guyanantigua

Driving in Basque country, currently in San Sebastian. Curious to know if there are interesting and off-the-beaten path festivals in the small towns in Basque country, on the Spanish or French side, doesn't matter.

Also I know poster kimhe knows this area very well. Please do update your favorite restaurants in the region or San Sebastian itself if you have some new suggestions...looking forward to trying the great food I hear about here.

Any solstice/midsummer's day festivals around??

kimhe

On the run, but two updates in San Sebastian that are on my list for the next trip in October:

Ibai for lunch in weekdays if you can get a table: http://www.andyhayler.com/restaurant/ibai

Txubillo, Vasco-Japanese fusion in the lovely and local feel Antiguo district: http://www.txubillo.com/portada.asp

kimhe

and Saturday morning market in Tolosa (until 1:30pm), just inland from San Sebastian: http://www.euskoguide.com/places-bas...olosa-tourism/

The best steaks in the world in Casa Julian and Casa Nicolas in Tolosa: http://www.asadorcasanicolas.com/presentacionInicial/

This fabulous video gives you an idea. Casa Julian in the beginning: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOaLtnbKOos

kimhe

... and of course always Urola, a San Sebastian classic, the kind of place locals take new vistors to show what the food culture up here is all about: http://www.casaurolajatetxea.es/en/portada/
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaur...e_Country.html

guyanantigua

kimhe...Thanks so much! I will definitely look at those. I think you mentioned Casa Nicolas and Julian before and I'll try Nicolas I suppose. I will try Ibai maybe right now, see if it's open.

What about Gros, do you have any recommendations for good places in this district or advice about it?

Tolosa sounds great for a day drive on Saturday. I'm going to check out your other posts. I want to drive into the interior, see the villages, etc.

kimhe

I used to live in Gros/Egia, and like this local atmsophere part of town very much. Bodega Donostiarra in C/ Peña y Goñi, 13 is very popular among locals. http://www.bodegadonostiarra.com/

I also like close by Garbola. Excellent cocktails, and try the shark pintxo: http://www.todopintxos.com/bares/bar...3&do=vista_bar

Bar Bergara is a classic pintxos place, opened by Paxi Bergara who was one of the guys behind the Basque food revolution back in the 1980's. Great place, and it's now run by Patxi's nephews: http://www.pinchosbergara.es/pinchos-san-sebastian.html

Perhaps also visit Hernani just inland from San Sebastian, very close and yet very, very different. You don't have to ttravel any further to get a good idea of the difference between coastal and inland Basque Country: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hernani,_Gipuzkoa

The Old university town Oñati could also be a place to go: http://www.euskoguide.com/places-bas...tzazu-tourism/

guyanantigua

kimhe thanks again; I'm going to try these places, I see they're next to each other. What about the market in Tolosa? How early should you get there?

kimhe

Opens at 8 and goes on to 2pm (not 1:30). I would have gone a little before noon and build up a serious appetite for a lunch, be sure to reserve a table. Either in Casa Julian, Casa Nicolas or in El Fronton (in the latter you'll get the famous Alubias de Tolosa (Tolosa beans):
http://recetasdecocinablog.com/alubias-de-tolosa/
http://www.theatlantic.com/health/ar...n-spain/33159/

guyanantigua

kimhe thanks. We went to the Tolosa market...had some great beans. Very nice place in general to do shopping. Although we bought some chistorra and mushrooms that were not top quality. Overall it was nice.

Can you recommend any nice drive in the area? On Monday we might drive to Zarautz/Getaria and beyond. What is the name of the coastal road to take/the nicest drive? Also in the past I've found that the best meals are had at small unknown shacks or places right by the fishermen's wharf. Can you recommend any such off-the-beaten path place along this route?

On another day we'll drive into France on the "old smugglers road" through the hills. I hope that will be scenic.

Robert2533

There is only one coastal highway, the N-634. If you like asadors, then the place to have lunch would be at Asador Bedua, just inland from Zumaia. It's very much a traditional asador, long wooden tables to share. Don't be surprised to see a few chauffeurs standing around waiting for their bosses to finish lunch. You'll have to look for the sign at the side of the road. The turnoff will be on your left coming from Zumaia.

The old "smugglers route", the NA-4410/D-406, will take you through the forest into France, coming out in Sare. I don't know if I would actually call it scenic, but interesting. You might encounter a wild boar or two along the way.

You can stop by the Musée du Gâteau Basque and see if they are giving a class. It only take around an hour.

The more scenic route into France would be the N-121B, which takes you up past the witches cave at Zugarramurdi (be sure to visit the Witches' museum). There is also a few small restaurants where you can stop and have lunch.

The N-121B connects to the D-20, which takes you to Espelette, with another excellent place to stop for lunch, Pottaka.
http://www.pinterest.com/sanfermines...-in-espelette/

kimhe

Stay on the N-634 on the coast through Getaria and a bit inland before you hit Deba and the coast again. Then BI-3438 along the coast towards Lekeitio. Any restaurant that are full of locals at lunch-time in any village/small town along this route will be excellent. This video gives you an idea (Getaria comes in after 7:45, and I have had fabulous seafood in other and much more modest places than Elkano): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqdjeGqnVKc

And if you go along towards Lekeitio, you are not far away from the historic capital of the Basque Country Gernika (Picasso's painting, Guernica): http://www.euskoguide.com/places-bas...rnica-tourism/

kerouac

http://www.terreetcotebasques.com/fr...cation/agenda/

Robert2533

The most interesting thing that will be happening in the Basque Country (País Vasco) over the next few weeks will be the celebrations now that the Socialists have been swept into power. The new mayor of Pamplona is from the Euskal Herria Bildu party, as is the new mayor of Vitoria-Gastiz.

The new mayor of Madrid is also a Socialist, and this comes after Ada Colau was elected mayor of Barcelona on 24 May.

It will be an interesting summer, followed by national elections in November.

kimhe

<an interesting summer, followed by national elections in November>

Very much so. The Spanish political "order" of the center-right/center left bipartisan landscape since Franco and the coming of democracy is fundamentally changing in the wake of the financial and eventual socio-economic and corruption crisis after 2008. Two anti-establishment parties - left-wing Podemos and liberal Ciudadanos - are doing the hopefully "creative destruction", and the new Bildu mayor of Pamplona is one of many current and possible future consequences.

Podemos (We can): http://www.theguardian.com/commentis...ions-among-new
Ciudadanos (Citizens): http://www.theguardian.com/world/201...-albert-rivera

guyanantigua

Sounds great. I'm going on the coastal road tomorrow and will report back.

The drive to Tolosa was not very scenic, but pretty enough. I liked Tolosa. The cheeses, beans, and honey I got were excellent. But the mushroom vendor at the first stall on the right as you're facing the river stiffed us. Sold us overpriced and flavorless mushrooms. Another one sold chistorra that was too salty.

The best pintxos I've had so far were at Hidalgo in Gros. I had not bad but just average/bland food today at Juanito Kojua. I'm willing to pay more if it's really worth it. Any suggestions for best fish soup or turbot.

Robert---is N121B a "dangerous" mountain road? I'm driving with my mother and she doesn't like mountain roads and so forth. Sorry to ask such a question. Otherwise I do plan to take it to Espelette. I was going to drive on Tuesday but now I see the forecast says rain all day, then clear the week after.

Is Basque country mostly socialist? What happened to Basque nationalism? Do they still want to secede?

What % of people in Basque country is actually Basque by the way? I'm trying to get a feel for the Basque physiognomy but it's not easy to do with all the foreigners and tourists here.

Robert2533

The road isn't difficult, just more interesting.

I would say that the País Vasco is at least 90% Basque, leaving room for very few others.

The country is at least 30% for independence, maybe as high as 40%. The group that swept into office on Saturday in Navarra are separatist. They took the mayor's office in Pamplona and a couple of other important cities in the south, but the city councilman/women are not part of same group. So, they have to form a new government.

kimhe

<Is Basque country mostly socialist? What happened to Basque nationalism?>

An important part of Basque nationalism is socialist, the political groupings associated with ETA has always been left-wing. And with the hopefully permanent ending of ETA, the left-wing party has come more into the open (that is, they have been allowed to take part in elections) and has gained even more support.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EH_Bildu
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herri_Batasuna

Reagrding % of people who are actually Basque, you should know that there was a huge immigration to the Basque Country during the Franco years, mostly in relation with national plans for industrial development etc. Almost 30 % of the population of the Basque country today were born outside the region. Not few of the Nationalist left-wing militants in recent years have perhaps paradoxically been children of immigrants to the Basque Country. In more recent years there has been much immigration from South America (and many, many Basques fled to South America during the Civil War and the dictatorship). Migration has for a long time been crucial to the Basque demographics. And big differences between the coast and inland. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basque...mous_community)

Robert2533

You will not find many non-Basque living outside of Bilbao and Donostia-San Sebastián. They are a few, but not many that I've ever encountered over the years. Navarra, on the other hand, is nearly evenly split between Basque and Castilians, with a sprinkling of a few others, and that includes its capitol, Pamplona.

Most, if not all of the Basque in the US, have family or distant relatives in the Basque Country, both the País Vasco and Pays Basque. Many in the northwest have family ties in both Spain and France. A number travel back and forth yearly, and some have returned to live after being away for decades.

As noted, the largest Basque populations outside of the Basque Country can be found in South America, including Cuba, but most of the Basque from Gipuzkoa immigrated to the US, settling in the Washington, Idaho, Wyoming, Oregon, Nevada and California. You can also find Basque communities in Canada.

The official capitol of the Basque Country in the US is Boise, Idaho.

guyanantigua

Yes this is very interesting. There are a lot of Basque in South America, where I've lived. Much of the elite in Argentina and I believe Mexico is of Basque origin, but more remote. I'm trying to see the Basque physiognomy, the typical Basque physical look. I think I see some of this, especially after being in Tolosa.

Guys, I'm trying to figure out about tipping! I can't figure it out. Sometimes it looks as if locals leave nothing or next to nothing. I feel too shy to leave 1 euro for a 20 euro bill, I don't want to offend people. How much is it customary to leave for a tip?

Robert2533

Tipping is not required, as you've seen. We normally leave the small change in the cafê/bar, or no more then 5€ for the most expensive meal, if any, since the service is always included.