A swing by San Sebastian

We left Bilbao early today on a local train from Axturi station (just down the road from us in the old town) to arrive at Amara station in central San Sebastian at lunchtime. It's a Eusketran train, which is on a narrow gauge and so  it goes fairly slowly through gazillions of stations, and takes the best part of 3 hours. The bus is apparently quicker, but we'd have had to get to the bus station in central Bilbao somehow and Axturi was walkable in about 10 minutes - plus it cost the princely summer of just under 6 euros. This was one trip where I couldn't use my interrail pass, so the cheapo ticket was a bonus; apart from the industrial bits there was some pretty scenery, and the train was clean and modern even if the seats were a bit hard - no soft leather first class available.

We've only really come here as a stopover - Bilbao to Paris in one hit was too much of a stretch - but we're glad we did. Our accommodation again is slap in the middle of town, and really good value. The town if very pretty, quite well-heeled with lots of lovely shops, and the old town is full of restaurants and pinxto bars - plus tonight is happy hour when you can get a glass of wine and a pinxto for 2 euros so we'll be trying that out shortly. We both think that it's about time pinxtos came to London big time instead of the ubiquitous tapas. (Update - I ate what turned out to be the Basque equivalent of bacon and eggs with a red pepper and chips - a bit bizarre, not inedible though probably appropriate for this week's scare story about carcinogenic processed pork meat....)

We walked into the old town for a bite to eat after settling in and then walked around the headland near the aquarium. After ice cream we wandered along the beach to get some sand between our toes for the last time this year - the weather was glorious, the sand was soft and the Atlantic was fine for paddling though some braver souls were swimming.

I'm not sure there's a huge amount of interest here if you're not here en vacances for some sun and sand - even if we'd been desperate to, we've not managed to visit a single church this week as they all seem to be closed to visitors and here is no exception. There's an attractive cultural centre nearby (though with no indication of what cultural activities are currently on offer) and there are lots of pretty buildings so I think it's really a place for strolling and seasiding - a bit like Positano. However, it's a pleasant place for an overnight stay before an even earlier start for Hendaye tomorrow, and then a 6-hour journey to gay Paree for the final stop in my trip.

Art nouveau town square bandstand - ain't that pretty

Of course I'm looking forward to the final weekend - the last time I was in Paris in 1999 wasn't an especially happy visit - but believe it or not I'm also very happy about the prospect of coming home. I've loved (almost) every minute of my trip and I'm so very glad that all my plans more or less worked out to give me this great overview of the highlights of Europe. And if nothing else, it's convinced me how important it is that the UK remains an integral part of this wonderful continent in all its rich and infinite variety of culture, scenery and people.

But just as Neil said, two months is a long time away from home and normality. Living out of a suitcase, moving rapidly from place to place and eating out every day (really - don't I sound ungrateful) can lose their charm and sometimes take the edge off the excitement of discovering a new place and wondering at its sights and sounds. I think I've kept going on adrenalin, and I suspect I'm really quite tired - but I'm going to do my level best to keep up the energy level for our trip to Montmartre!

Bella artes in Bilbao

Today was perfect tourist weather, and we started with a quick look at the rather lovely market hall here - it was of course all kinds of foodstuffs that we couldn't buy (including some parts of animal carcass that I'd rather not have seen, to be honest - they really do use everything don't they?!) but it was a really clean and colourful building which made Borough look quite down at heel - though there wasn't as much variety in the counters on offer, at least today.

On to the tram, having managed to lose 5 euros in the ticket machine - grrr - we went to the Museo de Bella Artes for another dose of culture. Much more art to be seen that in the Guggenheim, mainly from Spanish artists, but some interesting stuff nonetheless, and there was a really great temporary exhibition of twentieth century posters, mainly the advertising variety. No photos allowed, but I managed to sneak a few while back were turned

Gris

Picasso

A 2m tall head by someone I can't remember

We went back to the same restaurant for lunch but managed to avoid the temptation of pintxos with something a bit healthier, and then went to find the Alhondiaga cultural centre that we hadn't been able to find the day before. It's been designed by Philippe Starck and so has a number of quirks including these columns in the main foyer (not sure if decorative or actually holding up the ceiling)

- and it seems like a big building with not much in it right now, but an interesting space nonetheless. As it was free entry we took in an exhibition of work by American feminist artist Judy Chicago - she reminded me a bit of Tracey Emin the way she puts herself out there, but her work is really varied (not all of it to my taste to b honest) and includes needlepoint work a bit like our own dear Grayson Perry's tapestries, and designing massive firework installations.

We walked through the city to the Zubi Zuri bridge (such a great name) and walked across its spongy surface to the other side of the river and the century-old funicular railway, to take us up Mont Artxanda for a really great view of the city and to see the sea out in the Bay of Biscay. On to San Sebastian tomorrow, just for half a day and overnight visit to give us an easier hop across the border to Hendaye and on to Paris by TGV on Friday.

Basquing in Bilbao

26-27 October

An early start to my day with a taxi to 8am train to Bilbao from Madrid Chamartin, which I guess would be a bit like Euston is to Kings' Cross if you compared it with Atocha, the rather magnificent mainline station I'd arrived at on Friday. The train was a bit late and the process isn't helped by the fact that you have to scan all your luggage before you get on a train (I can only presume at major stations) in Spain - guess that was probably introduced in the wake of the Madrid train bombing a few years back.

We made up the time though - a bit surprising as at times the train goes quite slowly through the mountainous northern terrain, but the scenery was fantastic in terms of colour contrasts - quite a different landscape of plains and mountains compared to Barcelona - Madrid. It's one of the reasons apparently they can't run the high-speed trains through the north just yet, as there are so many tunnels - so that was the reason why I was finding it difficult to plan my rail journey.

Although it was first class, there were no perks (what?!), but the journey was comfortable and I got chatting to the man opposite who was from Halifax originally and an ex-professional footballer whose brother, Frank Worthington was a rather more famous maverick soccer star in the 70s. Dave is now a scout for Leicester City, and gets to live in Barcelona and go all over Spain to watch football matches - I guess a dream job for some.

When we arrived in Bilbao I was greeted by this rather wonderful stained glass window

which was an early alert to the kind of sophisticated architectural style I could expect to see here. There are surprises around many corners - not so many in the Casco Viejo where we're staying (the old town) which is pretty and quaint in a different way, but just in my initial orientation wander I came across a number of wow factor buildings - there's a lot of colour too.

A minor station next to the main Abando

Mercada de la Ribera

Pension Matilde above a bank in old town

Casa Cune school

View along the Ribera

Kioska Arenal - a bandstand

Teatro Arrriaga 

I walked towards the Teatro across one of the many river bridges to get to the hotel, which is in a lovely old building in Calle Jardines, right in the heart of the old town. It's a nice old building, with wooden floors and of course yet again no lift - so I had to bump Nellie up several flights of stairs, and I'm now set on writing a very stern email to booking.com because when they advertise a property, it really should be clear if a lift is available or not. It's not just for a Nellie - anyone with a disability would have a lot of difficulty with some of the stairs in older properties. Rant over.

After I'd recovered and settled in, I went out for some very nice pinxtos for lunch with a glass of crisp white Rioja - and in fact Carol and I returned to the same bar later on for dinner, as she arrived about 8pm. We're quite hooked on pinxtos - it's like a buffet without the crisps and quiche and people being greedy.

As the weather this morning was dreadful (it wouldn't stop raining - Sicily all over again, but thankfully shorter-lived) we decided that the Guggenheim was our best bet, especially as only 10 minutes away on the tram. The building is marvellous - so fabulous that we went back this evening to  view it at night - though with some notable exceptions, we weren't especially impressed with the temporary exhibitions on offer, with the exception of some huge canvases by Alex Katz and an amazing massive moving digital image installation by Shahzia Sikander. There are some super-sized outdoor pieces - I did love Amish Kapoor's shiny silver balls, Jeff Koons' glossy tulips and floral puppy, who guards the front of the museum and has really become its mascot. Richard Serra's masterly and enormous steel structures (The Matter of Time) with their clever concept of optical illusion via flattened elilpses were just marvellous - funny and scary to walk through all at the same time.

Puppy with living pansies

Richard Serra's humungous steel sculptures - where am I?

Oh here I am!

And here's the Guggenheim curved ceiling - not a straight wall in the place

Shiny titanium cladding

Jeff Koons' luvverly bunch of tulips

Limestone and titanium

Puppy!

Inside the Guggenheim

Kapoor's daytime balls

and at night

After a pintxos lunch, we had a good wander round the new and old towns before a little rest at our hotel, and then heading out again on the tram to see the theatre all lit up. It was only open for ticket sales though, so we were denied a look any closer than the lobby.

and across town to the Guggenheim at night.

Fire fountain by Yves Klein

9m tall Maman by Louise Bourgeois, last seen at Tate Modern

The lovely sail-shaped and named Zubi Zuri bridge with the full moon behind it

We then went for a couple of  ridiculously cheap but good glasses of wine before a good dinner. The weather promises to be sunny and warmer tomorrow, so some more outdoor stuff will be on the agenda, including a trip up the funicular to the surrounding hills. It's all fairly compact here - much smaller than I'd imagined - so there's lots to see though maybe not do if you don't want to explore every church or museum in depth. I am at the stage now where my brain can't take too much more cultural referencing, and the proud Basque thing here means that there are lots of differences in spelling, with x and c thrown heavily into the pronunciation mix, so that my struggling Spanish is now almost completely drowning and pointing and miming are becoming an embarrassing necessity.

History lessons in Madrid

There are quite a lot of differences between Barcelona and Madrid, notably that the old town of Madrid is very hilly (whereas in Barcelona you have to head up to Montjuic or Parc Guell). I discovered this to my cost on arrival, when the man whom I thought to be a friendly taxi driver (I think he just couldn't be arsed with a small fare) told me I could walk to my hotel from Atocha station, failing to point out that it was uphill and I would probably need an iron lung by the time I got there.

Never mind - hotel is in a great location very close to Sol and Mayor and the major arty things. It's also well-equipped room and the staff are friendly. The other difference I've found is that fewer people speak English here so I am struggling a bit and having to resort to the Google translator app. I am very embarrassed, and unfortunately it results in my carefully-rehearsed speech coming out as total gibberish. My French is masterful in comparison, though no doubt this time next week I will be berating Parisians for having no patience with me.

Another bonus is that behind Atocha is the Plaza del Angel area, which is a warren of little streets with lovely restaurants and bars - it's very buzzy and provides me places to eat within walking distance of the hotel

With some notable exceptions though, I'm finding poorer service. I also had a bit of a shock yesterday in the Munch exhibition at the Thyssen foundation when I received a very sharp poke between the shoulder blades from a young female museum "guard", because I went to take a picture of something I shouldn't - a genuine mistake which a gentle hand on the shoulder would've prevented just as well. (And of course I'd seen other people doing it who didn't get the same hostile treatment.)

However, I'm liking Madrid a lot though think I'd probably be inclined to return when I had someone to share the nightlife with, and I'd also need to be less knackered to enjoy it. Doing 29000 steps yesterday (apparently that's about 22km) meant that by 9pm I really had to drag myself around to find dinner, and then had to choose somewhere in a hurry that turned out to be pricey and very carniverous! (though charming waiters)

 I'd started the day by taking a walking tour from Plaza Mayor with a very lively guide who seemed to have a really comprehensive historical understanding of the city, but was a bit too fond of the sound of his own voice (actually that's the case with all the Sandeman's tours I've done - they do try very hard to entertain and that's fine but sometimes a more understated delivery would be nice!)

I had a veggie lunch at a restaurant in a square in La Latina. There was a fantastic mariachi band doing the rounds of the area - they were so joyous and made a fabulous noise. I then walked and walked - saw the Don Quixote statue among other notable buildings and squares, and made the mistake of going down Calle Mayor, Madrid's version of Oxford Street - many of the shops were the same too!

I'd finished the day by getting a free first viewing of Picasso's Guernica at the Museo Reina Sofia which is an amazing place. A really good thing about Madrid is that you can get in here and the Praedo museum for free later in the day. Guernica is amazing - there is so much movement in it as well as the savagery - and as I couldn't take a photo I bought a fridge magnet instead.

Man Ray's Indestrucible Object with the eye of Lee Miller

Two months on from writing this I've realised I didn't finish Madrid properly. On the Sunday, I remember going to the market at Rastro and buying a few presents, and then went for a walk in the lovely Parque del el Retiro and saw the "crystal palace" and the fountains at Monumento Alfonso. I also went to the Caixa Forum cultural centre where I saw this amazing living wall next to it.

and back to the Museo Reina Sofia to take another look at Guernica and a closer look at the things I'd only scanned the day before because I was a bit cultured out! I seem to remember a disappointing dinner with a sniffy waiter which was a shame as a finale.


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