The Rain In Spain Falls.......

I think there is an old song that goes something like..."The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain"..... we are here to tell you that this is a myth...it all fell on San Sebastián this morning...and most of it was horizontal!

When we left the apartment it was a bit overcast..I convinced Lesley to take her small travel umbrella, just in case! Within 10 minutes the sky turned a nasty dark grey, the wind came howling in off the sea, the rain started hitting us from an almost horizontal angle.....Lesley's umbrella committed suicide as it opened, it totally disintegrated. Within minutes we were soaked.

Here Comes The Rain

We walked on for about ten minutes thinking we could not get any wetter, the trouble was, we were. We came across this very warm and inviting coffee shop, so we went in and grabbed a table...what a good find!! Great cakes and coffee, and a great selection of herbal teas to keep Lesley very happy....I have to say their selection of chocolate covered cakes is great, and the ones I have tasted......yum!

The Great Coffee Shop..We Have To Get It's Name!

After the rain had subsided we were off to explore the local food market.

The Farmers Stalls - Outside

Fresh Fish Art!!

Pintxos Bar In The Market

But it was far too cold, and we were still not quite dry...so it was back to the room for a while.

Looking Out To Sea...Really Cold Here!

Crossing The River

Tonight things picked up a bit, the weather cleared, and using recommendations by the staff at the apartment we headed into the old town just across the river. We went to a great Pintxos bar near the cathedral, called Atari....the staff were very friendly, the place had a great atmosphere, and the food was fantastic. We were quite amused to see how popular Gin and Tonis are here.....it is worth ordering to watch the making process...it is quite an art form, they addeed juniper berries, twists of lemon and orange rind, but it is the preparation that is so entertaining...great.

The Cathedral At Night

Atari Pintxos Bar

Pintxos Ready To Eat

Two Large Gins and Tonics Basque Style

So here are a number of photos of what we ate tonight, I can tell you that every dish was delicious!!

A Selection Of Pintxos To Get Started

Slow Cooked Beef Cheeks and Mash...Just The Best!

Teriyaki Beef..Fantastic Tastes

Dessert and Pedro Ximinez Sherry

So after a good night out, good food, and just a great place to be we headed back over the river to the apartment.

Christmas Decorations Starting To Appear

Views Over The River To The Old Town

So what started off as a wet dismal day turned out to be a really good day.

 

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Off To San Sebastián

Well, it was one of those busy travel days again today. It all started in the early hours...we left the hotel, walked passed the prostitutes who appeared to be offering a couples discount, down to the bus stop just 10 minutes down the road......onto the bus to the airport....the usual check-in, passport checks, waiting at the gate, then onto the plane.

We only had a short one hour flight to Bilbao airport......and we were so lucky...it was incredibly clear, and we had the most spectacular views across the snow capped mountains of the Pyrenees.

 

Fantastic Views

We had a half hour wait at Bilbao for our bus, so we grabbed one of those beautiful meals you can always find at airports and waited for the bus.

The bus trip took us through some of the most beautifully hilly, green countryside imaginable....but with some of the most ugliest buildings we have ever seen...what a shame.

After an hour we pulled into San Sebastián, and had a short walk along the river to our accommodation at Pension Aida....we have got the best looking room for the greatest price, and close to everything.

Our Place For The Next Week

After settling in, we went to a nearby Pintxos bar, Bodega Donastiarra, that had been recommended by Jokin on reception.......what a great place...we had our first experience getting Pintxos..not that hard..just point!!

Great Pintxos Bar, Bodega Donastiarra

After a great feed we went for a quick walk along the river before going back to the apartment.

Great Night River Views Of San Sebastián

It's early days yet, but we think we are going to love it here!!

 

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The Ultimate Seafood Meal

A few days ago, while walking throught the market, Lesley noticed a group of people sat outside one of the restaurants, and they were eating one of the best looking seafood platters we have ever seen. So today it was Seafood Platter for 2 day!!!!

We found the El Cochinello Loco, and it was very busy, just one table for two available......the gods were smiling on us today.

Looking throught the front window into the kitchen area just made your mouth water....so much fresh seafood....we must have looked like Homar Simpson impersonators......both drooling and having that glazed look in our eyes.

The great thing everything is cooked fresh as you order it...you can actually watch them prepare your meal!

Looking Through The Front Window

The Kitchen

We ordered the Grilled Seafood Platter for Two, and only had to wait a short while before it was place down in front off us.

That's Our Lunch On The Hotplate!!

The dish was stacked high with 3 types of fish, mussells, langoustine, prawns, pippis, crab claws, lobster....oh I have to stop my mouth is watering again!!!! Would you believe this meal only cosy 50 euros, what a bargain!

Someone Is Looking Very Happy!!!

What A Meal!!!

If you are ever in Barcelona and looking for the best seafood meal...then head to La Boqueria Market and look out for El Cochinillo Loco....fantastic.

After a beautiful lunch we headed into the market looking for dessert, we found it, handmade chocolates!!!!

Chocolates As Far As The Eye Can See!

Tonight we were still too full from lunch to eat anything so we went out for a walk to find something light to eat. Not far away from our hotel and in the Gothic area we found the highly recommended Granja La Pallaresa...the best place to get Hot Chocolate and Churros!

Chocolate Lovers Heaven...Granja La Pallaresa

Now That Is A Thick Chocolate Drink!!!

It did not take much to fill us up again....the chocolate was so thick!!!

So, what a great day, but what exactly had we achieved? A small amount of weight gain I would imagine .....But it was worth it!!

 

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Touring Barcelona, The Rest Of It

The rest of the bus tour was enjoyable, but not as good as the first part....I think that we were spoilt by seeing most of Gaudi's buildings and gardens at the beginning of the tour. After leaving Park Guell we continued on what the tour company referred to as the Blue Tour Route. This took us past quite a few old churches and monastries.....by this time we were both starting to feel the cold from sitting at the top level of the open roof bus!!!

Soon we were making our way south and passed the Palau Reial Pavellons Guell which is a complex of buildings in the neighborhood of Pedralbes in Barcelona. Gaudí was commissioned to remodel the house and build a perimeter wall with gates....you cannot see the gates that well in my photo taken from the bus, but you will have to trust me...they are amazing and have a big metal scuptured dragon on them. Not long after we were driving past the famed Camp Nou, the home of Barcelona Football Club.....I continue to hope and dream that West Ham could be half as good as this lot!

The Entry To Palau Reial Pavellons Guell

Camp Nou

After a while we got to Placa de Francesc Macia, our changeover point from the Blue to the Red Route. The Blue Route was near its finish, were as this was the start point to the Red Route ..... taking us further south to the coast. It may have been a beautiful sunny day, but there was a coolness in the air that was being amplified on the bus top deck...it was good to just stand in a sunny spot waiting for the next bus for a while.

The Beautiful Buildings At Placa de Francesc Macia

When we boarded the Red Route bus Lesley opted for the warmer downstairs option while I persisted with the cooler upstairs option......mad fool! We decided to just take in sites and not get off the bus...the cold was taking its hold. We went past the popular family park at Parc Espanyol Industrial that apparently has a lovely boating lake, but you know the story.....too cold, not getting off!

The Outside of Parc Espanyol Industrial

The Old Barcelona Bull Fighting Ring

It was good to hear that the bull fighting ring is now only used for concerts and events, no more bull fighting!

The next area we went into had a number of art galleries and museums. The drive down Avinguda Reina Maria Christina towards the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya is really impressive and is dominated by the museum and roman columns at the end of the road.

Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya

Caixa Forum Art Gallery

Next we were in a lovely tree lined road, climbing quite a steep hill at the back of the Museu Nacional d'Art de Cataluny, and we kept getting amazing glimpses of the city below....boy you had to be fast on the shutter...you guessed it...I wasn't!

Steep Tree Lined Road

The Back Of Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya

At the top of the hill we were amongst the 1992 Olympic Stadiums...it is hard to believe it is over 20 years since Barcelona hosted the games.....it all looks so new and pristine here.

Calatrava Tower In The Middle Of The Olympic Complex

The Main Stadium and Flame Cauldron

We then headed down into the Barcelona dock and coast area, and towards our exit point from the tour. I headed down the stairs very slowly, so that none of my frost bitten extremities would fall off!!!!! Lesley was sat the beautifully warm....er.....cold lower part of the bus...the heaters were not working!!!!

So we jumped off the bus at the southern most end of Las Ramblas and headed north to out hotel.

The Southern End Of Las Ramblas

Great Old Buildigs

As we walked up Las Ramblas we came across a nice little artists outdoor market, some amazing people acting as statues and wearing the most incredible outfits.

Amazing Human Statues

Las Ramblas Artist Market

The Famous Old Dragon Umbrella Shop Sign

We turned off Las Ramblas and headed into the Gothic area with one thing on our mind...we needed something to warm us up, and we found it in one of the first small bars we passed.....hot chocolate and churros....yum.

Hot Chocolate and Churros

We came out of the Churros shop and noticed a fancy street with an arched building at the end leading into a very nice square...Placa Reial. It was surrounded by restaurants on all sides.....we decided it was back here for dinner!! In the meantime it was back to the hotel room to warm up some more.

Looking Towards Placa Reial

The Beautiful Placa Reial

It was good to rest up in a nice warm room for a while...the only thing disturbing us was the sound of rumbling stomachs, we were both getting very hungry!!

As darkness fell we were entering Placa Reial to the sound of speeches and music, not sure what it was all about but thee small marching brass band were very entertaining.

Little Brass Band

We quickly walked around the menu boards of a number of restaurants, but the one that got our vote was Les Quinze Nits.....as it turned out, a very good choice.....it looked great from the outside, was very nice inside, the staff were good as was the food!!

Les Quinze Nits Restaurant

Lovely Setup Inside

We were both starving and for once easily got through three good sized courses off very tasty food.

Bring It On.....Great Food.

Afterwards, I was glad we only had a short walk back to the hotel...feeling quite full and very tired.

Well, today has been a massive day, but a very good one. I think we both agree that being a fully fledged tourist on a cool Barcelona day is hard work..........you try taking good photos when you are shivering!!!

 

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