Marija

Welcome back Maribel! We're finalizing our itinerary for 1 September and I've been anxiously waiting for you to come back. Do you still have the ideal itinerary through Northern Spain available? We like to travel slowly, eating, eating. Here's the current plan. We're totally open to reorganization. We're flying into San Sebastian and then from Santiago Compostela to Barcelona:

6 nights in San Sebastian at the Londres (day trip to Guggenheim) lunches at Arzak and Akelare. Where else? Plan to pick up car on the way out.

2 nights in Santillana del Mar (parador is full, need reservations) Want to see the Altamira cave reproductions, day trip to Comillas. Lunch at El Capricho de Gaudi?

2 nights at the parador at Congas de Onis (only one confirmed so far)

2 nights in Taramundi at Hotel Rectoral

2 open nights on the way to Santiago (where should we go?)

3 nights at the Parador in Santiago de Compostela

1 night at Viana do Castelo at the Pousada

2 nights at the Palace H. do Bucaco in Portugal

2 nights at the Parador in Baiona

flying from Santiago to Barcelona for three nights at Le Meridien.

Any and all suggestions most welcome.

Maribel

Hi Marija,
Thanks very much for your greeting. I'll send you either my newly revised (but loooong) Basque Country/Rioja file or the one on Galicia/
Asturias/Cantabria or both if you'd like. At the moment I'm off to the DMV, but I'll get back to you on your questions in just a while. (I just wrote a culinary trip report of sorts on wayno's Hotels in BCN... thread, if you can find it).

Be back later, I promise!

Maribel

Marija,
Here goes...Part I

1) What I'd give right now for 6 nights in S.S.! During your stay, don't miss the Chillida Leku Museum in nearby Hernani if you enjoy sculpture. It's wonderful, particularly on a Sun. morn. His gigantic works are scattered about the farm grounds, you can wander at your leisure and touch away, a few are housed inside the beautiful1600's stone farmhouse, where you'll find his drawings on the top floor. A delight!
Pick up a brochure with driving directions at the S.S. tourist office (I saw a bus stop outside the entrance, so that might be easier). www.eduardo-chillida.com
Another very powerful museum in a different vein is the Museo de Gernika-Museo de la Paz, in Gernika, which details the saturation bombing by Hitler's Condor Legion on market day, '37. It's extremely well done-makes a great impact, and the guides will make sure you have the full experience, in English or Spanish, even of "talking" with a survivor.
While in Gernika, head straight to Juan Calzada 79 (it's the road out of town) and feast on the creations of the up and coming chef at "Zallo Barri" (recommended in F&W). Order the red Fincas de Ganuza '96 from Samaniego (Rioja Alavesa), and tell Iñigo the Lasernas sent you. He did wonderful, special tasting menu for us in late July. www.zallobarri.com
Besides Arzak and Akelare, I'd do Mugaritz, without question !!! and either Zuberoa or Fagollaga for your more traditional Basque meal in a lovely farmhouse. Reserve at
www.zuberoa.com
www.fagollaga.com
I have lots of excursion/dining ideas for the French side in my Basque file.

2) Are both Santillana Paradors full? The rooms in the former "annex" are spacious and pleasant although the public rooms cry out for more atmosphere. I've stayed in both; annex now called the Parador de Santillana. I'm not fond of the 5 star Casa del Marqués (not a real 5 star) or its staff, but it's a member of Club de Calidad de Cantabria. Your other option: the rather sterile 4 star Hotel Comillas, which might be a nicer location given the oversaturation of tourists in Santillana these days.
Or Santander: the Hotel Real, the Santemar or the Rhin on beautiful El Sardinero beach (I know, more beach, but it's as pretty as La Concha), which would be a lovely location for Sept. You can easily do Santillana and Comillas from there. Finally below both C. and Sant. there's the Jardín de Carrejo (temp. hideaway of Kidman/Cruise while filming The Others)
www.eljardindecarrejo.com
We've never eaten at the Capricho de Gaudí because we've been told the food just doesn't match the fanciful architecture (my gourmet guides agree). For a terrific meal, I'd go to Puente Arce (a 15-20 min drive) to "El Molino" (Gourmetour gives it a 7.75/10), arguably Cantabria's best along with the "Cenador de Amos" in Villaverde de Potones (slightly southeast of Santander).

3) I really enjoyed my 3 nights at the Parador de Villanueva outside Cangas. The Parador Río Deva at Fuente Dé just didn't impress me that much on either stay. In the Cangas area, besides the Parador, I'd dine either at Casa Marcial or El Corral del Indianu in Arriondas (both M. stars), and I'd have a picnic up at the spectacularly beautiful lakes of Ercina and Enol above Covadonga. More ideas in my Asturias file.

4) Ah, the fifty shades of green in Os Oscos! (Taramundi). What a scenic, relatively unexplored spot! Ask for (*our*) room 12 with private terrace or the one pictured at
www.jpmoser.com/larectoral-p.html Heavenly restful. And visit the little ethnographic museum in Teijois.

5) On the road to Santiago...how about stopping for 2 nights on the Asturian coast BEFORE Taramundi? Lots of beauty up there to savor! I'd do the coastal drive slowly from Llanes to Luarca (great scenery) and spend 2 nights in one of the "indiano" mansions belonging to the Casonas Asturianas group, either the Villa Argentina in Luarca or Quinta Duro outside Gijón or the Casona de la Paca outside Cudillero.
www.casonasasturianas.com
I'd make sure I spent lots of time on this delightful coast!

6) Don't know what to tell you about the Santiago Parador. I stayed long ago, and I've read differing opinions re the recent upkeep of the guest rooms. It's just a very bustling place, but your other 5 star alternative would be the AC Palacio del Carmen, opened last yr., which I haven't tried (but ACs do deliver great comfort/style). For dining, we loved our tapas lunch at very typical O'42 on the Rúa do Franco. For a gourmet dinner, I'd go to Toñi Vicente (one of Spain's leading female chefs, 1 M star), or if you're adventurous, try the tasting menu (no a la carte) at Casa Marcelo (a Michelin Bibi Gourmand). www.casamarcelo.net
Also don Gaiferos on Rúa Nova.

Excursion ideas to the Riax, Albariño wine tasting in my file. Also in case you missed them, read María's great posts here on her last Nov. trip (but I suspect you've read them already).

Maribel

Part 2:
7) Elegant Pousada, lovely setting, highly atmospheric town. I'd give Viana another night.

8) Sorry, can't opine-never been as far down as Bucaco. You're covering a great deal of ground here. My thought would be to add these 2 nights to Viana and Baiona, and keep the theme to Galicia & Minho since you said you like to take it slow and easy.

9) You've chosen my favorite Parador here in Baiona-one of the jewels of the entire system. Perfect spot, resort-like, to unwind and relax at the end of your journey.

10) My friend just stayed at a suite at the Le Meridien and had a great time, but I prefer to stay way clear of the Ramblas. My high end choices would be the Claris, AC Diplomatic, Comtes de Barcelona or the Majestic (despite the hard mattress, but Andre says thin walls btwn connecting rooms); these all being in/around the Passeig de Gracia, my slice of BCN heaven. I haven't seen the new, designer Prestige Paseo de Gracia.
Just another thought...
and I'll send you my BCN file.

Hope this gives you some ideas!

Marija

Maribel--

Thanks so much for the suggestions. I await your files at [email protected].

Marija