Trip Report: two sisters and friends visit San Sebastian and Bilbao
 

Last May, my sister and I spent a fabulous week in San Sebastian and Bilbao, delighting in all of the treats these cities have to offer – stunning architecture, friendly people and wonderful food and wine. We enjoyed it so much that we decided to visit again this May, and this time brought along two of our dear friends for the ride.

We did have some reluctance to visit someplace we already had so recently when there are still so many places on "the list", but we quickly got over that as we realized there were plenty of things we hadn't done yet in San Se, plus it was one of the most enjoyable and relaxing trips we've had. When I found some decent airfares and reasonably priced apartments, we quickly decided that we were ready and excited for a return visit.

Since I reported on our trip last year, I’ll keep this one brief and just hit the highlights and new things. Here’s the link to that report for reference

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...-sebastian.cfm

Last year, we were lucky to have a week of sunshine and warm temps. We must have used up all of our luck on that trip, because this time around, it started raining at 9PM on our arrival day, Friday, and didn’t stop until Tuesday evening. It was non-stop, driving rain, with the extra treat of howling winds on Monday that made it challenging to walk anywhere near the water. It made me really appreciate our little travel group, though, because we all joked and laughed about it, but no one let the crummy weather get them down, and when the sun finally appeared on Tuesday evening to shine upon us for our last two days, I can assure you we appreciated every moment of it.

<b> How we got there </b>

I came from the Philly-area via NJTransit and the subway to Queens, where I met my sister and her fabulous friend who drove us to JFK. Our friends flew from Charlotte and met us at JFK, where we flew Iberia to Madrid, and then onto Bilbao.

Our Madrid flight was delayed for reasons unknown, so we missed the connecting flight to Bilbao. I was quite disgruntled with Iberia before the flight over their seat assignment policy (not possible until 24 hours before the flight, at least when booked thru their OneWorld Partner, AA) and the possible threat of a strike on our travel days (I think that is over), but have to give them kudos because there was an agent waiting for us at the gate with tickets for the next flight to Bilbao. That was appreciated, especially because we knew how HUGE the Madrid airport is, and I was not looking forward to trying to find someone to help.

From Bilbao, we took the Pesa bus from the airport to San Sebastian (about an hour, 15.70E each, payable to the driver), and then a taxi to our apartment. Pshew, finally there!

I love San Sebastian! Looking forward to reading about your return visit!

I can certainly understand why you had to return! I've been visiting this area for 6 years in September in a row. Each year I think that I'll visit somewhere different in Spain the next fall but I always end up back in the Basque Country.

Waiting for more. Just got back from a quick overnight to SS and going again for two nights in July. Our weather was overcast and certainly cool at night but sounds like we dodged the bullet, no rain.

Cathy, I could totally go back again in a second. I still feel like there's more to see and do, and I really have fallen in love with San Se (and Pamplona and Bilbao, for that matter). I'm hooked!

Thanks everyone for the feedback!

<b> Where we stayed </b>

Last time, we really enjoyed our hotel location in the Gros neighborhood of San Sebastian. Since there would be four of us, I decided to look for an apartment. I thought it would be nice for us all to stay together, since we hadn’t seen each other in awhile. Plus, I figured it would be less expensive than two hotel rooms, and certainly more spacious.

I found the perfect apartment through Enjoy Rentals. It had three bedrooms, one and a half bathrooms, a nice-sized and modern kitchen and large living room. We loved this apartment. We didn’t get that much use of the balcony because of the numerous rainy days, but the apartment also had a huge picture window facing the beach, where we spent most of our indoor time. The benefit of the rain was lots of waves, which attracted tons of surfers to the waters of the surfing-beach outside of our window.

http://www.enjoyrentals.com/en/apart...-san-sebastian

On Sunday, we also got a great view of the Bahia Marathon passing in front of our window.

I also really like the Gros neighborhood. It’s an easy walk to the old part of town and the center, as well as La Concha beach. There are plenty of shops, restaurants and bars, and it also seems to be a living, working neighborhood.

Small digression -- this might sound goofy, but we like to poke around the market when we vacation in other countries, so staying in the apartment gave us a good chance to do a little grocery shopping. The frozen pizza variety in the shops we visited was a trip -- not only in the number of choices, which I wasn't expecting, but the "flavors". We decided to try a few on a night in when it was raining (did I mention it rained? ;) ) One came with a supplemental packet of barbecue sauce, another was a veggie pizza including corn, and a third had a velveeta-type cheese topping. Actually, none were terribly bad, but certainly not expected!

Anyway, I would highly recommend this apartment. Check-in went smoothly, the wi-fi worked well, and everything was impeccably clean. I would stay there again in a second.

Poking around local markets is not goofy at all, well, IMHO! I love doing that too! :-D

The apartment looks great!

LCI, so glad I'm not alone :) I think it's so fun to see what's similar to what we have, what's different, how much BIGGER everything we have is. Trying to figure out what kind of milk-product to buy for our morning coffee in the apartment was quite an adventure (we somehow ended up with condensed milk. High school Spanish is useless when shopping for milk varietals. Knowing "leche" just didn't cut it) Our friend was fairly hammed-out by the end of the trip, so naturally I HAD to get him a packet of jamon-flavored ruffles potato chips (though those were purchased at the airport, not the grocery). And don't get me started on the produce! Such fun.

Did you get over to the small market at the San Martin Centre? Beautiful displays.

I made a complete idiot of myself trying to ask for sherry. Time for Spanish 101.

The flat looks wonderful, great view!

Yes, we did do one of our shops at that market. The stalls with the produce etc were really lovely, and we were surprised at the size of the grocery. I believe we bought skim milk there, but not quite sure :)

ahhh yes, the trials and tribulatins of communicating in a foreign language at grocery stores or markets, it can certainly make for some fun interactions!

I recall a time in the Tuscany region of Italy while with friends, we needed laundry detergent and my friend bought fabric softener instead...our clothes may not have been clean, but they were soft! LOL :-D

<b> What We Did </b>

Petritegi Cider House

Cider season is over at the end of April, but we found that there were still a few cider houses outside of San Se that were still open and still serving cider from huge wooden barrels.

We took a 10 minute taxi ride to the Petritegi Cider House in Astigarraga for Sunday lunch. As an aside, getting the taxi turned out to be more challenging than expected, because we awoke that morning to marathoners running by our apartment, closing the road. I give those runners a lot of credit. It was rainy, windy and chilly and very few people out cheering them on, but they persevered.

We set out to find a taxi stand, with no luck, but eventually were able to hail one.

Anyway, here's a link to the cider house

http://www.petritegi.com/en.html

This was a really fun afternoon. When we arrived it was fairly quiet, but quickly filled up with families and tourists – we heard a lot of French.

We were seated at a picnic-type table with two men from France with whom we became fast friends as they enthusiastically tried to show us the ropes. You are given a glass when you arrive, along with a choice of fixed menus. We selected one that included a cod omelet, mezzaluna (fish), two Fred Flinstone-sized steaks seared on the outside and blood rare on the inside, and a dessert of nuts, cheeses, cookies. AND, most importantly, all of the cider you can drink.

Between courses, we made our way to the barrels in the back of the building. When you approach, an attendant turns on the spigot, releasing an arching flow of cider, which you need to then catch in your glass. You are only to take about an inch or so of cider, and it is meant to be drunk quickly, while still aerated from the air it caught while streaming to your glass. At first, I guess I was a bit timid because we heard our Frenchmen yelling to me "no fear! no fear!" Like I said, they were enthusiastic teachers!

When the room got crowded, it was fun lining up, taking the cider quickly, and moving away quickly so the next person could get their glass into the arc without the attendant needing to turn off the flow. As the afternoon progressed, it became quite a party by the cider barrels. I loved the little kids getting into the action, trying their hand at catching the cider and proudly showing their parent their filled glass.

The cider is different than what we have in the US (at least, different from what I've ever had). They are flatter, and we were told the alchol content was lower. We all found it quite tasty, however, so had no trouble making up for the low alcohol content with high volume :)

Somehow, stuffed from lunch and all the cider we could drink, we managed a bit more revelry and finished the afternoon with a drink with our Frenchmen at the disco/bar down the hill from the cider house. This was a truly fun day, not only due to the abundance of food and cider, but for five glorious minutes, the sun peeked out.

<b> La Perla Spa </b>

Another great rainy day activity – we were already soaking wet, so why not soak a bit more?

The spa is located directly on La Concha Beach in the center of the bay in San Sebastian. Even on this gloomy day, we had a beautiful view of the bay and mountains from inside the spa.

I had read about how relaxing this spa could be, and after the effort it took us to get there, we needed some relaxation. This was the windy day, and at times, gusts became so strong that we were having trouble keeping our balance. At one point, we had to walk on a side street parallel to the beach because we were having such trouble moving forward, and the wind was blowing my contacts out. I felt like I had a workout by the time we finally reached the doors of the spa, so was ready for a cool down.

La Perla offers all sorts of spa treatments, classes and a fitness center. My sister and I opted to do the three hour circuit. For about 30e, this allowed us usage of the various salt water pools, saunas, and Jacuzzis at the spa. We knew that we needed bathing caps so brought those along, but were able to rent towels for an additional 1 or 2 Euro. Locker rental in the locker room was included in the admission cost. We probably could have gotten away with the 2 hour circuit, but it was only a few euro less and we didn’t want to feel rushed. Kind of defeats the purpose, right?

Here’s how it works – after you pay at the front desk, you receive a card which you then use to enter the turnstiles that lead to the locker room. You then insert your card into the locker you choose, and then you can remove the key. The key has a cord to wear around your neck while you’re in the pools. There are stalls in the locker room for privacy while changing, and the WC/Showers are separate for men and women, but otherwise the locker room is unisex.

When you’re ready to go, you have to pass thru a small area where you insert your towel into a chute while you walk thru a shower. Your towel meets you at the end.

Finally, time to enjoy the pools. There are two levels. Our favorites were on the first level. The first we entered had about four lanes containing different stations. Jets targeting different parts of your body were found at each station. At each position, there was a placard indicating where the jets would hit, and how long you should spend at each spot. There was also a bar to hold onto at each station, which was needed because those jets were really strong and powerful.

Next, we headed to my favorite area, which again was a large pool containing different jets around the perimeter. There were also two VERY aggressive whirlpools here (careful! Sis got a little banged up by the force, but fortunately nothing that prevented her from doing a little water ballet for us later) and, my favorite, a waterfall to swim through that led you to relaxing beds. You lie down and gentle jets hit all parts of your body. So relaxing.

There was also a Jacuzzi on this floor with spectacular views of the beach and Bay.

On the lower level, one of the highlights was a pool with exercise equipment – a few underwater bikes and elliptical-type machines and weights. Note that there are no lap pools. Also downstairs was a sensory maze, which you walk through to be hit with jets of water of varying temps and heating lamps. Kind of neat. There’s also a FREEZING cold pool which I wasn’t brave enough to even dip a toe, tons of saunas (we lasted about 7 second in one of those) and a room with infrared beds which smelled a wee bit too moldy for me to want to lay on.

We really enjoyed our time at La Perla. I think it’s a pretty good deal, too. The place is well maintained and we felt great when we were done. The salt water was a bit rough on my sensitive eyes, but my skin has never felt smoother!

http://www.la-perla.net/

<b> Pamplona </b>

I think we all agreed that our visit to Pamplona was a highlight. We got up and out of the apartment reasonably early and walked along the river to the bus station (more like a square where buses park, arrive and depart) to catch the bus to Pamplona.

After about an hour or so we arrived in Pamplona. I was surprised at first by how large the city is. For some reason, I was expecting the city to only be comprised of the old, narrow streets we see on TV during the Running of the Bulls and San Fermin. Not so. There was actually what seemed to be a quite large, modern and bustling area, and there certainly was plenty of traffic as we entered the city.

We first made our way to Café Iruna for lunch, made famous by Hemingway in the Sun Also Rises. As a fan, I knew this was likely to be quite touristy, but it was a must. We had a few minutes of rain-less weather, so took a chance and grabbed a table beneath the expansive awning and overlooking the very pretty square, Plaza de Castillo. It was a nice, relaxing lunch, and the awning protected us from the intermittent showers. Sis enjoyed a glass of patxaran, a local digestif that tasted a bit too much like Nyquil for our taste, but it’s a sort of requirement to sample the local beverage wherever we are, so it had to be done. We all took a peek inside the beautiful café before moving on. Reportedly there is a plaque or something dedicated to Hemingway in the bar area, but we did not see it.

We wandered around the old town for a bit, before we noticed signs showing the route for the Encierro, or bull run, so started following it. It was interesting to see and imagine that spectacle, and made me very grateful there were no bulls chasing us as we made our way through the streets. At one point, there is a 90 degree turn that the runners and bulls must make before heading to the Plaza de Toros and bullring. I can’t imagine how they make it.

After a bit more shopping and a few glasses of wine, we made our way back to the bus station, where we found the express buses that take the highway were all sold out. Instead, we had to take the slow local bus, which would take 2+ hours to get back to San Sebastian.

Here’s when you know you have great travel partners. No one whined or complained about the delay after such a full day. Instead, we all just looked at each other, shrugged, and said – time for another glass of wine! As it turned out, the delay was really fortunate, because the route the slow bus took back to San Se was beautiful. We passed through numerous little mountain villages along the way, and saw a part of the countryside we certainly wouldn’t have on the highway bus. The town of Tolosa looked especially charming, and I’d love the chance to go back and visit it some day.

I'm really enjoying your report! You are my type of traveler - no list of things to check off and see. You're just enjoying and getting to know the area along with some people!

LaPerla spa is a great place to spend a rainy day. I did a circuit with seaweed wrap and massage treatments a couple of years ago and it was fantastic.

I've been to a cider house in the hills near Durango but never to Astigarraga. I also generally don't visit during cider season so it's good to hear that the atmosphere is still lively. I love how you met the French men and later went out for a drink with them! I'll have to add to my list for this year.

You may enjoy Tolosa for your next trip - they have a large market on Saturday that would be a particularly good time to visit.

Thanks so much, Cathy! Good to know about Tolosa!

Great report(s)....I'm do glad that the apartment and company were great, we are renting from them in two weeks, thanks for posting it all!

<b> Sunny Day! Hondarribia and Monte Igueldo </b>

Our first sunny day was also our last day in San Se, and we took full advantage. We awoke early to take the bus from Plaza Gipuzkoa to Hondarraibia (less than 3E each way, about 30 minutes), a small fishing town across the bay from Hendaye, France.

My sister and I had visited Hondarribia on our last trip to San Se and loved it, so we were eager to revisit. It’s a pretty little town, complete with Basque-style houses lining the streets, and every window seems to hold a bird cage with a little budgie filling the air with birdsongs.

We wandered the town all morning, doing a little espadrille shopping and taking in the breathtaking seaside views before making our way to Taberna Gran Sol, an award-winning pintxo bar on the main street. These were probably our favorite pintxos of the trip. We tried a number of different things our charming bartender recommended to us. All were beautifully presented and very tasty. Highly recommend.

On our return to San Se, we decided to walk along La Concha beach to Monte Igueldo, to take the funicular to the top for the spectacular views. The walk was probably less than three miles, but to be sure no one got overly tired, we stopped midway for a cocktail and snack at the La Perla café overlooking the beach. A relaxing pitstop.

We didn’t make it to the top of Igueldo last time, and I was so glad that we were able to do so this time. The views of San Sebastian and the Bay are stunning. At the bottom of the mountain, we made our way to Eduardo Chillida’s sculptures called El Peine del Viento (wind combs), positioned at the point where the sea meets the bay. You see these scultptures often in literature and websites about San Sebastian, but I was glad we stopped to see them in person.

After a poke around the Ondaretta beach neighborhood below Igueldo, we made a quick stop at a bar for a wine break. Our friends hadn’t tried kalimotxo yet (red wine and coke on ice. Kind of a pity to do that to wine, but also surprisingly refreshing on a hot day) so that needed to be rectified at once! The bar was located next door to a dance studio, and as we watched the frenetic scene in front of the studio as the little kids and parents arrived and departed for classes, our friend noted that we were probably being treated to the Spanish edition of Dance Moms. Dance drama is universal.

Finally, we made our way back to the apartment for a very quick rest before dinner and our last night in San Sebastian. I was so pleased that we were able to enjoy at least one wonderfully sunny day in the city. San Se is beautiful in the rain, but in the sunshine it’s magnificent, and I was glad our friends got the chance to see it that way, too.

<b> Bilbao </b>

Our last day was spent in Bilbao. We took the bus from San Sebastian, then a taxi to our hotel, the Ibis Bilbao Centro Hotel. Centrally located and with rooms under $100/night, this was a fine choice for our last night.

Sis and I had spent two nights in Bilbao last time, and liked it a lot. It’s quite different than San Sebastian – much busier and grittier – but we had a good time there and were happy to return.

This time, Bilbao was gussied up in red and white stripes – the colors of their futbol team, Bilbao Atletico. Atletico was to play against Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey championship game the following day, and everyone seemed to be going all out to support their team. We saw red/white striped sofas in the window of a furniture store, all sorts of pastries and cookies decorated in red and white, and every window and balcony seemed to be adorned with a banner or flag. I got caught up in the excitement and am now the proud owner of an Atletico scarf.

After we dropped off our bags, we headed to the Boulevard Café, on the edge of the old town, for an enjoyable and leisurely lunch (and very economical with a 13E menu del dia including vino). This is a pretty art-deco café and one of the oldest in Bilbao. Stuffed, we walked around the narrow old streets in the Parte Viejo for a bit and did a little last-minute souvenir shopping.

We then took Bilbao’s quick and efficient tram to make our way to the Guggenheim for some pictures. We didn’t make it inside. It was our second beautiful day, and no one was excited to spend it indoors, although there was a David Hockney exhibit there that may have been interesting.

One of the things we really loved about Bilbao last time was the lively street scene in the pedestrian streets around the center of town. We were not disappointed this time. First, we walked to the area of Calle de la Diputación, where a number of bars share a central square, and the party flows into the square and the streets. I love the scene of kids kicking around soccer balls and friends gathering, drinks in hand enjoying the late afternoon and early evening. We found a similar scene in the area around Calle Ledesma. Bilbao may not be as pretty and picturesque as San Sebastian, but it has a spirit that resonates and is hard not to enjoy, especially at txikiteo time!