Friday November 8, 2024

Crossing a bridge from Spain into France, we did not have to clear customs.  We were coming over land within the European Union. Leaving our commuter train, we walked 200 metres to the Henday train station. Our Henday Spain to Bordeaux France train was showing on time, departing in one-hour. We found a park bench and had our picnic lunch in the November noon time sun. 

The French train left right on time and we arrived in Bordeaux as scheduled. From the train station we took the local tram and then walked five-minutes to our new apartment. After checking-in, we visited the local market and picked up some supplies for the next few days.

Moroccan food in France…why not?

As we were wandering, we passed a Moroccan restaurant which sounded appetizing for dinner. At our apartment, we checked it out. Despite having good reviews and scores, the last two reviews commented on seeing a mouse. Fortunately, there was another Moroccan restaurant nearby that actually had better reviews. This was a place that you did not leave hungry. 

The restaurant was a prix-fixe. Your only choice was the main course. The options were many. Just about every tagine you could imagine, from lamb to kofta, to veggie. Once you chose your main, you could go up to the appetizer table. There were at least 30 appies. Salads, hummus, olives, breads, and so much more. One trip to this appie bar was not enough for either of us. The waiter watched as we, along with everyone else, made multiple trips to the salad bar. Once it appeared we were done with salads, our main courses came.

There were delicious and filling. For me, there’s something about slow cooked tagines, with dried fruit, nuts, spices, herbs and meat that is irresistible. Finishing our mains, we headed to the desert table. Oh my. There were at least 40 different deserts as well as cut up fresh fruit. How could you try all of them? I settled on a number of them as well as baklava. We certainly left full and satisfied. 

Saturday November 9, 2024

We started with an early morning walk around Bordeaux. Not much was open at 9AM. Even most coffee shops were closed. We had the place almost to ourselves. In the afternoon, we took a wine tasting excursion to Saint Emillion. 

Ahhhh, wine in France. It is almost a religion. In fact, during the Middle Ages, we learned Abbey’s had to welcome pilgrims with wine. Maybe that makes up for the lack of plumbing  We headed out on our tour and drove the hour to St. Emillion. There, we had tour of the town and then some time on our own. It seemed logical to do a tasting on our own which we did.

Then the tour took us to an estate where we toured the facilities and learned about their process. Then…you guessed it…we did a wine tasting on the estate. We sampled two of their house made wines. 

This tour was really well done. It was put on by the Bordeaux tourist centre. As a half day tour (13:30 – 18:30) it was great time wise and you really didn’t need much more. Returning home, we picked up some take-away food and ate a relaxing meal in our apartment. 

Sunday November 10, 2024

Fresh off our wine tour, we decided to learn more about this delightful drink. We headed over to the Cite du Vin centre. It is advertised as a place where you can “Embark on an interactive and sensory experience”. They were accurate on that. We spent over four hours there (the suggested time is one hour). There were displays on grapes, the wine regions of France as well as other wine areas. They highlighted food and wine pairing. Displays on the history of wine, from the Pharos to the Middle Ages to today. The audio guide was in various languages, so we understood everything. At the end you travelled up to the eighth floor where you had a tasting of a wine of your choice enjoyed with a panoramic view of the historic city of Bordeaux and the river.

Dinner that night was a local restaurant that we found online, despite being the off-season, reservations were essential. As we arrived, we noticed the sign out front said ‘complete’ (full in English). We had a scrumptious three course meal that left us very full. Walking back to our apartment, under a ¼ moon, we were certainly enjoying our time in Bordeaux. 

Monday November 11, 2024

We marked today with reflection of what November 11^th means. About half of the business were closed today. Bordeaux, like all of France was occupied during the war. After liberation, things started to return to normal, including the production of wine. 

We then headed to the river to take a scenic cruise along the Garonne River. Being France, the cruise came with a glass of wine, which was most welcome on a cool windy day. Sailing down river towards the Atlantic Ocean, we learned about the buildings, ships and history of the city. The view from the water was quite different than the shore and we enjoyed our tour.

We spent the rest of the day getting ready for our travel to Tours, about two hours away by train.

Tuesday November 12, 2024

We went for a walk in the morning and then we returned to our apartment. The host arrived at 11 and we talked for about 10 minutes and then headed to the train. After the five-minute walk to the tram station, we saw a tram pull up, which was good timing. The tram took us to the train station and, after struggling with ramps, underground passages et al, found our coach. We did not pay to reserve seats, so in the morning, we were assigned seats in a quad group. While we both had windows, we were facing each other. That meant one of us faced backwards. 

As I was tired, Meg took the view seat and I ended up falling asleep during a podcast 

Friday November 15, 2024

The Loire Valley is known for its Chateaus’. There are too many to visit without being “Chateau-ed out”. Reading about the choices, we decided to visit Charmeanu first. It is the quasi essential French Chateau. It’s on the river, has the classic arches you see in post cards, large grounds and of course, history.

We had looked at buying tickets online as there was notations on some websites they sell out some times. There are blocks of 70 tickets for sale, every 15-minute has a block. The first block, for 9:45 had 66 tickets left. There were 70 tickets for each block after that until 14:30 when there were only 65 tickets. Considering the time of year, we didn’t see the need to pre book.

As we arrived, we walked down the main street leading to the Chateau and there was not a sole in sight. This made for excellent pictures. Given that there would likely be more people later in the day, we raced through the Chateau to get pictures without others in the background. As we finished our first pass of the Chateau, a tour bus pulled up and there were a few more people about. 

Every Chateau has an in-depth history

Taking an in-depth look, we discovered and learned a lot. This Chateau, which is on the river, played a essential role during WWII. The river was the line of demarcation between Vichy and Free France. The Resistance used the Grand Hall of Chateau, which was an enclosed bridge that crossed the river, as a way of moving equipment across. Of course, this had risks and some were caught. 

During Great War, the Chateau’s owner, at his own cost, converted the Grand Hall to a hospital. There, the injured were treated and convalesced. By the end of the war, some 2,600 soldiers had been treated there.

There were a number of paintings and tapestries. Most of these were originals and, surprisingly, they were, for the most part, not behind glass. Some of the tapestries had seen better days, however being 300 – 800 years old, that is understandable. Tapestries were mobile art back in the day. When the Royal court moved, the tapestries moved with them. They would then be hung up on the wall of the temporary lodging, be it a Chateau or other suitable place. Then, when the group moved on, they were taken down, packed in cabinets, and moved to the next location. 

The Chateau also had vines in various places. This is France of course and that means wine. Today there is still a small winery on the grounds. As any good winery would have it, they offered tastings. The tasting were done in the cave, which has been storing wine since the 1600’s. All three of the selections, rose, white and red were wonderful.

Saturday November 16, 2024

Today was a planned down day. Laundry, walking, talking and taking it easy were the aims of today. Window shopping as well as visiting stores to take in the local scene. A long walk along the river gave us the view of the Loire that great. 

Sunday November 17, 2024

Our plan for today was to visit Amboise Chateau, the local chateau. This residence is not actually on the water, it’s a bit up from the river. The elevated height gives it a commanding view of the river in both directions. All the better for collecting tolls back in the day. Remember, there are only two things that are certain in life, taxes being one of them. As we bought our tickets, we asked the clerk how busy the Chateau was. He told us that he had only sold six other tickets that morning. 

As we entered the Chateau, the ‘Keep’ or entry room, had a roaring fire going. This was very welcome as it was an unseasonably cold day with clouds. The Chateau was very well done, and although it was the smallest of the three grounds we visited in the Lorie valley, it was charming. All of the rooms we visited were done up in period. There was furniture and displays. We were provided with an iPad that allowed you to virtually see the room as it was in either the 1500’s or 1800’s, depending on which room. 

Technology meets history with interactive iPads.

Once inside the room, with the iPad activated, there were characters who provided further information on the meaning of the room. Back in the day, the Chateau owner held meetings, banquets, et al. Of course, no one wanted to be outdone, so the banquets were grand affairs. 

On the exterior terraces, we were fortunate enough to get a burst of sun for some pictures. In the distance we noted an open-air market, which we thought would be a good place for lunch. Heading down the equivalent of about five or six flights of stairs, we were back into the city. 

Once outside, we headed home for to warm up and then off to the market. Similar to other markets in France, this one ended at 13:00, which was the time we arrived. There were still some merchants selling, but most were packing up. Despite this, we managed to get some treats and vin-a-chaud to warm us up. 

For dinner, we disagreed on where to eat. In the end we decided to have a tagine as it was still cold. Regrettably, despite the restaurant’s positive reviews, this was likely the worst meal we had. Not only in France, but on our entire trip. Bland chicken with about 40 olives and one small piece of potato. We skipped desert and headed home, knowing you can’t always hit a home run.

Monday November 18, 2024

I headed out at 8 AM to find some baked goods for our breakfast. Similar to the restaurants, most bakeries were closed on Monday. I passed one that was open, however, based on reviews, I had been trying to avoid it. After walking around the small town for 20-minutes, I gave up and went to the poorly rated one. 

For the record, this bakery was rated 2.4/5 on Google, which is pretty low. Reading the comments, most people said the food and pastries were good, but the service was horrible. The reviews were 100% accurate. I would call the middle-aged lady who was working there “Grumpy-puss”. She was so dour. I purchased our pain-au-raisins and bolted. 

We headed off for Chateau Chambord, the largest chateau in the region. The drive was about 55-minutes on pleasant rural French roads, with very little traffic. Similar to other Chateaus’, we pretty much had the place to ourselves. While there were people around, most times, if you waited a minute or so, you could have the room to yourself. 

We spent 3 ½ hours touring the Chateau. There were a number of highlights. The double helix staircase in the centre of the chateau was interesting. To truly see it work, Meg went up one set of stairs and I went up the other. There were windows every few steps and we waved at each other as we climbed up the levels. 

Art is alway appreciated in France

Another highlight was two paintings by Botticelli. Now I do not profess to be an expert on art, nor do I know “who’s who” in the art world. That said, both paintings were of the Virgin Mary holding a young Jesus, who was reaching out to a young John the Baptist. They didn’t do it for me, however I can say I’ve seen them.

We returned to Amboise, where we warmed up our pizza we had bought the night before. Since most places were closed on Monday, we ordered a takeaway pie night before. The pizza warmed up was amazing. We could only imagine how heavenly it would have been had we eaten it fresh. It was one of the best thin crust pizzas’ I’ve ever eaten.

Fortunately, we ordered a large pizza, and that, along with fresh baguette with cheese, was a great dinner that evening. I don’t think I needed to mention the French wine… And that, was our time in Amboise. A delightful town, however heavily geared towards tourists. 

Thanks for reading, feel free to leave any comments or reach out through the contact page below.

Saturday November 2^nd, 2024

Travelling by bus from Pamplona to Bilboa, we had to change buses in San Sebastian. The bus terminal there is total chaos, but in an organized way. Buses pull in and passengers get off. Within 15 minutes, a new load of passengers gets on and the bus takes off. As we travelled along the highway, I managed to get some work done and Meg looked out the window. 

Arriving in Bilboa, we walked the 10 minutes to our hotel and were happy with the room assignment. A large room with two large bay windows overlooking a park and the theater. Exploring on foot, we wandered along the river to the Guggenheim Museum and found “The Spider”. For those who are unaware, there are a number of huge spider statues throughout the world. Some are permanent and some are rotating. We’ve seen three of the permanent ones. Ottawa, Tokyo and now Bilboa. There is one in Doha, Qatar, that we somehow missed when we were there in January. I guess it’s a reason to go back. 

Needing a break from restaurants, crowds and noise, we ordered take-away for dinner and ate in our room. Having the window open with warm air flowing in was delightful. We listened to the music from the park and the general happiness of the warm night. It was certainly not gourmet, but it was just what we needed. 

Sunday November 3^rd, 2024

Bilboa was a hold out during the Civil war and some of the fighting took place on “the hill”. There is a funicular up the hill and we decided to get to it early. Going up at 8:30, we were the only people in our car. No one got in the way of our selfies! Once at the top, we saw Bilboa from above and watched the city come to life as the sun creeped over the mountains. 

After exploring the mountain top, we returned down and found a pastry shop for breakfast. Then we wandered the town and enjoyed the overall atmosphere.

Later in the day, towards sunset, we returned to the funicular and headed back up the mountain to see it during golden hour. It was neat to see the sun fade and all the lights come on. 

Monday November 4, 2024

We left Bilboa and headed to the famous San Sebastian. While the bus ride was only an hour, we enjoyed travelling along the coast line, seeing numerous villages. Once in San Sebastian, we settled into our apartment and headed out to explore. 

We were only a two-minute walk to the boardwalk and beach where we could see the Bay of Biscay, green trees covering the local hills and wonderful architecture. 

Tuesday November 5, 2024

Our first full day in San Sebastian and we had lucked out with the weather. The high was forecast at 24C, 7C above normal and not a cloud in the sky. We did a walking tour to learn what about the area and history. This was one of the best walking tours we have ever taken. 

Discussions about the Spanish Royal family, the history of the Basques, the Civil war were all intriguing. The Basques have a distinct identity. Not Spanish and not French. They are Basques -and proud of it. During the years of Franco, the culture was repressed and speaking the Basque language was an automatic execution. Things have improved since then. 

The Basques have always been excellent sailors. They also know their way around the kitchen, as is evidenced by the great restaurants and pinchos you find on every corner.

When our tour was over, we found some recommended pinchos, away from the tourist area. Then, I headed to the beach for a swim. The water was “refreshing”, but in a good way. It is pretty impressive to be swimming in the Atlantic Ocean on Nov 5^th in northern Spain. While the water was not as warm as I might have liked, I certainly was not the only one swimming. 

Wednesday November 6, 2024

We were up early today and after taking pictures of the high tide, headed out on a hike. Urgull 

Hill was the highest point and main fortification of San Sebastian back in the 1500’s. There are still cannons, and old walls on the mountain. Climbing up, we got amazing views of the harbour and two of the beaches. 

Later in the afternoon, we headed out on another pincho run. This time to a cider house. Basque cider is unique. It’s not carbonated, so they have developed a trick. The bartender took our glasses and held them about 6’ from a huge barrel of cider. Then he opened a small spigot and let the cider come flying out into the glass. Hitting the glass, the cider “foamed” up, giving it a hint of bubbles. The glasses are not filled very high, necessitating frequent visits to the bar where gossip is exchanged. It works for them. 

Thursday November 7, 2024

We ventured to Getaria today. It’s a small town, about an hour from San Sebastián. There are local buses that run on a regular schedule between all the cities in the Basque area. We tried to use our Bilbao transit card, but it would not work, despite the web page saying it would. 

When we arrived, we headed into the town and were impressed by the huge church. Then we explored the town, which didn’t really have much to it. Deciding to get a better view, we hiked up the local hill where we saw great views. In the distance we could see some of San Sebastian’s buildings as well as the Atlantic Ocean. 

Returning down the hill, we stopped for a pastry on the main street and watched life go by. The locals certainly have their routines. Since we did not bring our swimsuits, we were not able to take advantage of the beach and we headed back to San Sebastián. 

Friday November 8, 2024

This was our last morning in San Sebastián and I headed out for an early morning walk to the palace and gardens. The city was just waking up and there were the customary lines at coffee and pastry shops. The promenade was busy with early morning walkers and joggers and I found the beach almost totally deserted. 

Walking along the beach, I made my way to the gardens. As it was November, there were not really any flowers, mostly grassy lawns with bare earth patches where flowers likely are in season. There were a number of signs about the palace, the Royal Family et al. The building is now a city asset and used for the film festival in September, as well as other official events.

On to France!

We made our way to the local train station and then took a commuter train from San Sebastián to Hendaye France. It was a 35-minute train ride and once we arrived, we found the French train station, only 200 metres away. Our Henday – Bordeaux train was showing on time, departing in one-hour. We found a park bench and had our picnic lunch in the noon time sun.  

Our thoughts on Spain, this time…

Several people had told us not to judge Spain based only on Barcelona – which we don’t particularly care for. (Much as Canada shouldn’t be judged based only on Toronto). We are so glad that we took their advice and explored a different area.  We would love to return to the Basque country, but there are also so many other areas of Spain to explore.  The bucket list only seems to grow!

Thanks for reading. We’ll post about France shortly.

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Cam and Meg