Aug 27, 2006 - Basque country, northern Spain

We caught an overnight ferry to Bilbao, in northern Spain, and then a bus to Vitoria the capital of the region. We arrived last night and walked around the medievel square, where there were tapas bars and restaurants open till late. We snacked on tapas at one, then moved on to something a little more substantial. The hotel is a bit better than what we usually get. This morning we explored the central hill that is the oldest part of town, by a little tourist train, and then by foot. There are lots of steep narrow streets with cobblestones...

Oct 10, 2005 - The Basque Country

Despite the fact we studied Spanish for some time before we left home, arriving in the Basque Country on the north coast of Spain threw us for a loop as it is totally bi-lingual (Spanish and Euskera). Euskera bears no resemblance to any other European language yet it is spoken by about half a million French and Spanish. For example, restaurant is restaurante in Spanish and jetetxea in Euskera. Not only are all signs bi-lingual, most towns have both a Basque and a Spanish name (e.g. San Sebastian is also known as Donostia!). It made driving...

Jul 8, 2004 - Laguardia

From Pamplona, I took the bus to Lagroño and another north towards Vitoria. I got off in Laguardia. It's a medieval town of about 1500 people. The entire surrounding countryside is used for Rioja wine grapes. The entire town is centered around the wine industry. The town itself is tiny, and no cars are allowed on what they call roads (alleyways to me). It was so relaxing, that I spent two nights there. Under the town is a network of caverns that were originally used to protect the town from Moorish invaders. Now, they're used to store and...