I have a fascination with ethnic subcultures. Visiting Basque country was high on the list. Their history of civil strife, the uniqueness of their language, the stories of the food. When my best friend said she wanted to travel and offered up Basque country, it was an immediate yes.
People
Forever Bestie and I met when I lived in London in 2008. She’s absolutely the coolest, most down-to-earth person ever and, best of all, she appreciates excellent food and going with the flow just like I do.
Taste
Note the fresh gazpacho and anchovy pintxos (tapas) that accompanied our afternoon sangria and spritz. Don’t miss it at the Guggenheim Museum’s cafe in Bilbao. Absolutely delicious.
Do
Speaking of the Guggenheim Museum, this was our first stop after driving north from Madrid to Bilbao. We love modern art museums and this absolutely did not disappoint. It was the perfect way to set the tone for our next couple days soaking up Basque culture.
Taste
Ahhh, pintxos. Where do I start? Sonnets were written for much less worthy muses. The Basque equivalent of tapas, they are served up in what seems like every restaurant in San Sebastian. I recommend mapping out the best ones and just go pintxos hopping like we did. Embrace the anchovies and you will not regret it. Finally, pair your pintxos with a glass of local white wine, called Chacoli. If Chacoli doesn’t do it for you, go with a Verdejo like I did. Pintxos hopping in San Sebastian is still one of the culinary highlights of my world travels.
Celebrate
We had just booked our trip and Bestie gives me a call.
“Hello?”
“uhh…G, the Running of the Bulls is happening when we are in Spain…..And it’s only an hour drive south of San Sebastian.”
What follows is one of the best nights of my life. Festivals seem like a dime a dozen in Spain, especially in summer. Look up festivals in the area you are visiting and definitely incorporate one if it coincides with your dates.
The Wayfaring Wren 