Well never got back to the blog until now. Too much to do so little time but I now have my brace off the hand and it is so much easier to type.
Saturday – Up early and off on the bike for the bread. I’m going to miss this opportunity as I also take the time to go for a spin around La Mas a’ Agenais. It is all very quiet as I don’t think European’s are early risers. Our last breakfast on the boat, was just great with cornflakes, bread, ham and cheese, all very good and something else we were going to miss. I had arranged to get a nurse to change my dressings up at the local Pharmacy and cost a whole 6.46 Euro. When I got back to the boat everyone had cleaned up and we were nearly ready to hand Mystic 09 back, so sad.
We had a cab booked for 11.30 to take us onto Bordeaux where we were booked in for two nights at the Hotel Sainte Catherine in the old town area. The taxi driver could not get us to the hotel as the area was restricted to mainly pedestrian with big bollards which could be lower and raise if you had the correct credentials. We were shown the way but still spent 15 minutes almost outside our hotel trying to work out where we were. We were almost under the sign.
We booked in and tried to organise a wine tour for Sunday. They all appeared to be full but we were lucky enough to be able to get a private tour for 3pm (until 8) today at not a lot more cost. When in Bordeaux it would almost have been a criminal offence if we hadn’t done a wine tour. Our first winery was the Chateau des Laudes which of cause made the best wine in the world and was sold out before it was bottled. It amused me as they still had some for us to taste and bottles to sell us. It was going to be an expensive afternoon as if we didn’t buy any we had to pay a tasting fee as we found out later. Their grape was the Cabernet Franc and of course the best, if it was not right they would not pick the grape that year. Still it tasted good to us as we were beginning to be quite expert after our many nights of testing. It was a pretty good tour with special emphasis on the correct method of testing the wine.
It was then onto the Château Fonplégade, still in the Saint-Emilion region and owned by American billionaire, Stephen Adam. He had obviously spent a lot of money on the place and it was a very modern winery. A young lady gave us a very interesting tour around there before opening the bottles for testing. Again we walked away with a very expensive bottle of red.
Back into town and an Italian restaurant for dinner, a very nice meal of pasta’s and/or pizza before heading off to work it off with a stroll. We ended up at a traveling fun fair with some amazing rides designed to test your stomach to the limit. It took up a huge area and we probably spent a couple of hours wandering around and went for a ride on the biggest Ferris Wheel I have ever seen (Discounting the London Eye). It was after midnight before we made it back to our beds.
Sunday – Up early and off for a walk. We had decided to get breakfast at a market we had been told about along the river promenade. It was overcast and coolish so not very nice. We found a crepe place and had a lovely breakfast there. Continued walking and as it started to rain we headed for a shopping complex, one of the few open on a Sunday. Had lunch at Subway and as Jan and David were heading back to the hotel and there was a break in the rain we decided to just wander through the streets on our own. It was very quiet, maybe because it was siesta time but there were very few people around. All the residences were apartment type and looked well bolted up. We almost felt we were in the wrong part of town. We were nearly back in the centre of town before we found a large park and ventured into there, eventually finding a jazz band to sit and listen to. It was some sort of event for people with Autism. We were heading back through town toward our hotel when it started bucketing down again and we took shelter in the information centre. As we left there we ran into Jan and David.
Drinks and goodies in their room a sharing of photographs before going out to dinner. This was going to be our last meal together as tomorrow we were going our separate ways, David & Jan had two more days in Bordeaux before heading to Scotland on the train and Margaret and I were off into Spain the next morning. Jan took us to a Chinese restaurant where we had a very yummy shared meal, naughty Althorp’s insisted on shouting us. Thanks guys.
Monday – Breakfast at the hotel and a 10am pick up by the taxi. We said our last goodbyes’ to Jan & David. It was very sad to be now splitting up because we had had such a great time together and done so much.
We had a three hour train trip to Irun on the Spanish border where we had to change trains for a about a 20 minute trip to San Sebastian. We were unsure if we were in France or Spain and Margaret posted some postcards with French stamps before we found out we were actually in Spain. No border control what so ever and we are not sure if the cards reached Dylan and Uncle Bob.
Our hotel in San Sebastian was a very flash one but a little out of town. I think Tiffany at the Flight Centre must have decided we were on the older side as we ended up in single beds, going to have to talk to her about older folk. The hotel was the Barcelo Costa Vasca and its redeeming feature was the shower that could jet from the front as well as from above, very nice.
We were going to catch a bus into town but just missed it so decided to walk, it took about 15 minutes. What a fantastic town, it is a harbour town with an island in the entrance and a fantastic long beach with groomed golden sand. Even although it was cooler there were folk out surfing and swimming. Not too many lying around the beach though, a bit cold for that.
Had a bit of a stroll around the city and ended up at a really nice Italian place (again) for dinner, Pasta and Pizza. One of the best pizza’s I have ever had and still couldn’t eat it all. I have a photo of it that will be in my favourites.
Tuesday – Up late and just made breakfast at the hotel. Had a big feed as it would be lunch as well. We had an option when we headed out and got down to the beach. We could go left or right. We went right, took our shoes off and walked along the beach and felt the sand and sea between our toes. We were heading up to Monte Urgull which had old fortifications on it and a big statue of Jesus which stands out and overlooks the whole city. It was a leisurely trip along the beach, the odd few out swimming, less sunbathing and some with their metal detectors out hoping to find a fortune. We walked past the harbour which was very pretty with some very colourful fishing vessels and the old town close by. We took in the Aquarium on the way past which was very impressive with a maritime-museum section as well. The fish and plant life were spectacular and well worth the couple of hours we spent there.
We couldn’t put it off any longer it was time to head up the hill. We went up the back side which was much gentler than the town side which we came down, quite a history and lots of bits to look at. A castle on the top and a panoramic view of San Sebastian, probably one of the most beautiful cities you are likely to see.
We came down into the old town and the huge Santa Marie church, very narrow streets and lots of little shops, pubs, eating places and the square where they had the bull fights. We found a pub and had a beer and Tapas, yummy. Caught up with a couple of Aussies in another pub who had been on the train and recognised the finger. He had worked in Wellington for ANZ. We downed a couple or so red wines and cokes which were apparently the local drink before finding a nice fish restaurant for dinner before walking home.
Wednesday – Another sleep-in and we were going down to a little café we had found for breakfast, under four euro each instead of fifteen and very very yummy. We turned left this time heading up towards Mont Igueldo on the western end. It had a funicular to take us up that looks and operates like Wellington’s old cable car. Up the top is an attraction park and a tower which is what we could see from down in the town. The attraction park wasn’t operating and the tower was locked up with no information on what it was. Could have been reasonably new for all we knew, we had a cold drink and an Ice cream and decided to walk down even though we had brought a return ticket. It was a pleasant walk down to the seafront where there was a Wimbledon tennis club. All looked a bit posh but saw some guys playing on a clay surface.
We headed off around the coast to find the El peine del Viento sculpture mainly because there was a wall size photo of it beside our bed in the hotel. A really nice spot with some interesting rock formations. We wandered back to the hotel for a rest before going out for tea in a little area down near the beach where we had a steak meal sitting at a table on the footpath.
Thursday – Today we did manage to make the bus as we were keen to see where it would take us. Not very far as it turned out and although it was going in the opposite direction to the beach it was very soon in the middle of town where we had a late breakfast. We searched around for some food to take with us on the train as we were off to Barcelona at 4.15. We wandered around and ended up at the beach which wasn’t hard to do. The weather wasn’t great but the location was brilliant, and we had a not very nice lunch at a pub along the promenade, we picked up our bags at the hotel and headed to the station. The trains are really good over here and all seemed to run on time. This wasn’t a fast train but still got along ok. We had a yummy picnic on the train and pulled into Barcelona on time at 22:09, we found a taxi and headed to the Via Augusta Hotel. It was raining and we seemed to be driving through the back blocks of nowhere.
I need to talk to Tiffany again, no fridge in the room and no double bed.
Friday – At least breakfast was included and it wasn’t too bad. After talking to another guest we were off to the Metro. With a bit of help we managed to buy a 10 trip ticket out of a machine and found our way to Placa de Catalunya which I think was the town square. Still raining and there were these large queues with folk huddled under umbrella’s. I thought it must be dole queues or something but it wasn’t long before we were in said queue waiting to get on an open top city tour bus. It took us close to two hours and we were handed a swag of paper towels to dry our seat and on our way. It turned out that the other similar company were on strike and this company had the most buses with roll out tops. There were two routes so today we were on the orange route, Fortunately the rain disappeared and we had an enjoyable tour taking in the harbour area, Olympic stadium, cathedrals, Trade Centres and heaps of other stuff oh and also Camp Nou,the home of FC Barcelona that seats very close to one hundred thousand people. Imagine the atmosphere, especially if your team was winning. We did a bit of wandering around and found a food festive, the old town and came out on La Rambla, well what an amazing, I guess avenue that turned out to be. Hundreds of people walking up and down it. A very wide walkway right down the middle and it stretched from the coast almost to our hotel. It wasn’t so badly located after all. La Rambla must have been three or four kilometres long, temporary stalls and restaurants all along it. We walked along it to our hotel, found a place for dinner and were ready for bed.
Saturday – Our last full day of holiday. Nearly all over and it will be back to work and not long before we are saying what holiday. We head in on the Metro to do the Green line but we are smart now and don’t go to the Placa de Catalunya but head for another stop instead with no queue. In fact it was near the food festival. They had a stall promoting Kiwi fruit and were most shocked when I showed them the correct way to eat a Kiwi fruit (like an apple). The Green line took us out pasts the eight or so beaches and some of the older parts of the city and the Catalonia area. The high light of the day was probably La Sagrada Familia, the huge Basilica designed (if that is the right word) by architect Antoni Gaudi, A UNESCO World Heritage site. The building was started in 1882, Gaudi died in 1926 and the building was declared half completed in 2010. Projected finish date is now 2026. Anyway a truly unusual building of immense proportions. The disappointment was we couldn’t get inside as only people with special tickets whatever they were, were allowed. Open again tomorrow, strange.
We poked around there a bit, tried some Manchego Cheese as Barbara had told me I must. It wasn’t bad but I’m sure some of our cheeses are just as good. Back on the bus and up to Parc Gwell. A park that was built between 1900 and 1914 by Gaudi after a housing estate failed there. Very interesting. It was starting to get dark with rain by the time we left there. We headed back into the town centre and got off near La Rambla, found a nice pub and had tea. Yummy lamb chops. Walked back to the hotel and headed for bed.
Sunday – We had to be at the airport before 4pm. Headed into town to buy some last minute mementoes. We got off the Metro by the Christopher Columbus column at the bottom of La Ramble near the water front and meandered back to our hotel. Hundreds of people out walking and it was a reasonable day. All the big shops close on Sundays. We arrived back at the hotel around two and ended up sharing a cab with another guy from the hotel heading to the airport that didn’t speak English. Pretty good language skills, yes.. The worst bit of the holiday, airports and planes. I read a whole Jo Nesbo book between Barcelona and Wellington airports. We had an 8 hour layover at Singapore so decided to get a room. It’s the first time I have paid for a room by the hour and I’m not sure if I got my money’s worth? Arriving in Wellington Tuesday afternoon to probably the best weather of our trip, a nice blue sky but maybe a bit cool. I’m off now to get my stiches out.
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