mikemo writes: "Message: We'll be in Baiona with a day trip to Santiago de Compostela next week. Have you been there? Any must do's?"
Try to attend a Pilgrims' Mass in the Basilica. The Botafumeiro that swings out over the Pilgrims is awesome. It happens just after the Mass ends. They list a Pilgrims' Mass at 10:00 AM on Saturdays but when I attended that Mass on 19 Jun - no Botafumeiro. Later that same day I attended the 6:00 PM Vigil Mass: they did swing the Botafumeiro.

The Owner/Operator of the Hostal where I was staying told me the Saturday noon Mass was the one to attend.

So make your daytrip on a Saturday and see something you have never seen before. You can also earn quite a few Indulgences (el Jubileo) by performing some simple tasks.

Hello all:

I retuned home on Wednesday from my trip, after a few days of business in London.

The trip was divine :)

After my too-short trip to Northern Spain, I spent a few days outside St. Jean de Luz, in the French Basque region, took some French classes, and then moved to Ainhoa. I explored the French and Spanish Basque regions during the week.

I loved every minute and am desperate to get back again before the end of the year. I discovered San Sebastian, a perfect jewel of a city, that I will visit again and again.

I am working on a trip report and uploading my photos. In the meantime, here are some photos from Picos de Europa:

Drive to Fuente De
http://www.ofoto.com/BrowsePhotos.js...s1mha&Ux=0


Drive around the Picos de Europa
http://www.ofoto.com/BrowsePhotos.js...erbew&Ux=0

Best regards Ger

Wow! Your photos are fab. Thank you so much for sharing.
- Sharon

Topping for Kudo

Oreilly,

Do you have some time to answer a couple of questions for me? We fly into Biarritz during the first week of October and I have tons of questions.

1. Is it even possible to get an automatic rental car? I'm not the best with a manual, so I'm afraid the hills might be trouble. Are they?

2. Is there a train that goes from Biarritz to Pamplona?

3. We are staying at the Hotel Mercedes on the lake in Hossegor. Ever heard of it? Know anything about it?

4. Did you go to Bordeaux? We're thinking about doing a day trip. Should we stay there a night?

5. I speak Spanish, but do not speak French. In this region, do many people speak Spanish. I assume so. Do they speak more Spanish than English?

6. Is it worth getting the hotel breakfast or should be just explore and find something elsewhere?

That's it for now. I will be eternally grateful for your response. It sounds like your trip to the Basque Country was unforgettable! I'm hoping for the same!
Olivia

Olivia: I have attached my responses to your questions:

1. If you are not used to driving a manual car, this is NOT the area to learn :) Absolutely rent an automatic. However, its going to cost you and you need to reserve early. Check out Autoeurope.com for information on rates. Also, there is a thread, which I will try to find, that discusses some of the issues with renting an automatic at a smaller airport. I think if you reserve early, you should be OK!.

2. Is there a train that goes from Biarritz to Pamplona?
Yes, but they seem to stop in IRUN in Spain. Total time is 3.5-4 hours. Check out the SNCF website for more information. (http://www.sncf.com/indexe.htm)

3. We are staying at the Hotel Mercedes on the lake in Hossegor. Ever heard of it? Know anything about it?
Sorry, don't know it, although Hossegor was one of the areas I thought of staying in.

4. Did you go to Bordeaux? We're thinking about doing a day trip. Should we stay there a night?
I only flew out of Bordeaux, did not visit. Search on Bordeaux, there are eome excellent threads.


5. I speak Spanish, but do not speak French. In this region, do many people speak Spanish. I assume so. Do they speak more Spanish than English?
Well, the on the Spanish side they speak Spanish and the French side French :). Many French on the Basque side appear to speak both Spanish and English. You should have NO problem with English on the French side and speaking Spanish on the Spanish side gives you a decided advantage.

6. Is it worth getting the hotel breakfast or should be just explore and find something elsewhere?
Depends on where you are. Usually, I don't take breakfast in the hotel, as it tends to be expensive for what you get. In some of the hotels I took half-board and it was included, so I took it. Most astonishing rip-off for breakfast, which I did not take, was 44 Euros for the buffet at the Hyatt at CDG airport!!!!!!! In general, you are better off getting up early and wandering down to the local café for a coffee and croissant.

regards Ger

Thanks to all,
I am now in a "state of grace" having been in every church in NW Portugal and Galicia.
The Pousadas were wonderful, but the Parador in Baiano was world class.
Portugese food is very salty so I was not surprised to see very many post stroke folks limping around with canes and walkers.
The July weather was way better than DFW and Southern Spain and PT!!!

Thanks Ger. I drove a manual while I was in Sevilla last year and had no problems, but then, it's much flatter there. I think that we'll only drive in the beach areas, and take the trains to Pamplona to avoid the Pyrenees drive (I don't want to slide into any ravines with my lack of skill).

Thanks so much for your help!
Olivia

This has been such a pleasant thread! I'm so glad you loved San Sebastián. We had an all too short visit there about four years ago. Our room had a view to the "Concha" beach area which was stellar. The calming effect of the tides! Please add those trip reports every time you go. Whenever I'm lucky enough to return there, I'll do the same.

Schildc1:

I absolutely ADORED San Sabastien and am committed to going back within the next six months. What an absolute jewel. In addition to its beautiful setting and its interesting Modernist architecture, I felt that it was very safe (something I am very much aware of traveling on my own) and that everyone was there to have a good time.

Sorry, I have not started the trip report yet. I am still trying to get caught up at work ... work is the scourge of the traveling classes :)

regards Ger