Euskeda and the like....

Pais Vasco (The Basque Country) is one of my favorite parts of Spain. I had only been to San Sebastian once before, but I always wanted to go back especially when the weather was nice. Javi and I decided to take a trip to Pais Vasco, when I returned to Spain at the beginning of September, since neither of us had really visited there before and what better to escape the heat of Valladolid, but to go to a place on the northern coast of Spain. The weather was gorgeous, but we didn't escape the heat, however it was still a great trip.
We spent two days in Bilbao, then on our was to San Sebastian we stopped in a small village called Zarautz, then spent our final two days of the trip in San Sebastian. Enjoy the beautiful views!

Bilbao
Plaza Moyua which is in the center of the city. There were a lot of families here as well as people with their pets.
Javi and I in Plaza Moyua. Can you spot the husky in the fountain?

Bilbao is beautifully decorated. There is so much vegetation and colors all around.

Bilbao has a beautiful park full of ponds, benches, grassy areas to sit down on and the perfect place to take a walk.
Behind me is the Ria de Bilbao. Our first day in Bilbao Javi and I explored the city. We spent most of the afternoon walking around and taking in the sights. In the evening we met up with his good friend Javier and his girlfriend Justine to eat pinxtos for dinner. Pinxtos are one of the things that the Pais Vasco is known for which are similar to tapas.
On our second day we spent the morning at the Guggenheim which turned out to be interesting. We aren't enthusiasts of modern art, but there were some exhibits that we really enjoyed.
I just love this dog! It reminds me of clifford. :)
One of the outside exhibits.
The bridge behind the Guggenheim.
The back part of the Guggenheim. After visiting the Gugge, we went over to Javier's house for a home cooked meal.

We went out again for dinner. Here we are in the plaza mayor of Casco Viejo (the old town) with Justine and Javier.

Zarautz

The thrid day of our trip was spent in the village of Zarautz. The beach was just absolutely beautiful and I fell in love with the little town. It seems that many people have vacation homes here and spend part of the summer away from their city. The beach and promenade was filled with people. We enjoyed a very nice lunch on a terrace looking out onto the ocean.
Javi and I in front of the ocean.
I believe these are changing rooms for visitors at the beach.

San Sebastian

Plaza de la Constitucion, the main square in San Sebastian.
Playa Zurriola, aslo known as the surfer's beach. It has a beautiful promenade to walk on.
As we ventured out into the city I decided this is where I'd like my vacation home to be...haha. It is a small city, but very beautiful and right on the Cantabrian Sea.
A nice little pond in the middle of a plaza.
The cathedral of San Sebastian.
The cathedral's plaza. San Sebastian is just as green and colorful as Bilbao.
Playa de la concha (Shell beach).
Javi and I with playa de la concha and Monte Urgull behind us. Later that day we hiked up to the top of the mountain where this is a giant statue of Jesus.
El Palacio Miramar, we weren't allowed to enter, but we walked around the grounds because it was very beautiful.
On a porch behind the palace.
This is where our hike started up the Monte Urgull, you can see playa de la concha in the distance.
This is one of the gorgeous views we had from the hike.
This is the entrance into the castle Urgull which is on the mountain.
One of the battery stations of the old castle.
After our climb up the mountain we watched the sunset and looked out onto the sea.
Our last day in San Sebastian. I couldn't resist taking a picture of Javi in his shirt. :)

Hope you enjoyed the pictures! Sorry for the delay.
xoxo Celeste