Wonderful, wonderful report... thank you so much!

ditto!!!!! Merci Beaucoup

The drive to Potes and Fuente Dia was spectacular and more than a bit scary. The road was very twisty and narrow, large trucks creening around blind corners. eek! But the mountains were amazing! craggy cliffs and really unusual landscapes. We had lunch in Potes and then drove on the Fuente Dia where we took the funicular to the top. AMAZING! If you get a chance to do this don't pass it up. It seemed like we weren't going to get much of a view because of the clouds but when we reached the top we were above all the clouds! It was really awesome.

From here we drove to Santander where we were staying at the Hotel Brisas. This was the smallest of all the hotels. The location was great but I don't think we'd stay here again. Just too cramped and the bathroom was dirty. We had room 205, maybe others are better?

In Santander we had a few good meals. Ate at La Sardina where the tasting menu was only 25E ea. Really way too much food and really sweet service. The meal was good but nothing over the top. Also had dinner at a wine musuem in the Historic center. This was fabulous. The food, the wine selections, service etc.

We spent a day at El Sardinaro beach which was really nice and big. The beaches are so clean! It wasn't as pretty as San Sebastion but the beach was a close second!

From Santander we drove to Lagaurdia in the Rioja wine region. One thing about driving around Spain, the toll roads are very expensive!!!

We stopped in Haro and had lunch of tapas at a few places in the old quarter, most notably Bar Los Canos and a little Swiss themed bar but only themed in it's decorations!

On to Lagaurdia and the 4pm tour of the Bodega Ysios. What a beautiful facility.

After the tour we went to the village and checked into our hotel the Castillo El Collado, we had the Amor y Locura room which is a round room in the turret! Huge square bed in the center, windows all the way around, a huge soaking tub behind the bed and amazing views of the region!!!

We took a tour of the Bodega Fabulista in the town and had dinner that night at the restaurant at the hotel. The next day we toured Bodega Ugarte and drove to a few of the Dolmans in the area. That night we had a marvelous dinner at Posada Mayor de Migueloa.

We had secured 10:30 am tour reservations for the next morning at Marques de Riscal- they have a massive renovation going on with a new building designed by Frank Gehry.

From here we drove back to Barcelona stopping in Zaragoza for lunch. Stayed our last night back at the H. Continental but this time an interior room for 80E. YUK! Hot, musty, bad!! Not recommended.

Out for our last evening we went to the very fun and packed El Xampanyet cava bar and had tapas and cava. From here we wondered around and found a Basque pinxtos bar were we grazed some more. Back to the Rambla for one last pitcher of sangria in Barcelona.

Flight the next day to New York via London. in NYC we stayed at the Omni Berkshire which is very nice. Dinner that night at Mario Batalli's famed Babbo restaurant. Amazing food, wine and service.

To bed, the next day we went to the Mets vs. Braves baseball game at Shea Stadium before flying home to Seattle. A perfect return to the states in our opinion.

Love the north of Spain!! Will definately try to return to San Sebastion, Fiesta San Fermin and explore more of the Rioja.

Happy to answer any questions. Thanks for reading! :)

Loved your trip report! Thanks so much for all the great information. We're going back to Northern Spain in May and your adventures in Barcelona reminded me of our time there. We too stayed at the Continental--in an inner room (recommended in Rick Steves I believe because it's quieter), but agree with your description. Is that sweet Great Pyremese dog still there?

I'm from Seattle too and it rained when we were in Barcelona. Maybe we brought it with us? (LOL)

Thanks again for posting.

That dog is still there! When we were in Barcelona at the end of our trip it was really hot and that poor dog was just lying under the desk panting his heart out!

stormygirl writes: "Love the north of Spain!! Will definately try to return to San Sebastion, Fiesta San Fermin and explore more of the Rioja."
That's San Sebastian (not Sebastion)! While there, did you visit Guernika?

In Santander you should have made it to the Barrio Pesquero where I normally dine when I am in the area.
IMHO You have only touched half of the north of Spain. You should set your sights on the Prnicipality of Asturias and Galicia to complete your "north of Spain" visit next time.

You don't mention Bilbao's 'Casco Viejo' or Plaza Nueva or the 3-story marketplace on the rio Nervion.

Next time you should also program a stop in Limpias (just south of Laredo) to see 'Cristo de Limpias,' a crucifix that is said to bleed; and another at the Monasterio de Santo Toribio near Potes where the 'Vera Cruz,' the largest known fragment of the Cross on which Christ was Crucified, is kept.

Except for Pamplona and Barcelona, I thought your trip report paints a very superficial touristic view of northern Spain. Our last visit to Santander we stayed in Hostal Paris, behind the Gran Hotel Sardinero: accomodation was great! You should return to Santander and spend a little time there, especially if you can do it immediately following los San Fermines. Santander has a Santiago festival. Your stop in San Sebastian this time may have made you miss those festivities. But then, how would you know?
BTW
That's Fuente De (acute accent), not Fuente Dia. And it's a Cable Car, not a Funicular - there's a difference.

OMG who is this pretentious NEDSIRELAND??? I thought the nasty posters went away after registration, but apparently not. Stormygirl was generous enough to share her time and her experiences and post an excellent trip report and NEDSIRELAND shows his or her appreciation by making obnoxious remarks! How rude.

Thanks again, stormygirl, for taking the time and sharing your trip with us.

(I loved that dog...DH took a picture of me with it. Maybe we Seattlites should have a get-together...we know how to be polite and supportive of one and other...something MOST PEOPLE on Fodor's do!)

Holy crap NEDSIRELAND! I can't believe that you are attacking me for the things we did or didn't do in Spain. Get over yourself!!! I actually took quite a bit of advice for the trip from your different posts, I didn't know you were so rude! And so sorry that I mis spelled and also wrote funicular instead of cable car. WHATEVER!!!!

Thank goodness we did not run into nor travel with people who had your dispostition, now that would have really ruined our trip!

stormygirl writes: "I actually took quite a bit of advice for the trip from your different posts, I didn't know you were so rude!"

I'm sorry you considered my comments a personal attack: You may have gotten advice from me about Barcelona & Antonio Gaudi; I never posted anything about Pamplona or San Sebastian. I Haven't been back to San Sebastian for many years. And I only know Pamplona thru the eyes of Ernest Hemingway.

I still maintain that you dodn't spend enought time in Bilbao or Santillana del mar or Santander (or even Potes if you didn't visit the nearby Monastery where the 'Vera Cruz' is kept) to call them real visits.

Call me 'rude' if you like; but for me your Spain trip report seems to be just to tell people how much money you were able to spend without ever really getting in touch with the real people or even getting to know them (Hotel employees excluded). I am not impressed!

In June I made my Jubilee year visit to Santiago de Compostela (Galicia). I stayed at Hostals (NOT youth hostals) where the average amount I paid for lodging (breakfast incl.) was about 32 Euro (private room with TV & telephone). I would stack up my trip against yours anytime although I probably spent one tenth what you spent.

Dear stormygirl,
Thanks for stirring up my memories of Barcelona! Stayed in the area(Sitges, to be exact) in the early 80's and made many trips up to the city. The Opera Cafe was my hang-out too. I would do some shopping at the produce market across the Ramblas, then drink one or two "cortados" while waiting for my friends. How I loved looking at the etched glass portraits of all the operatic heroines! Appreciate your sharing.

NedsIreland, no one is interested in your attempt to make this into a pissing contest. As Stormygirl put it, get over yourself. She and her husband did the trip THEY wanted and all credit to them for that. The fact that it's not the trip you would have done is irrelevant since they are, happily, not you.

Stormygirl, I appreciated your reference to prices since it makes it much easier to assess which of your recommendations I may use myself on a future visit to the area. THANK YOU!

I do think it's important when giving info to include prices if possible. I have to budget my trips and I want to know if it's the budget to stay or go to certain places. I'm glad this helps others as I know it helps me :)

Dear stormygirl. Thank you for your report, it was great and you are a very good writer. nedsireland has a right to his/her opinion just as we all do. My wife and I read your report and could almost see the places you were at through your writing and it sounded
wonderful. We are going to Europe in 12 days, Amsterdam to Munich via Paris and I asked a simple question " do you think the Euro will go down " as a post,
half of the answer posts were about the euro, the other half were about my budget and me being a cheapskate. So don't let nedsireland rudeness get to you. he/she only wishes he/she was there.

topping for ktd

oops! meant ktw! :)

storymygirl, I'm going to Paris in February and would like to see the catacombs as well. How did you find them and is there a narrated tour?

Kavey,

You're even greater than I thought you were. "Pissing contest"? Are you from the Northwest or Midwest by chance? I didn't know people outside my Washington/Idaho/Montana circle used that expression.

Sorry to interject this side cheer for Kavey, Stormygirl, but his/her post broke me up. I loved your trip report. Our trip is coming up this October, and you set a high bar for a quality trip report.

tudorprincess, the Catacomb entrance is just across the street from the Denfert-Rochereau (sp) Metro station. You'll see the small square sign above the door. There is no guide or even security down below, at least when we were there. You pay your entrance fee and start walking downstairs until you reach the bottom. You may want a small flashlight but we didn't take one, there is some dim lighting. Any good guide book should have this listed as well as the hours and price. have fun!!!

stormygirl, thanks for taking the time to write great reports of your travels.