Absolutely one of the best threads in a long time!

Yes, the street is nice, closed to the traffic so no problem at all with cars. BTW, the place looks really lovely. Hope you can get a room.

You can get the bus from the airport, get out at the stop in Plaza Moyua, and from there you should get the metro in the direction of Etxebarri, getting off at the Casco Viejo station. Also, as you will be carrying luggage, it works fine, because the lifts will get you out at the entrance of Unamuno square, and Sombrerería is just there.

And of course, location is great for pintxos, the Plaza Nueva around the corner. You cannot miss Cafe Bilbao and the Gure Toki at the other corner, or you could walk up to Jardines and choose one place ... and have coffee at the Cafe Boulevard in the Arenal ...

There is a new exhibition at the Museo de Bellas Artes that sounds interesting :
http://www.museobilbao.com/in/exposi...ore-in-you-162

Bye, Cova

Weber - I agree. Have posted questions before but have never had so much important advice. I felt so conflicted and overwhelmed before this thread and now feel directed and in much more control of the trip.

Cova - thanks for all your information. Will book that spot tonight. I thought that since that area closed at 8PM, it might be an unsavory area but now feel confident about it.

Will change my plane ticket to Bilbao tonight to give us one more day in the Basque Country and I couldn't be more delighted (of course I would be much more delighted if I cold take a month off from work)! Will buy the rail tickets to Madrid tonight. We will now have just one whole day in Madrid but I am OK with that. As long as I can get to the Prado, that's the main thing for me.

Also, I just might make it to the Molino performance in Bilbao.

Do you think it would be too nuts to go to Bilbao just for the performance? Are there enough buses to Bilbao from SS and back so we can go for the evening?

Cova - just made my reservation at the B&B, copied your directions and restaurant recommendations. Will throw caution to the wind and eat and eat and eat!

I used to commute between Bilbao and San Sebastián quite often, and it's a pleasant bus ride with the PESA bus company. Takes 70 mins.
http://www.pesa.net/pesa/horariosBD/ctrl_horarios.php

The Molina performance starts at 8pm. I would have taken the 17.30 bus from San Sebastián bus station. In Bilbao 18.40. Would give you plenty of time to get to the theater. The performance is finsihed about 9 and the last bus to San Sebastián leaves from Bilbao at 10pm.

I wouldn´t do it. It can be done, but on a very tight schedule, and you mention that your boyfriend doesn´t walk a lot.

You should be aware that the theatre is in Barakaldo, not in Bilbao. If it was the Euskalduna, that it is not so far away from the bus station, I would say definitely go for it. But in the teatro Barakaldo ... well, it depends if you are aware of the time constraints and accept them.

You have to get to Bilbao, got on the metro to Barakaldo (around 15 minutes, get out through the Elkano entrance for the theatre), find the theatre, pick up tickets and run out of the theatre as soon as the performance is finished (I would try to get tickets near an entrance), and counting with it ending exactly at 21:00. If by any chance it gets delayed, and you get stuck in the metro (it doesn´t happen usually, but it can happen) ... you would be under a lot of stress to get to the 22:00 bus to San Sebastian.

If you decide to go, buy the tickets here :
http://www.generaltickets.com/bbk/in...referer=bbk.es

Search in Recinto for Teatro Barakaldo

Bye, Cova

You should of course grab a taxi to and from the theater, some 10 mins and 10-15€. Taxi stand at the bus station and 50 meters from the theater.

If you take the 17.30 bus to Bilbao, you would have plenty of time for a few pintxos in the café just across the theater before the show.

And you can collect your tickets in advance at any of the five branches of the Kutxa bank in San Sebastián.

I think you will find it well worth the effort...

Kimhe, I don´t think that you can get the tickets at the Kutxa (and there are more than 5 Kutxa office in San Sebastian ...)
They are sold at the BBK bank. There will be a place to pick them up with the credit card used in the theatre.

And 10 minutes from Termibus to Barakaldo sounds a bit optimistic ... I´d wait for Mikel to come back and say what he thinks, but we are talking of the A8, lots of traffic there ...

Bye, Cova

I think I will go for it. My boyfriend can stay back in SS if he feels it would be too much. I am not easily deterred when I "get a bee in my bonnet". I would regret not making the attempt being so close. A taxi from the Bilbao bus station sounds the best idea. Making all those transportation changes will make me a nervous wreck.

Kimhe -When you mention the Kutxa bank - do you mean reserve the tickets from USA and pick them up there or can I buy them there once I arrive in SS? Is there a chance that if I don't secure the ticket from USA that it might get sold out?

The Kutxa bank don't sell tickets, you just collect the tickets you have previously bought on generaltickets.com.

The best tickets are already starting to sell out. Not a big flamenco community in the Basque country, but Molina is after all the National dance prize winner of 2010.

I'm sure your hotel can help you.

Wow, I am so excited for you! you will have a great time! You might also enjoy driving or taking a bus into norther portugal, the coast is gorgeous! If you want a relaxed trip, try to have a home base. if you want to see everything, move around.

Just follow Cova´s advice (where have you been lately?), I agree with all she says. And yes, it may just take 10 minutes on a taxi from Termibus to Teatro Barakaldo...if you´re lucky, normal time would be 15 to 20.

I´d like to thank those recommending my blog, just in case, the other one (more active) may also be useful, www.blogseitb.us/basquetourism.

Surviving a cold, Mikel, and the beginning of the year at work has been a bit stressful ... but well, I´ll be going up the last weekend in February, and there have been some nice rainy gray days in Madrid so that we don´t miss the North ...

Goldie, that idea of going on your own might work. I was worried that your boyfriend might find the whole evening trip too stressful.

Bye, Cova

Thank you all for sticking with me. You cannot imagine how much I appreciate this. I am so indecisive with so many possibilities that I go around and round in circles. This has just been great!

I have been reading that blog. Cool!

Cova - so sweet of you to be concerned for Joe. We have a big age gap and I tend to overprotect him. Will ask him tonight if he is up to it and he probably will be. We were in Seville and Cadiz a few years ago. I did most of the things myself and felt very alone knowing I was traveling with someone who wanted to stay back. But I have grown since then - it is OK with me whatever he decides.

Will buy the ticket/s once I know how many to buy - hopefully tomorrow.

Good idea to buy tickets as soon as possible to get the best seatings.

Much more places to collect them in San Sebastián than I previously told you (I've used to collect my tickets at the different venues). Here's a list of where in San Sebastián you might pick them up (you must bring the card you used for the purchase):
http://www.generaltickets.com/recogi...&fver=&ver=5.1

You can also apparantly buy tickets directly in any of the 18 Kutxa offices in town, but I wouldn't wait to the last minute.

Thanks Kimhe. Finally figured out how to purchase tickets but the charge wouldn't go through because it was made in a foreign country. I will call my credit card company and straighten it out.

Thanks too for letting me know where to collect them in San Sebastian. I am very excited about how this trip has shaped up.
Are there any hotels or b&b you know and recommend in San Sebastian? The hotel in Getaria looks so wonderful. Would it be a mistake to stay there for the 5 days and use that as a base?

It would definitely be a huge mistake to stay in Getaria as a base for the San Sebastián days.

Depends on your budget and preferences, but here are three suggestions right in the middle of everything in San Sebastián. Close to the famous La Concha beach and promenade, and four minutes walking to the Parte vieja/Old town.

Pensión Alemana is great value and would be my first choice. Dont't mind the Pensión name, it's hotel standard and 50 meters from the waterfront. Breakfast in the hotel, but here as everywhere else in Spain, I would go out to a close by café to have breakfast. Would keep you in good mood for the rest of the day. A nice little bar on the corner 20 meters from the hotel:
http://www.hostalalemana.com/ingles/index.html

Right on the waterfront, and 50-100 meters from Pension Alemana, you find Hotel Niza and old world Hotel Londres:

Niza: http://www.booking.com/hotel/es/niza.en.html
Londres: http://www.booking.com/hotel/es/lond...aterra.en.html

If you want to splurge, take a look at Maria Cristina:
http://www.booking.com/hotel/es/mari...westin.en.html

The three first hotels are close to beachfront Café de la Concha with great views over the Concha bay (spectacular when thunderstorms!), a perfect place to wind down after a night out in San Sebastián. http://www.cafedelaconcha.com/home.htm

kimhe, you´ve sent your message at 11 11 of 1:11...that´s a lot of ones!!

mikel,

Try to be up there...

OK. Just a thought. The hotel in Gateria looked so calm and inviting.

Will book a hotel tonight in San Sebastian for 5 nights and visit Gateria for a meal or the day.

Have had an impossible time buying tickets to Molina. Will call the Spanish tourist board today to see what the problem is. It is so sad not to speak the language and my dictionary wasn't much help. Am determined. I wrote to you on a different thread. I will be in Madrid on April 12. You seem to be very involved with flamenco and wondering if you know of any performances to go to that night.

Looked up Sala Cardamomo but nothing listed out that far. Is this a bar? Are performances not scheduled this far in advance?

Thanks, as always. Giving this much of your time and patience is very generous of you.