits is a full a Nazi uniform complete with swastica! 

After two hours at the Alcazar, we exited to find that the sunny morning had been replaced by heavy rain. None of our weather apps had forecasted rain!!

We decided to grace a busy nearby restaurant as a refuge from the rain. Again we chose the Menu del Dia €14.95 pp. There were about 5 choices for starter, main and dessert. 

Mushrooms to start

Followed by Venison Stew 

And ended with a custard 

Together with a glass of red crianza wine. 

 After an hour the rain eased and we made our way to the nearby Catedral Primavera. The €10 ticket entitled us to an audio guide, which was not at all helpful. 

The cathedral is spectacular in Gothic style. It took 250 years to build. (1227-1493). It contains masterpieces of Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque style. It had a 100m spire and close up, one cannot appreciate its scale and grandeur. 

There are 8 doorways. 

The main altar is the most amazing riot of gold - an exhuberance of Gothic art.  It contains a synopsis of the entire NewTestament culminating in the depiction of Calvary at the summit. 

There are magnificent stained glass windows dating from the 15th and 16th centuries. 

On front of the altar is the Coro (Choir) with carved wooden stalls - the lower level depicts the conquest of Granada with each seat showing a different village taken by the Christians from the Moors. The tier above depicts Old Testament characters. The grill that encloses the Choir is said to be plated in gold but it was covered in iron to disguise its value from Napoleon's troops and has since been impossible to renovate!! 

Over twenty chapels adorn the walls. In the Sacristia is the Disrobing of Christ by El Greco 

and in the adjoining rooms called the New Museums is housed paintings by among others Caravaggio 

and El Greco. 

A visit to San Tome is a must, where prior to entering the church is displayed the main attraction of Toledo The Burial of the Count of Orgaz. 

In this painting El Greco depicts himself and his son among the mourners. 

Finally no visit to Toledo would be complete without a trip to Casa del Greco - not the artist's actual home though he did rent premises close by. The case not only exhibits his paintings among them a painting of each apostle with Christ at the centre 

and View of the Map of Toledo but living quarters as they would have been in El Greco's era. 

 

Making our way back to the hotel, we dropped in on the nuns for a coffee and cake. 

On we continued through rain drenched streets 

with shops windows tempting us with local fare. 

Arriving back at the hotel, having spent 8 hours sightseeing, we couldn't brace ourselves to return to the rain-drenched streets,thus a bottle of wine, a pizza and the telly completed a long but interesting day. 

Tomorrow we depart for Bilbao.....

San Sebastián-Valley of Fallen (Escorial)- San Pedro

This morning (Friday) we again took the bus to the old town. We are staying at the NH Donosti, Avda Zarautz 120 20018 San Sebastián, a hotel in the suburbs - ideal as it has ample parking with busses to the old city outside the hotel. 

San Sebastián has stolen my heart! What with its crescent shaped beach lapped by the deep, blue water of the Bay of Biscay, the city is in a spectacular location. The town is watched over by Christ on his pedestal, high above the city. 

The old town is encircled by the new. It is a lively city, with proper secure cycle lanes and as it is a beach side town, the crowds are constantly making their way to and from the beach via an extensive promenade. 

The city abounds with parks providing shade from the noon day sun. 

The temperature is in the late 20s at present but as we depart, tomorrow promises rain and temperatures in the teens. However, the forecast for Madrid is a warning of 40 +!!! 

We again strolled  through the old streets and stopped for lunch at a tapas bar. There are numerous bars in the area and some specialise in a particular tapa such as for example prawn or crab, together with an endless supply of  other varieties  

Following lunch, we continued to the San Telmo Museum, where an excellent history of the Basque region is depicted from earliest times to the modern era. There was also a very interesting temporary exhibition depicting the development of the career of Alfred Hitchcock 

The museum is rather interesting as the entrance is an example of modern Spanish architecture, 

while inside the museum proper is a converted Benedictine friary! 

Afterwards we repaired for  more tapas - why not ? 

We visited the Pesquera building - not unlike the English market in Cork - many of the stalls were temporarily shut - after all it was siesta time!

A coffee at the La Plaza de la Constitucion , once used as a bull ring with its striking architecture, 

completed a very enjoyable day. We boarded the bus and returned to the hotel. 

We chose a restaurant and to our surprise, it was only a 10 minute walk from the hotel. A tasting menu €35 included 5 courses and a half bottle of wine. The quality was unbelievable.. why is this quality not available on the Costa del Sol? 

I forgot to photo the starter of a wonderful Gazpacho. The taste of tomato, basil and a cheese, not unlike Parmesan, was delicious. This was followed by fois gras and beans 

 

Followed by cod and scallops 

  And oxtail 

And to complete the meal 

Strawberries, mustard ice cream and strawberry coulis . Delicious!! 

Tomorrow night, we dine with the monks on more basic fare....

This morning (Saturday), we awoke to 'soft rain' not unlike what we get in Ireland.  The temperature had dropped into the teens and the forecast boded ill!! We were lucky with the weather on our 2 day visit. 

We set off for The Valley of the Fallen - a monument on a grand scale to honour those who died in the Spanish Civil War. I think the Sat Nav sent us to Cork via Galway!!The only saving grace is that it was all motorway, except that we veered off near our destination to see the countryside and had coffee in a quaint village near Sargovia. 

At the entrance to the site, our reservation for the Hospeteria was checked. Our accommodation is in the Benedictine Monastery, built as part of the site. 

What a monastery - the Catholic Church supported Franco!! Don't they always support the powers that be ! Why was Maynooth built ??

Franco's mausoleum is situated here in the Basilica. The Basilica is located across an enormous courtyard in front of the monastery. 

The Basilica hewn into rock beneath the cross

             Entrance door to the Basilica

The breadth of the place is incredible! Franco commenced the building in 1940, a year after the Spanish Civil War ended, ostensively as a tribute to all who died in the war but regarded by the Republicans as a monument to Franco's victory though later Republican victims were also buried there, often without their families permission.  It is said many politicalprisoners   died building - number undetermined! 

The Spanish have not yet come to reconcile what occurred during the civil war. Each side is afraid to open old wounds! There were attempts to remove Franco for burial in Madrid but it caused such an outcry from the Conservative (Facist) side that the attempt was abandoned - temporarily at least.  At present he is buried behind the high altar of the Basilica - we visit tomorrow! The Basilica is hewn out of rock and is vast inside. Atop the Basilica is the Cross, which can be seen all over the area. (If interested, one can google Valley of the Fallen, where many articles give the precise information re the Basilica and the Cross!!). 

I'm here awaiting dinner at 21.00. The Bar is closed - it only opens from Saturday and Sunday  Noon until 1600 hrs - right day but arrival too late!!  Well we are in a monastery after all ! We're promised a bottle of Rioja at dinner - here's hoping......

Dinner was acceptable - as one reviewer said the bottle of Rioja smoothed its passage! The clientele were mainly elderly ladies and some religious young people. I would say most were on retreat or stayed frequently as they all appeared to know one another. We were the only non Spaniards there but everyone saluted us and were very polite. No English so my poco Espagnol had to suffice!! 

Breakfast was frugal - no juice but a small packet of cornflakes and a roll together with coffee, graced the table. 

We packed and set off for the Basilica, the entrance was 500m down the road though another door was opposite the Hospeteria such is the size of the Basilica. 

The location is breathtaking! My photograph does not do it justice - situated in a huge parkland, the views from the entrance are stunning. 

The entrance was on a grand scale. 

As we entered- a nave c 300 m long led to the altar with 6 chapels - three on either side.  Franco was buried behind the altar.  No photos but I did sneak one to give you an idea of the scale of the place!! 

As we left, people are arriving for the 1100 hrs sung Mass - no tourists allowed during services. 

We commenced our 51/2 hour journey to San Pedro. The motorway was amazingly quiet as we skirted Madrid and traffic didn't pick up until 1300 hrs. However, the driving was not as difficult as it was on the previous day. The temperature outside as we drove through the Meseta measured 41 degrees.  

Midway, we encountered  a forest fire It is so dry and so hot that there are signs everywhere warning of the dangers of fire. 

The fire was near a road tunnel.  Up above helicopters were flying to and fro with buckets of water. 

It seemed a hopeless task!!

After a 20 minute delay, the police allowed us to access the tunnel and we were on our way again. 

The western side of the Meseta did not appear as barren as the eastern side we drove some years ago. This may have been because we were driving in parts of all four river valleys Duero, Tagus, Guadiana and Quadalquivir. 

The hillsides were planted with trees in a very orderly fashion. 

We finally completed our 3, 000 km journey and arrived in San Pedro.  CC is to be commended as I was of little use!!