Biscay to Bordeaux Food for Naught or very close to it.

We left Burgos on a cold wet morning and headed northwest across the high plateau that leads to the north coast of Spain. We crossed the Ebro Valley and through the countless road tunnels that have been delved beneath the Monte Vascos, the Basque Mountains, the western extension of the Pyrenees that eventually becomes the Cantabrian Mountains or Picos de Europe. This unbroken chain of peaks stretches from the Mediterranean all the way to the Atlantic coast. Our destination was San Sebastian on the Bay of Biscay. It is an old fishing village that became a 19^thCentury resort town. It was modelled after the French costal city of Biarritz but there the similarity ends. It may have been established first but Biarritz is an imposter in a cheap suit with a bad haircut compared to San Sebastian. An ageing hooker in stilettos dressed in faux Dior and Louis Vuitton enticing you with sensual perfume and cosmetic looks.

San Sebastian is the real deal. A beautiful costal resort on a sweeping curve of golden sand. The architecture is Spanish Colonial with chiselled stone and wrought iron. The streets are tree lined and the boulevards along the seafront are wide and there are plazas with fountains everywhere. Tucked hard against the eastern hillside that protect the city from the north wind is the much older old port and town. The streets here are narrow but regularly laid out in a grid pattern. The buildings are plain, their stone faces weathered by the march of time time and the wrath of a marine climate, yet still well kept by a proud maritime folk. Here, away from the commercial hustle, there are dozens of local bars, cafes and restaurants. The food, wine and beer are outstanding and virtually every one is packed with customers. Just walk in and see what is lined up along the bar. A profusion of delectable bite size tapas sit along its length. Ask for a plato and pick what your stomach desires. Then choose your drink and pay. A half a dozen tapas, beer and wine for less than 20 Euro. Don't like what you see just try next door or down the next street there will be somewhere to entice you with fresh seafood, cured meats, sausages, omelettes, vegetarian, steak, bbq skewers of chicken, pork or beef. The variety and quality is outstanding.

The city is split by the Urumea River. The main town lies to the west and comprises two beachfronts La Concha and Ondarreta separated by high rocky outcrop on which is built the Miramar Palace, a former royal residence. Across the river to the east is Zurriola beach which fronts the newest part of the town. It is a pretty fair surfing beach given that it fronts the Bay of Biscay and there are plenty of local surfers here who rip just as well as any Aussie. This place is truly awesome. I had hoped for less and ended up with way, way more than I could have imagined. A truly stunning town that is a pleasure to be in.

We stay four days then headed back into France to begin the long diagonal route back to the Rhine and Germany. Bordeaux was our next stop. We have been here before twice. Once on our first trip but we didn't stay long and the second time was just an overnight on the way back to London in a desperate hurry for a medical procedure that is the subject of a previous blog post. This time we stayed four days and loved every minute of it. They say Lyon is a gourmet city and it's true it is. But Bordeaux is a close second or even an equal. This is a great city to embrace. Everything about it is outstanding, the wines, the food, the sights, the transport, the shopping, the sport, the buzz of just hanging out in a bar, cafe or intimate restaurant. Whether in the popular well trodden plazas or some hidden away square by an antiquated gothic church under the shade of ancient trees. Or in a tiny restaurant where the tables are squeezed together like Tetris blocks enjoying a splendid glass of white and the most delicious quiche at ridiculously cheap prices. We didn't try the Croque in case it was better than Lyon's finest. Even the patchy weather, couldn't spoil this place's charm. But all good thing come to an end, even the sunny days and as the rain came down we set off on the long journey across the centre of France.