Driving Trip Basque Country and/or Aquitaine Pls Advise
May 7th, 2015, 10:17 AM
#25
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Madrid to Burgos, or at least until Lerma, can be a little boring, but since the highway has been redo, it's a comfortable drive and takes less then 2-1/2 hours, allowing you to stop in Burgos for lunch or to spend the night, which I recommend. We normally stay a the Parador in Lerma, the AC Burgos or Hotel NH Collection Palacio de Burgos.
The Catedral de Burgos is well worth a stop.
You have a few options going from Burgos to San Sebastián-Donostia. You can take the most direct route, the E-5, past Miranda de Ebro in the Rioja and Vitoria-Gastiz, the capital of the País Vasco. Or follow the N-232 north to the small village of Villarcayo (Burgos) and onto Villasana de Mena, before heading to Bilbao and picking up the road to Donostia.
Villarcayo is an interesting little village in the mountains, often overlooked by tourist (www.villarcayo.net).
Villasana de Mena, in the Mena Valley, is another village overlooked by most tourist visiting the area, but it's a beautiful valley worth exploring if you have the time (www.turismovalledemena.es).
The other option would be to take the road past Miranda de Ebro and then on to Alsasua (Navarra), then north on the A-1 to Idiazabal (think great Navarran cheese), and up to Tolosa, before driving into Donostia. There are a couple of great asadors in Tolosa where you could stop for lunch, Casa Nicolás and Casa Julián (our favorite), and Restaurante Fronton de Tolosa.
The Catedral de Burgos is well worth a stop.
You have a few options going from Burgos to San Sebastián-Donostia. You can take the most direct route, the E-5, past Miranda de Ebro in the Rioja and Vitoria-Gastiz, the capital of the País Vasco. Or follow the N-232 north to the small village of Villarcayo (Burgos) and onto Villasana de Mena, before heading to Bilbao and picking up the road to Donostia.
Villarcayo is an interesting little village in the mountains, often overlooked by tourist (www.villarcayo.net).
Villasana de Mena, in the Mena Valley, is another village overlooked by most tourist visiting the area, but it's a beautiful valley worth exploring if you have the time (www.turismovalledemena.es).
The other option would be to take the road past Miranda de Ebro and then on to Alsasua (Navarra), then north on the A-1 to Idiazabal (think great Navarran cheese), and up to Tolosa, before driving into Donostia. There are a couple of great asadors in Tolosa where you could stop for lunch, Casa Nicolás and Casa Julián (our favorite), and Restaurante Fronton de Tolosa.
May 7th, 2015, 10:54 AM
#26
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Robert,
Can you elaborate a little on Casa Nicolás vs Casa Julián in Tolosa, the steaks, the atmosphere etc? Never been to any of them, but I'm taking my brothers and sister here soon. Our grandfather was sales director for a Norwegian company in Tolosa from 1907 to the outbreak of the Civil War, so this will be special. Now I'm flipping coins, but your advice would help.
And I guess you know this great clip about - among other things - the chuletón in Casa Julián: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOaLtnbKOos
Can you elaborate a little on Casa Nicolás vs Casa Julián in Tolosa, the steaks, the atmosphere etc? Never been to any of them, but I'm taking my brothers and sister here soon. Our grandfather was sales director for a Norwegian company in Tolosa from 1907 to the outbreak of the Civil War, so this will be special. Now I'm flipping coins, but your advice would help.
And I guess you know this great clip about - among other things - the chuletón in Casa Julián: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOaLtnbKOos
May 7th, 2015, 12:06 PM
#27
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Casa Nicolás gets more press, and the chef is a friend of one of a friend from Donostia. We had heard about Casa Julián as the family owns Casa Julián in Madrid (www.casajuliandetolosa.com).
We've eaten at both, and both are excellent, but it was a little more personable when we first had lunch at Casa Julián in '09. I was working on a chuleton, while chef Matias was sitting beside us with a plate of delicious Tolosa beans. Hard to decide which was better.
We've eaten at both, and both are excellent, but it was a little more personable when we first had lunch at Casa Julián in '09. I was working on a chuleton, while chef Matias was sitting beside us with a plate of delicious Tolosa beans. Hard to decide which was better.
Sep 20th, 2016, 12:22 PM
#29
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I will be heading for Tolosa in early November and wanted to read opinions of where to have lunch: Fronton, Casa Nicolas, or Casa Julian. I imagine they are all great but which to choose? Are they all within walking distance off the Saturday market?
Kimhe, did you enjoy your lunch at Casa Julian?
Kimhe, did you enjoy your lunch at Casa Julian?
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