Basque Country Top 10
enough about spain already i know. but i am going to detour from my usual food-centric focus and list a few other things ( ok 10 ! ) we did on this trip to basque country - as we use this blog as a resource for traveling friends & customers - and is also used as a personal travelogue. a word about the place where we stayed. this little town named ea - nestled in the mountains not far from the beach - bilbao to the west - and san sebastian to the east - was home for 10 days.
the property ea-astei ( rented thru colours of spain ) had all the comforts of home. a big country kitchen ( tiny fridge) - outdoor grill & dining area - courtyard for bocce ball - pool/sauna/hot tub - a main house and 2 bungalows. (and resident dog tin-tin ! ) it’s a less expensive and far greater experience than any hotel - highly recommended way to go ! the owners live on the property ( which sounds like it could be weird) - but they held two parties for us - were very informative about the area and were lots of fun.
1. txakolina wine tasting at ea-astei
colours of spain likes to promote tourism for the euskadi region - and knowing they had a group of food + wine lovers - did just that. sommeliere & chefs from local restaurants came and tasted us on the local wine- txokolina ( which we were already fans of ) & tapas showcasing local ingredients & played for us their beautiful traditional music !
crab & roe tartlet - baccala & egg - foie gras & caramelized banana - leek tartlet - squab & caramelized onion ……and more !
2. procured basque ingredients from the various local farmers markets. cooking at “home” - drinking wine & relaxing into the evening was a great alternative to eating out every evening.
3. the painted forest of oma. a 1 1/2 mile hike up and into the forest - before coming upon the works of artist agustin ibarrola. 47 different works - figures that “appear ” and ” transform” as you move into the appointed spot for viewing. ” eyes of the past and the present” ‘horizontal, diagonal, vertical, the conceptual key to the curvature of the rainbow”. trip-y !
4. a tour of Lopez de Heredia. we have these wines on our list at FINO and decided we would like to tour this one winery. they are one of the oldest bodegas in rioja. keeping very traditional winemaking techniques for over 3 generations. they still make all their own barrels ( really unheard of) ( oak from usa - appalachia ! ). they are not afraid of ( and are known for ) aging their white (and rose) wines - for up to 10 years ! their winery has the deepest caves and the most serious ‘mold’ i’ve ever seen. the winery is a beautiful mix of very old with very modern tasting rooms and reception. ( i am still not a fan of their white wine - but i can better understand it ).
5. yes - of course . the guggenheim bilbao. frank gehry’s stunning architectural masterpiece built around a guggenheim collection. a real treat in and of itself. the collection was also - especially 5 pieces by richard serra and special exhibits by anish kapoor. just as great was jeff koon’s “puppy” !
6. museo eduardo chillida. very popular basque sculptor. the old restored farmhouse on the property housed some of his collection - others scattered around the beautiful property- others scattered around public spaces in major cities in spain.
7. san sebastian pintxo bars ! we spent a day in old town - thinking we would get back to this great city but never did. next time !
8. a swim in the bay of biscay ! cold & fabulous.
9. last 2 days in madrid. time for just one museum - it was the reina sofia. lots of spanish contemporary art - lots of my favorites including picasso - and his most famous guernica !
10. a new market in madrid - mercado de san miguel -that’s open early and closes late. combo of wine bars - oyster bar - caviar bar - charcuterie & cheese - lots of pintxo bars - dessert counters - on and on. it’s fantastic - we visited twice. also an easy place to get pick-pocketed - as one of us did. be aware.
this area obviously has lots to offer. we all would like to go back and explore even more. put it on your top 10 !
( see next 2 posts for area restaurants )
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