I bought my Trenhotel high-speed night-train ticket several months ago, sitting in my freezing flat in Wellington, hunched over my laptop and under 3 layers of clothing and a rug, at the time heart in mouth as I attempted to navigate Renfe's site in Spanish to book myself a sleeper compartment and not a seat … Continue reading Night Train to Lisbon (Porto)
San Sebastián (Spanish) or Donostia (Basque) lies on the coast of the Bay of Biscay, 20 km (12 miles) from the French border, and an hour and a half travel time from Bilbao via bus. The city is well-known for its Basque food and art culture; holding numerous food festivals and an annual international film … Continue reading San Sebastian
When I arrived in Bilbao, I was somewhat bemused to discover that pintxos (pinchos) bars are not the flashy trendy cafe style establishments I imagined. They can be - especially around plazas, but generally pintxos are found at most bars and some cafes in Bilbao and San Sebastian. Pintxos are like a small open-faced sandwich … Continue reading Pintxos in Basque country
Travelling to Bilbao was one of my longest travel days yet, and involving 2 planes, 2 buses, a ferry and a train. I left Hydra at 1:35pm on Sunday - getting into Piraeus at just after 4pm (plenty of time in case my ferry sailing got cancelled, or I got caught up in strikes, protests … Continue reading Bilbao
