21.​ Falling in love with the Basque Country

From Logrono we hit the hills via Vittoria towards San Sebastián. While the trip was longer than anticipated the view was incredible from the peaks and we were so glad we had hired the car and been able to experience this drive. After several wrong turns along the way and many laps of the streets searching for our hotel when we finally arrived in San Seb it was a matter of racing the bags in to the hotel and shooting off to the car hire return, making it with only about five minutes til close. My blood pressure was sky high as I ran in, only to be met by a super casual, non-plussed greeting from the relaxed Basque attendant. Opening and closing times we discovered, are merely a guide! No need to stress at all!! While wandering back to the hotel along the river bank and relaxing in to the vibe I instantly fell in love with San Seb and it only intensified in the coming days!

Pension Loalida

Another fantastic find, the Pension Loalida hotel was fully accessible, equipped with a lift and only two blocks from the Concha Beach. The foreshore that runs from Concha beach to Playa de Ondaretta is stunning and we spent so much time enjoying this part of San Seb. We loved taking in the view of the landscape, buildings on the hill behind and in particular people watching. When the sun was out there were people everywhere and so many kids playing games and doing flips in the sand. Everyone seemed so relaxed and comfortable in their own skin. Bikinis or brief swimmers were the norm for young or old and this confidence was incredibly refreshing. It really reminded us how conservative and judgmental we have become in Australia.

Concha Beach

The old town of San Sebastián is a true highlight and of course we adored it. It was always busy but the vibe was chilled and happy. Around three weeks overdue for a hair cut one of Dickeys first tasks was to find a barber. We stumbled on the most fabulous old style barber and he lined up for a cut and razor shave, getting himself into the traditional old chair! It wasn't just a brilliant experience it was a fab cut and shave too! Everything about San Sebastián was ideal. The atmosphere, relaxed vibe, the crystal clear water, green hills behind, the old town village, the incredible food, gin and tonic appertif's, the wine and the many bars. It was total bliss with the only thing lacking being sunshine for the majority of the week.

Old town San Seb. Our fave bar was at the base of the church!

On our first morning we had noticed how packed the beaches were and declared after our siesta we would head to the water. Unfortunately when we woke up it was raining and remained overcast and rainy weather for the next four days! Talking to the locals it seemed this was normal and they were used to quick changes in weather before summer started. To the Spanish and Basque the summer starts in July, not June like the rest of Europe and they are very serious when they tell you this, so we dared not contradict them! If our week of weather was anything to go by, we believed them!! In preparation for the official launch each day we watched the beach chairs, umbrellas and mats being delivered and set up. It truly is the most fabulous beach culture and during the week when the sun did make an appearance within minutes there were people everywhere. It was as if they were packed ready and waiting! It would instantly become a hive of activity and was transformed so fast. There was always so many ball games, tag, and frisbee going on. Our favorite to watch though was the flip sets up where the groups would half bury a fitball to us as a rebounder and spend hours lined up taking turns to flip and tumbled over them!! We literally spent hours people watching.

The beach was also fantastically accessible beach too, but unfortunately not open until the start of July. The roll out mats allowed chair access to the water and there were water wheelchairs available via the lifeguards through the summer. Throughout southern Spain they were available for more of the year, but limited times in San Seb. It is only since coming home that we have seen them 'rolling out' around Australia. (There is a Port Stephens Blog coming soon and I'll tell more then!) We can only hope it will get better and look at purchasing our own water wheelchair.

Sad to leave San Seb but excited for Bilbao we had another fantastic public transport experience. We took one of the many buses between the two cities that run every 30 minutes and ALL of them equipped with wheelchair lift access. With a little trouble the driver managed to get it open and working and 70 minutes later we were in Bilbao. Despite the slight delay in departing and the extra work he had to do he couldn't have been more helpful and even with our non-existent Basque and his limited English persisted in trying to direct us to the local train network. Or at least that's what we figured. With smiles and head nods we left with our luggage and no idea what he had been trying to tell us! By chance we found the tram stop while looking for the train connection and realized it would drop us 200m from our hotel plus give us a great first view of Bilbao as we traversed the city. I got my first incredible glimpse of the Guggenheim and this gorgeous city!

San Sebastián 8/06 - 13/6

20. ​ La Rioja wine bliss

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Hitting the road in our little Audi A1 out of Barcelona we were amazed just how quickly the landscape changed. It was so dry and sandy, almost desert like. For some reason I had imagined the Spanish wine regions to look like Tuscany, but on reflection had no idea where that idea had come from.

View from the Apartment

We had two nights booked at an Air BnB apartment in Logrono, the middle of the La Rioja wine region. The next couple of days were going to be all about wine! After 5 1/2 hours on the road we arrived to find we were only two blocks from Plaza del Mercato, the town's centre and that the apartment was above the wine culture museum and old cellar tunnels. We had emailed via Google translate back and forwards and while the apartment wasn't officially wheelchair accessible we had been assured there was a lift and the bathroom could be accessed. Caro the host had done a good job making it work for us and while it wasn't perfect it was certainly better than some of the hotels we had stayed in. She had remembered a shower chair at least and had placed a cane arm chair in the bathroom! Dickey was showering like a king!

Logrono was a gorgeous old town with bucket loads of history, almost all to do with wine. Beneath the town a series of wine tunnels or cellars had been built so that the temperature could be better controlled and in the 16th century noise and car traffic restrictions existed in the streets above the tunnels as there was a belief that the wine would be of the utmost flavor and aroma if the temperature, stability, vibration and noise was controlled while the wine was in its barrels! In the 18th Century vines in France were affected by disease so the La Rioja wines began to be exported north into Bordeaux. Today La Rioja wines are world famous and exported as far as Cuba, Mexico and thankfully Australia!

Logrono

We loved how quiet and lovely the village was, and we were huge fans of Laurel Street. It was just brilliant and lined with wine and Pinxtos bars. We had a blast there sampling MANY of the wines varieties and the different Pinxtos specialities. Logrono is also on the Camino de Santiago with the trail coming directly through the town over the still in-tact 12th Century stone bridge. The old guard houses apparently doubled as pay booths as every walker who used the path had to pay taxes to enter the city.

The surrounding winery's are world famous and the first on our list to explore was 'Vina Real' otherwise known as 'C.V.N.E'. A whole eight minutes out of Logrono our time there definitely rated in the top five of all things we had done on our trip! The building looked like half a wine barrel stuck in the hill and being newly built was completely wheelchair accessible. By pure coincidence we arrived in time to join the 1pm tour. True to form we had ignored the suggestion to book ahead, but we were in luck on this occasion. We learnt that the architect, who was a total genius, had come from a wine making family and helped to create a winery that allowed for old processes to perfectly fit with new. The circular barrel room is not just a stunning feature, it is also designed for functionality. The system is set up using a traditional gravity feed system using newly designed tanks and after the grapes are pressed they are transferred to the chosen tank, pulled into position over the tank allowed to feed through in their own time. From the tanks the wine is placed into Hungarian, American or French Oak barrels depending on the aim of the maker and then they are stored in one of the wine tunnels. The tunnels were another incredible feature and we were blown away by their size and construction. Over a period of four years the tunnels had been dug out by hand as the ground was to unstable for machinery to be used. They were then sealed, except for the natural vent sites created in the roof by the soil and water. At 120 meters long and 56 meters wide x two of them, they were mind blowing! In one tunnel there was 20,000 barrels of Criamza, let alone all the barrels of other varieties. The 2nd tunnel was full from floor to ceiling of bottles! We had read about Vina Real in a Lonely planet review that had described it as "winery meets Bond Villan Lair" and this was so very accurate!

If you love a good wine tour, then add Vina Real to the list as it was the most informative and exciting tour we have done. At 10 Euro each it is also great value, especially given the 5 very generous tastings we were given! We certainly mustn't be the only ones who loved the CVNE wine as they are producing in excess of 2.5 million bottles a year and their Reserva, made using hand picked grapes from 90 year old vines being one of their most famed wines. Next time, or for anyone planning to visit Vina Real, grab a cab as the wine is too good to sample lightly. Apparently the rule in Spain is actually zero blood alcohol while driving. we found this out later in the week, oops!

Leaving Vina Real we continued on our wine adventure heading west and spotted the little walled
town of La Guarelia perched on the hill. Inside it was only 5 blocks wide and the perfect stop off for lunch with a view. From here we could see the Ysio's winery which could have easily been mistaken for an illusion! It is off the charts incredible with its wave like architecture and from our research it seems the fact that the roof leaks and the design are more famous than the wine itself. Arriving at the door it was closed and there were no cellar door openings for the next few days. To see it up close and get some photos were enough though.

Ysios

 

Marques de Riscal was the next stop and we were excited to see the ribbon sculpture and architecture as well as try the wine we were seeing most often in Spanish bars. While the wine wasn't to our taste the building design sure was and we were again viewing an amazing Frank Ghery design. If this was simply a winery I couldn't wait to see his most famous piece, the Guggenheim in Bilbao. Words won't describe the blend of old stone buildings into the titanium ribbons so enjoy the pictures. With the Suns reflections and the mountains behind it really is stunning.

Our final stop on our drive through the region was Contino, a branch of the C.V.N.E group. Also closed it was a beautiful old homestead set in a gorgeous cottage garden and overlooking the River Ebro. It was so nice to wander the garden and enjoy the sinking sun, even if the glass of wine was missing!

Our final night in Logrono ended with a bang and we spent it on Laurel Street enjoying the St Bernabie festival. The streets were packed with as many locals as there were tourist and we joined the hoards wandering from bar to bar enjoying many wines and pinxtos. Rosada's are super popular in Spain so I was in my element and even had Dickey converted to them in the warmer weather. We had taken many photos of wine labels with the hope we would find them available back home. 

Logrono had been a great place for a few days but it was time to go north through the hills to San Sebastián ready for a week of sunshine, culture and beaches. 

Logrono 6/6 - 8/6/2016

18. Dubrovnik Sunsets

Dubrovnik was the city of incredibly friendly people and we discovered this as soon as we landed. We were clearly on the last flight of the evening and when we got back to the terminal we were literally the last to leave! Arriving on the Dash 8 a squad a five big Croatian men arrived with a tiny metal chair with straps rather that seat and back! Dickey transferred on to it with a little apprehension and without a word three of them picked the chair and him up carried him down the stairs and secured him in a waiting Ambulance. Along with a lovely assistance man we were taken to the terminal, assisted with our baggage and escorted out the front where they had a cab waiting. It was five star service, and we felt awful not yet having any Croatian money to tip with. Our helper assured us it was part of his job and we were fair-welled and sent on our way with Mateo the cabbie.

Over the 25 min journey from the airport to our hotel Adria just north of the old town of Dubrovnik Mateo told us about the amazing Croatian sites and did his best to upsell us to a day trip to Montenegro and Bosnia but we politely declined his 'special price of just 400 Euro's'. 

We were finally checked in to our hotel by 10.30 pm after a mammoth day. The night view was stunning out over the harbour, we couldn't wait to see it in the morning.

Our first day in Dubrovnik had always been planned as a chill day (hilarious I know that I even need to schedule these when on holidays!). Lucky this was the case because it was time to start sharing our secret and this turned out to be a lengthy process! There were Facebook calls made to our families and the story repeated over and over. It was so amazing to have everyone share in our excitement and to hear the genuine happiness expressed from home. That done it was lunch and vino on the balcony taking in the view and sunshine. Not surprisingly, but of course frustratingly the pool was inaccessible for Dickey so the bars balcony was set to become 'our spot' for the week. Subsequently we got to know the head barman quite well!

Dubrovnik was a stunning city and Hotel Adria was positioned directly above the 'new town' up on the hill. Making our way down to explore we found the most epic winding road that Dickey had great fun trying to descend with control. When I tackled this road on a run later in the week, this time going up, I discovered the 25% gradient sign. No wonder it felt steep! The hills and stairs in Dubrovnik provided awesome running that week and I would have loved to spend a month training there, between cocktails and beach time of course! 

New town was a quieter part of Dubrovnik but very 'cruise ship terminal'. The layout, laundromats, souvenir shops and restaurant prices all brought back memories of my few years working on ships. The shops know how to cash in on the tourists, but equally provide the important little things for the crew, like an internet cafe and laundry! Apparently it was a quiet week for ships, but the passengers still seemed to be flooding the streets headed straight for Old Town with their tour guides. 

One of our fave finds in New Town was SKAR the uber cool winery/ bar shop front. We were lucky to meet the owner and hear the story of their traditional wine production techniques and that they still celebrate and harvest together as a family over a weekend, prior to bringing the grapes back to the small shop front to produce. It was very cool. 

Old town Dubrovnik was polished and pristine. Very beautiful but almost too clean we felt, all care of HBO and the money they have paid to have a big portion of Game of Thrones filmed within the walled village. Pushing the chair around Dickey's hands get filthy and on European cobbles they had been getting trashed. He had even given in and been wearing gloves to help protect his palms. In Dubrovnik Old Town his hands stayed clean. They must spend some serious time and effort keeping those stones spotless! 

The walls and the lines of shops really are stunning and coming in via the old draw bridge adds to the experience. We jumped on to a hour long walking tour and had a great time as our guide pointed out the sites. The 'Placa' or Main Street was once a channel but was later filled in to help make the city safer. The intact walls are 2km around, amongst the best preserved in the world and some of the most attractive on the planet. The really are pretty awesome! Further proof that I read the tourist brochure... They were built between the 8th and 16th Century, were strengthened with myriad towers and bastions and were almost 6m thick. They were a successful means of defense for the city and were never breached. The two fortresses just outside the gates are still in use one being Revelin a famous club and concert venue and host to some of the best European Dance parties. Unfortunately we missed one by a week! The old Quarantine building from the times of plague is also now a club, Lazareti. Croatians do love to party!

St Blaise is strongly featured throughout Dubrovnik and there are statues of him everywhere, apparently about 17 in total. The locals worship him and daily we would see people laying flowers at the feet of the statues around town. I had no recollection of what he was famous for, but google tells me he is the "Protector of Dubrovnik and Patron Saint of Throat Illness". Its true, I read it on the inter web....

Another statue that was famous was Orlando's column outside the church near Ploce. Orlando, aka Roland (?!!) has stood in position since 1418. The story goes that he used to be used as a flag pole given his position at the main entrance to the city. His right forearm was also put to good use and for hundreds of years it was used used as the official unit of measurement in Dubrovnik. People supposedly used arrive and measure their goods by his arm length only. Today his is little more that a meeting point and prop for a good story. The force of the winds caused so much pressure on the flag pole that Roland's base now features a large crack and the pole and flag have been released from his hold. His forearm has also been retired from use as Dubrovnik over time discovered and graduated to the more widely accepted metric system!

There is so much Game of Thrones through the city that it does become a bit to much. Merchandise stores where everywhere and they are either certainly cashing in. You really cant blame them as it is keeping their city alive and has helped in making the entire city an official UNESCO protected site. The locals really do seem truly grateful and were so happy to welcome tourists to show off their city. I'm pretty sure most people have now seen Game of Thrones, now at six seasons of grim brutality and medieval porn. Walking through Dubrovnik it was a bizarre seeing some of the famed backdrops with 21st century tourists, as opposed to medieval dress. In particular the Jesuit steps that Cersei Lannister was forced to descend in her walk of atonement. Walking the streets really highlighted how incredible the cinematography is in the series and why Dubrovnik was so perfect for the role.

We loved spending time around the old port and looking back over the city walls. The best view is most definitely from the water and we were able to get a great view from the ferry when we headed over to Lokrum island for an afternoon. I had emailed ahead to confirm accessibility and was assured that the ferry would be no problem, that most of the paths were accessible but they were sorry there was no access to water, but a chair lift was on the agenda for installation in 2017. No problem. The ferry guys were fab and it was 2 for 1 for us, bonus! The island was lovely and we enjoyed the bit we saw but the paths proved to be a fair challenge. They were mostly rough gravel and the further you went from the ferry terminal the worse they got. In the end we wandered what we could access, enjoyed watching the 100's of lyrebird's and the fact they can actually fly when they want to, found the famed 'dead sea' pool (Game of thrones again) and then propped ourselves in the cafe bar with a wine overlooking the monastery & Maximilian gardens. It was a quiet and relaxing place, also UNESCO protected and largely untouched. It was good to be surrounded by trees and water and the sound of birds rather than squawking tourists!

The Dead Sea Pool

The beaches around Dubrovnik were also very cool and are more like the beach clubs that I had seen around Mexico when I was working on ships. Unlike Australia where we pick a patch of sand and settle in, there is no sand, just rocks and man made decking and bars. You hire your own area, chose your seating buy comfort (and price), hire an umbrella and get waited on all day. It is the ultimate lazy beach experience! For us finding an accessible beach was a priority and we spent some time doing reccy's to find the right one. This involved some extensive pushing around the point from New Town and getting off the beaten track on to some more rough trails but we got to see another party of the city in doing so. Copacabana Beach Club ended up being our choice and it actually had a chair lift in to the water. It was the ultimate and we were beside ourselves with excitement! Not only did we get to lie back on our lounge chairs in the sun all day reading our books and drinking Rosato, we could pop off for a swim in the Adriatic Sea anytime we liked, just like everyone else could. It was bliss!! 

Hotel Adria had proved to be a brilliant find and we loved our time here. Being propped up on the hill overlooking the harbour and the headlands behind it also offered the most magical sunset view. We soon discovered the dining room food was great and our days became a race to make it back to see the sunset from the balcony. By total coincidence friends of Dickeys happened to be staying at Adria the week after us and he received a funny message from him telling us how little we had missed them by. In the bar on his first night he barman at Adria told him ... 'we had Aussies here last week, a young happy couple and the guy was in a chair. They were great people'. Steve realised pretty quick it was Dickey and the connection was made. It was nice to know we were leaving a good impression behind us!  

Dubrovnik was sunshine and bliss but it was now time for Spanish culture.... and more wine! Barcelona next stop

Dubrovnik 29th May - 4th June