Our Summer Not in Montpellier, II

 

The islet of Gaztelugatxe, about a half-hour drive north of Bilbao.

This is the second of several blogs about our summer travels.

You can find the first one here.

 

Bilbao

We had few expectations for this major city on the north coast. It has the Guggenheim Museum; that was what we knew. We weren’t particularly interested in the city and so planned only one night here, more as a rest stop than anything.

Then we got to talking to a French couple we knew, Cecile and Jean-Francois. They had quite liked their visit, and recommended a hotel overlooking the city. Paula booked us a couple of nights, and we’re glad she did!

Bilbao at night, from our hotel high above the city.

Bilbao is an old city, a traditional city; a modern, quirky, artistic city. Upon arriving at our hotel we saw the city far below, stretched out before us, but didn’t get it, yet. We didn't get how great Bilbao really was. We had some other sightseeing to do first.

Paula looks out at Gaztelugatxe on a rainy day.

The hermitage San Juan de Gaztelugatxe, atop its rocky outcropping.

Ready for the climb up!

And now it's a long way down...

The next morning we drove north to the coast, to visit the rock outcropping called Gaztelugatxe*—or, for GoT fans, Dragonstone. (Yes, this was another film location for the Game of Thrones series). It’s an impressive sight! We were very pleased to spend a few hours climbing down (and down!) to the water, and then up (and up!) to the church of San Juan de Gaztelugatxe at the top of the rock.

^*And no, I have no idea how to pronounce that!

 

Above: San Juan de Gaztelugatxe.
Below: Dragonstone! (enhanced with a bit of CGI...)

After Gaztelugatxe we drove along the very good but narrow and very windy road to the coastal town of Bermo, the main city in this region. It one of many fishing towns along the coast in Basque Country. The towns are connected by well-paved roads, but they do require patience to drive!

The thriving coastal city of Bermeo.

Bermeo's endlessly interesting port.

Campesina camino del mercado, a statue honoring the fishsellers of Bermeo.
 According to the sign, these women would carry the morning's catch to sell in Bilbao (30 km away!).

Vendedora de pescado, another statue of a fish seller.
(Two statues! They must be an important part of Bermeo's history.)

It wasn’t until our second day, the day we planned to leave, that we visited Bilbao itself. There was a funicular—a cable railway—near the hotel that ran down into the city. We drove the few kilometers to the station, left the car at the extensive parking lot, and rode down into Bilbao.

We board the funicular, built in 1901.

Bilbao follows the river in a narrow valley, surrounded by hills.

Bilbao's magnificent old City Hall (Bilboko Udaletxea in Basque)

We really liked the juxtaposition of the old and new.

A sweeping pedestrian bridge

What a marvelous old café, set among the modern buildings of the city.

We were delighted with the city as we strolled along the river, marveling at the well-preserved older buildings and the beautiful modern ones that seemed to complement the classic originals. There was also plenty of public art, massive sculptures dotting the greenway along the river, some quirky, some inexplicable, some both!

A statue honoring Ramón Rubial Cavia, an important figure in the anti-Franco struggle in Bilbao

Las sirgueras by Dora Salazar; depicting women towing boats through the Ria de Bilbao,
recognizes the importance of the work done by women.

The Guggenheim was a further surprise. We did not go inside (our time was limited), but the plaza in front was lively with people strolling, selling wares, busking, or just hanging out.

The Guggenheim with folks playing music, selling things, or just strolling.

Entrance to the museum... I think.

I hate spiders. This sculpture held a strange fascination for me!

Spiders... Why did it have to be spiders?

Orange dots reflected.

Even the bandstand in the park seems special!

Our time in the city was brief, but we will be going back!

This highway bridge is a massive art project
(and yes, those are real people coming down the green stairs!)

 Once clear of Bilbao our next stop was far out in the country. We would need provisions! We planned a stop at a supermarket on the outskirts of Bilbao to avoid the traffic that is always found in big cities (right?).

Unfortunately, the roads were confusing, and much to our consternation, we ended up smack dab in the middle of Bilbao, where we did find a good supermarket. The traffic wasn’t so bad, we found a parking spot on the street, and were soon on our way. City driving was actually ok; it was the highways that were confusing!

This is the second episode of our summer travels. Next comes our week in the country with sunflowers and a few vineyards; then the mountains and some beaches, and then... well, you'll have to keep following to know!

The sky during our travels was rarely clear. We had this great display over the port city of Bermeo.

How We Spent Our Summer Not in Montpellier

 

The lighthouse in Biarritz

 

This is the first of several blogs about our summer travels.

 

It gets hot in Montpellier, hot and humid, even during non-extreme years. This year, which is shaping up to be an especially extreme one, we escaped. And went, quite counterintuitively, to Spain.

 

Northern Spain. More precisely, the mountains of northern Spain, which we have found to be cool and even a bit foggy and rainy.

On the way to the mountains, though, we stopped at the beach.

We started by driving west from Montpellier and just kept going. Eventually we came to the Atlantic Ocean, and ended near the French town of Bayonne. 

 

          Bayonne—Biarritz

View of our terrace, with it's near-perfect palm tree.

Paula had found us quite a nice apartment in the suburbs, in the town of Anglet. It was our host’s home, which meant is was well equipped and livable. It was such a relief to open the doors and windows and allow the cool, humid breezes in! (To block out the sun, in Montpellier we kept the windows closed and the shutters down.) We quite enjoyed our week in this beach town. Ah, beach town. That’s how it felt, even though the beach was a not-very-walkable few kilometers away. But it is a surfing community, and has a real, laid-back, beach town vibe.

Comfortable living room... with all the windows open!

We went—or rather tried to go—to the beach one evening. We drove along the coast past beach after beach, and every parking lot was full (and Europeans are very good at squeezing cars into every tiny spot). We did eventually find a place to stick the car while we walked to the beach, but it was a lesson on summertime at European beaches!

One of the many beaches near Anglet. The Biarritz lighthouse is off in the distance on the left.

EVERY one wants to be at the beach at sunset!

And so do we!

We were in Anglet for the Fourteenth of July, Bastille Day, comparable to Independence Day in the US, France’s Fourth of July. Anglet is too small to host anything, but the big cities of Bayonne and Biarritz, would, no doubt, have extensive displays of fireworks.

Bayonne, with its twin church spires, from across the river.

View of the river near Bayonne.

We had no interest in going, fighting our way through the crowds to come home very late. (things started at 11PM!). We stayed home and watched the flashes in the sky. It took quite a while before I realized it was not fireworks flashing in the sky, but Nature’s own light show: massive cloud-to-cloud lightning discharges! It was many hours before that show, our own personal display, was done!

 

We took the local bus into Bayonne a couple of times. It’s a nice, compact city on a river, full of restaurants and tourist shops.

Street scene, Bayonne.

The well-known Big City in this area, though, is Biarritz.

The city of Biarritz and its famous beach.

Biarritz, former vacation spot for royalty and the rich, was a bit high-end for us. We visited the lighthouse and saw the beaches from afar, but had no real interest in the city itself. Still, we did poke around a bit.

Classic old home in Biarritz.

Boy, there're sure not makin' em like they used to! Compare this old gal with the modern apartment building behind it...

We skipped Biarritz. More to our liking was the French Basque country, including the port town of Saint-Jean-de-Luz, and Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, the jumping off point where the Camino de Santiago climbs into the Pyrenees.

There are many approaches to this venerated pilgrimage route, all leading to the cathedral in the Spanish town of Santiago de Compostela. Paths branch from all points in Europe; there’s one that runs through Montpellier. There are alternate paths in Spain: one route runs along the coast through San Sebastian and Oviedo. The route through the Pyrenees, though, is quite popular (and was featured in Martin Sheen’s 2010 movie about the pilgrimage, The Way.)

We were to cross paths (as it were) with the route, and pilgrims following it, throughout our stay.

           Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port

Just inside the walls of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port

Busy street scene!

The route out of town.

The Pilgrim's Boutique provides everything pilgrims might need on their journey. 
Note the yellow rays at the bottom: a stylized shell, the symbol of Saint James, and a trail sign for the route. 

Another route across the river.

The traditional starting point for the Camino de Santiago, this is a very picturesque town full of people in full-on hiking gear coming and going. The pilgrims, plus trekkers and hikers of all kinds, make this a lively place. We walked through the town, had an excellent lunch, then followed the road for a quick visit into Spain. (And a gas station: gas in cheaper in Spain!)

 

          Saint-Jean-de-Luz

Classic old building in the small town of Saint-Jean-de-Luz.

We spent a few hours in this beach-side town. Its Golden Age was the 17^th Century, when it was one of the largest cities in the area. Once hosting a large fishing fleet, and a haven for pirates (English sailors called it the “viper’s nest”), today it is known for its tourist beaches. But still, it played an important part in French-Spanish relations, back in its golden age: it was here that King Louis XIV of France wed Maria-Theresa, the Infanta of Spain, in 1660, ending a bitter war. Nobles and the well-to-do built fine homes, some of which are still in place.

Maison de l'Infante, where the princess Marie-Therese stayed for her wedding to Louis XIV; built around 1640.

Another house of someone rich and famous, don't remember who; also from the 17th C.

It started raining while we were in Saint-Jean-de-Luz. So for us, it was lunch, a stroll to the far side of town, and a quick hustle back to the car.

 

The fabulous beach of Saint-Jean-de-Luz . These volleyball players won't let a little rain stop their game!

We’re back in Montpellier now, but still have much to tell, so the next few blogs will continue with our summer travels to Spain.

The more modern side of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port. (Also very picturesque!)