This was our very first trip from Amsterdam as Expats! We flew into Bordeaux and picked up a rental car to drive to San Sebastian. Whenever we travel I’m the driver and Chris is the navigator. (We’ve tried it the other way and it was a disaster. Someday I’ll post that fun story of our driving adventure in Australia.) I highly recommend you decide who’s playing what role ahead of time to avoid any unnecessary arguments. Funny enough though, I forgot my license because in my mind I had my Dutch residency card and my US passport, so why risk bringing my license? Oh, because I’m supposed to drive. Luckily, Chris had his, which was annoying for him, but didn’t ruin the trip….for longer than the 10 minutes we spend grumbling about how forgetful I am.

The drive from Bordeaux to San Sebastian is just under three hours and there are at least 10 tolls, each for a different random amount. I recommend you carry bills and coins just to prepared. And navigating the streets of San Sebastian while the English-speaking GPS butchered the Spanish street names was almost worse than not having any directions at all.

For reasons unknown we stayed in two different hotels while we were in San Sebastian. The first was Hotel Astoria 7. The location wasn’t great, but we figured we were only there for one night so how bad could it be.

Day 1 - Pintxos Crawl!

First things first, we headed out for pintxos - (small bite-sized snacks, commonly served on toothpicks). I’ll be honest, going out for pintxos is not for the meek. It is a high pressure, fast-paced experience that goes something like this:

Squeeze into a crowded bar/restaurant
Try and find a spot to stand where you can put your food / drink down
Decide what you want based on what’s written on the chalkboards behind the bar
Wave money around over your head to indicate that you’re ready to eat and drink
Yell out the names of what you want to eat or drink to anyone behind the bar
Take whatever they give you
Give them your money
Repeat until you are physically unable to consume more pintxos

If this type of atmosphere is overwhelming to you, consider going later in the evening when things are less frantic. Otherwise, get your cash ready and watch the wine and the pintxos fly.

Stop #1 Borda Berri We nudged our way in and squeezed into two spots at the bar. Although we wanted everything on the menu we dialled it down to two glasses of Rioja, some fish ravioli and risotto.

Stop #2 Txepetxa specialises in inventive anchovy pintxos with a variety of toppings. Think: black olive tapenade, crab and cheese melt, crab and pulpo, or, banana pepper and olives. And paired with more Rioja. Obvi. Not that it’s relevant, but they were showing figure skating on the tv. Why? Nobody knows. And strangely this was not the only time.

The typical pintxos scene. It can be a bit intimidating until you get the system down. If you look very closely you can see figure skating playing on the tv in the background for no good reason.

Stop #3 Bar Nestor is small and is known for having a very limited menu so I suggest you make a reservation or get there right at opening to ensure you don’t miss out. We didn’t know this so by the time we arrived we were too late for tortilla or steaks. No bother, we miraculously found two seats and ordered the tomatoes. They were delicious and as we looked around at the massive, delicious looking steaks on every other table, we vowed to come back the next day for lunch. Spoiler: We missed out on the steaks again the following day. Plan ahead folks.

Was actually able to get a clear shot because by midnight the crowds have thinned.

Stop #4 Ganbara - where the seafood lives until you’re ready to eat it. The guy behind the counter was actually petting a crustacean while he took our order. In a serious change of pace, I drink an Imparable from the Basque beer project, which was a delicious pairing with our fishy snacks. I highly recommend trying the local beers, craft or otherwise, when visiting new places. You can drink a Heineken anywhere. Live a little.

Stop #5: La Viña…if you’re wondering how we still had room for another stop, you’re not the only one. At this point I’m pretty sure I can’t eat one more bite, but our friends - who never fail to give us stellar recommendations - insisted we go here for cheesecake, so we had to. Plus it was on the way home. Eating cheesecake sitting at a bar is not something I expected from San Sebastian. But it was glorious. I forgot that I was full and devoured a piece of cheesecake.

We walked back to the hotel in an effort to cancel out a few calories. Realistically we’d have to walk back to Amsterdam to even make a dent, but I’ve made my peace with it.

The hotel was easily 100F (37C) so we open the window to get some air and it was storming outside like a hurricane. Needless to say we did not get a great night’s sleep, but it wasn’t entirely the hotel’s fault.

Day 2 - Come to Jesus

We were a bit hungover, but nothing a coffee and a hike couldn’t fix. I wish I could remember where we bought the hottest coffee this world has ever known, but it wasn’t memorable other than that so you’re probably not missing out. I gingerly carried it for a majority of our 40 minute walk so by the time I drank it it was luke warm. The worst.

The city is scenic so you can’t go wrong. We prioritised Monte Urgull, which served as a defense point as far back as the 12th century. There are still remnants of the old barracks, a castle, and a massive 12 metre-tall sculpture of Jesus Christ who enjoys impressive views of the town and of Concha Beach. He’s the real draw.

Beautiful day meets beautiful view. Who knew San Sebastian had beaches?

Our route took us along the boardwalk with the Urumea River to our right and rows of charming stone townhouses to our left. Each bridge we is more grand and ornate than the last, although none are as impressive as Puente Maria Cristina. You will recognize this bridge right away with its two massive horse sculptures atop the pillars.

We continued along the river and passed through De Okendo Plaza, a charming little square next to the Hotel Cristina Maria on our way to Paseo de La Concha. If it had been warmer we might have enjoyed the beach a bit more, but it was April so we continued our ascent up Mount Urgull to see the Jesus.

It’s a steady hike up to the top - a mix of stairs and steady incline - and although the graffiti requests that Tourists Go Home, we persist. And it’s worth it. The views of the city are different from every angle and Jesus is there to keep an eye out for you as well. You probably only need about 30 minutes exploring before you’re ready to head back to sea level.

On our way back to switch hotels, nestled in among the cobblestone streets, we came upon Basílica de Santa María del Coro. The exterior of this 18th-century Catholic church is beautifully ornate and if you get there early, like we did, you’ll have it all to ourselves to practice some amateur photography. As you can see we are not in this photo, because our photography capabilities are amateur.

Again, I cannot remember why we switched hotels one day into a three day trip but we did. Regardless, before lunch we checked into Hotel Okaku. Our room is VERY tiny, but the hotel is charming and is in a great location. Highly recommend.

We had lunch at La Cuchara de San Telmo. This place was absolute insanity. We could barely figure out where to order and once we did we eked out the tiniest spot to elbow up to the bar. Try the super tart cider, which helped us overcome our trauma and eventually we were enjoying pintxos consisting of risotto, foie, and a tender meat dish that reminded me of short rib. Figure skating is showing on TV again. But why?

Stuffed once again, we walked over to Bretxa Plaza to relax and enjoy some sun and some people watching. But the beauty, and the curse, of pintxos is that you can continuously snack all day long, so we didn’t relax long before a pescadario-type place selling chorizo and cheese wrapped in a freshly made tortilla caught our eye. Paired it with two glasses of - you guessed it - Rioja! and you’ve got a well-balanced meal. The glasses were only one Euro apiece so if you’re feeling brave, just get the €5 bottle. And it’s sunny and warm, like it was for us, sit on the steps enjoy our purchases. I also bought coconut macarons that were exceptional. Just wanted to make sure they got a mention.

One of the big draws to San Sebastian is its abundance of high end dining. For us, that meant a visit to three Michelin star Arzak. If this is also on your agenda, you must make a reservation at least a month in advance.

We took the bus to get there, which is ironic, because we were planning to spend an asinine amount of money on dinner but elected to save a few Euros by taking the bus.

Arzak is like a converted house so if you can, request a table upstairs, preferably one in a corner by a window. The meal is Basque-inspired cuisine using fresh local ingredients, and each dish is creatively plated - minus the ye olde first gen iPad (see image) used to serve one of the seafood dishes. (They’ve been Michelin starred for ages - no need to use the hardware from when they got that first star.)

The dessert steals the show and because the sommelier was so good (and so generous) I can only remember flashes: green ice cream, a skateboard presentation, frogs. Other than the dessert, the meal was only so-so for the price and the hype. If you are going to San Sebastian for fine dining, there are a number of other options to consider.

The final desert course of homemade chocolates was a highlight.

After eating to the point of blissful discomfort we splurge on a taxi. Back home, we curl up in bed and pass out, only to wake up at sunrise to enjoy some sort of shopping cart demolition derby happening in the alley outside of our window. I’m ready to depart San Sebastian, if only to get a good night’s sleep for a change.

Day 3 - “Exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey”

Our last day in San Sebastian was overcast, so we headed to aptly named Dry Bar in the Hotel Maria Cristina to sip coffee and Bailey’s and write postcards. I really love this bar. It’s elegant and cozy and it’s the ideal place to warm up on an overcast day. That warmth dissipates as we step outside to walk to lunch and it immediately starts to rain and continues to rain only for the duration of our walk. Lovely.

Our choice for lunch is La Fabrica and I would go here again. While the restaurant interior isn’t much to look at, lunch is tasty. We started with foie and Iberico ham, then we split the duck and the fish. We were nice and full and ready to get on the road to Elorrio.

The drive takes about an hour. There aren’t many choices for hotels so we opted for the eponymic Hotel Elorrio. The lobby is clearly the most happening hangout for the geriatric crowd; half a dozen octogenarians drinking beer and playing cards. I was tempted to join them because they look like they’re having a blast, but we had a medieval town to explore.

Elorrio is small and quite charming and worth a look. We spent maybe an hour or so wandering through the streets full of stone houses and buildings from the 17th and 18th century. It’s a good way to work up an appetite for dinner.

We returned to the hotel to find that the plug-in air freshener in our room had a meltdown and we were being nasally assaulted by artificial lemon smell. I wrapped the scented corpse in a towel and hand delivered it to the front desk for proper burial. We opened the one window in our room and prayed that it would air out by the time we return from dinner. Spoiler: It does not.

The main event: Dinner at Asador Etxebarri. This is easily one of the best meals I have ever had. And it wasn’t just the food that was exceptional: It was the rustic, yet elegant, cabin that houses the restaurant that made it feel like we were dining in someone’s home; the warm greeting from the host and our table by a roaring fireplace; and, being handed a cold glass of sparkling wine and a series of treats from bone marrow broth to nibbles of chorizo and anchovies (or were they sardines? I can never remember).

We move to the dining room and, once seated, are greeted by a casually dressed man who looks like Nick Nolte. He turns out to the sommelier. After getting started on our wine pairing journey, we turn our attention to the other tables to see who we’re dining with. Most are what you expect - small group of friends, a few couples, and then there’s a family sitting next to us. A family of four; mom, dad and two boys who appear to be in their late teens. But the boys are wearing sweatpants. That’s right. Sweatpants. These parents brought their kids to the No. 3 restaurant in the world and they thought “ok kids, time to don your best sweatpants”. Oh, and then the dad licked butter off of his knife. Sweatpant-wearing-knife-lickers up in here. SMH.

We’re first in and last out. Background music consists of 80’s ballads and I’m here for it. Lighting is excellent - it’s just the right brightness level so you can see what you’re eating and appreciate the presentation but not so bright that you can’t relax and enjoy the ambiance. The knives are well-crafted with metallic-branch handles, and although we don’t lick them like some other patrons, we do keep using them upside down.

Highlights of the meal include: The tomahawk steak. It steals the show. It’s incredible. Absolute perfection. Etxebarri’s own in-house-brewed beer with cascade hops. Sea urchin. Milk ice cream. Giant gorgonzola that is the stuff of nightmares - for €18 you can get it with nuts and marmalade. No thank you.

Post-dinner we cab home to find that our room - even with the air freshener long gone and the window wide open - smells aggressively like synthetic lemons. We drag the bed over to the window and attempt to breathe in fresh air so that we can fall asleep. For those keeping track, this is night three of subpar sleeping conditions.

Day 4 - Allons y a Bordeaux!

It’s up and out early on the road to Bordeaux. It’s nearly a four hour drive and although Chris tries to starve me, I convince him to at least stop for coffee. I’m reluctant about his choice of a random rest stop in France but it turns out to have a fresher selection of baked goods than most bakeries. We’re in France, I shouldn’t be so surprised.

We chose an Airbnb for this stay, located right in the heart of downtown, next to the Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux. The city reminds me of Paris, but more charming, and on a smaller scale.

First stop is lunch at Le Petit Commerce. We’re nearly the last lunchers at 3pm. We split a whole fish and a bottle of white and it is excellent. Highly recommend. They have two locations, sort of. We ate at the restaurant but across the street is a fish cafe, that people seem to be eating in as well.

Once full of fish, we head out to explore. It’s chilly so it’s not long before we stop for a beer at Utopia. It’s a cinema that has a bar with indoor and outdoor seating. Very relaxed vibe with a decent beer selection. It was Easter Sunday so it was a bit of a struggle to find places that were open so I can’t say I would come back here if given the choice among all the other options the city has to offer, but it fit the bill for a place to warm up and plan the remainder of our day.

We found a wine bar at the Boutique Hotel that offers charcuterie and a blind tasting. I really loved this spot. The courtyard was cozy and the blind tasting was really fun. I got all my guesses wrong but it was fun pretending for a that I know anything about wine.

Next up: champagne at Secret d'Initiés. We sat outside in a quaint little alley and enjoyed some people watching. Not a bad stop.

Last stop (how are we still standing?) was dinner at Brasserie Bordelaise. This place was fine, nothing special. It was suitable for a meal when we were hungry. We ordered carpaccio, pâté, chicken and pasta and discussed the merits of Legos vs Barbies.

For those keeping score, this was my first decent night of sleep on this trip. This was in no way thanks to my pillow that was essentially some folded pillow case covers stuffed into a pillow case.

Day 5 - St. Emilion

If you choose to do a day trip to the wine region, there are a lot of different options. We chose semi-private tour group through Ophorus and it was excellent. If you’re looking to be chauffeured from château to château, this is the way to go. And unless you’re just dying to go to Petrus or something, I let the guides choose our destination because you really can’t go wrong.

We leave just enough time to grab pastries and coffee at Canelés Baillardran before we meet up with our group. Great coffee and pastries and there are a few locations around the city.

This small, family-owned winery was full of old-world charm.

First Stop - Château Grangey. Newly renovated and offering only three vintages. We learned a bit about Grand Cru which set us up well for our next stops.

Second Stop - Château Guadet. Very old, very charming. The owner used to own half of Petrus! This is quite a contrast from the newly renovated château we had just visited. Guadet uses all old school wine-making tools and techniques. And the vines are down the street so they harvest them and then walk it back through town using a series of wine tunnels, which you can apparently also use to get to certain parts of town underground. Reminds me a little bit of our visit to Veuve Cliquot in Champagne.

The tasting at a wine shop in town had some real highlights.

Third Stop is at a tasting at a wine shop in town called Le Cellier de Saint-Emilion. Wines here were excellent so we bought two bottles.

We had a bit of free time for lunch, so we explored the town a bit. Walked up to the St. Emilion Church for some of the best views of the town. And grabbed sandwiches and beers at La Bonheur. Very casual snack shop. Lastly, but certainly not least, we bought macaroons at Matthieu Mouliérac. The Bordeaux macarons are a bit different from the airy, pastel-colored, macarons that I’m used to. These are more like a chewy cookies. Either way, they are delicious. Try some.

The lovely little town of Saint-Emilion.

Last, but certainly not least, we stop at Chateau Tour Saint Christophe. They have a beautiful new tasting room with views of the sprawling vines. It’s a lovely way to close out our day.

For our last meal in Bordeaux, we opt for dinner at Le Gabriel. We get a lovely window seat with a view of the river Garonne. Dinner wasn’t memorable, but dessert was: an egg white ice cream puff pastry tower with almond filling called a ‘choux’. Delightful.

THE LOGISTICS

Travel Date | March 2018

Flights | AMS > BOD on KLM

Accommodations | San Sebastian - Hotel Astoria 7 and Hotel Okaku; Bordeaux Airbnb.

Transportation | We rented a car from the Avis at the Bordeaux airport. It was affordable and made our travels very easy.

Pro Tips |

Make sure you have Euros (bills and coins) to pay the tolls if you drive between Bordeaux and San Sebastian
Actually, just make sure you bring cash period. It will make your pintxos experience in San Sebastian a lot easier.
Plan ahead for Bar Nestor if giant delicious steaks are your jam
Pinxtos bars are open rather late so if you want to minimise crowding, go later. You could also hire a guide, although we didn’t so I don’t know much about that.
If you plan to do any fine dining (Michelin starred restaurants) in San Sebastian, make you reservation at least a month in advance
The Bordeaux airport is not very close to the city and public transit is rather slow. Just a consideration if you’re going for a long weekend want to maximise your time.
For a stress-free day exploring Saint Emilion, I recommend you book a private or semi-private tour, like the one we did with Ophorus

#195Postcards

Apr 1 Easter in San Sebastian + Bordeaux

Apr 17 Barcelona

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