Eskerrik Asko eta Hurrengo Arte! - Tomorrow we say goodbye to the Basque Country after a lovely, relaxed stay. So we wanted to say a big "Eskerrik Asko" (thank you!) to everyone who helped make it a nice stay for us.

Bilbao Guggenheim - Here is the amazing architectural feat by Frank Gehry (adorned with an attractive Dutch gentleman for decorative purposes).

Bilbao Guggenheim - And not to miss my chance, here I am (and yes, I was exhausted as I look!)

Bilbao Guggenheim - Here Wilbert is standing in front of the gigantic flower-covered dog that is the theme of the amazing Guggenheim musem in Bilbao.

Aste Nagusia Bilbao - Wilbert, Marcos and I hit the streets of Bilbao to enjoy the upbeat atmosphere offered by the year's biggest festival: Aste Nagusia (or Big Week). One week after San Sebastian's version, the bigger city of Bilbao offers a much different atmosphere (but equally enjoyable) than San Sebastian. Here the boys are wearing the traditional blue bandana the Bilbainos wear every year for the event.

Lizeaga Sagardotegi - Here we are enjoying our dessert (sorry about the blurry picture - blame the waitress!). The traditional Basque dessert is whole walnuts, quince (a hard fruit jelly called "membrillo" in Spanish & Basque), and Idiazabal cheese. Light and yummy!

Lizeaga Sagardotegi - The meal you get in a sagardotegi is almost always the same: Start with an omelette with cod that is salted, dried, stored, and then rehydrated for use (the ancient, traditional Basque way of storing cod), then some blocks of sauteed cod with green grilled peppers, and finally a gigantic t-bone steak that is always rare. A salad is optionally served with the steak, and bread always accompanies the meal as well. And your cider glass is your best friend for the evening.

Lizeaga Sagardotegi - Normally at a sagardotegi, you get up and walk to the various huge kegs of cider when the cidermaster comes out and shouts "Txotx!" at the top of his lungs. People line up and use their glass to catch the two-meter long stream of cider shooting out of the keg (in order to ensure maximum aeration of the cider). But off-season, you have to settle for the bottled product.

Lizeaga Sagardotegi in Astigarraga - To contrast/compliment our night at a restaurant with three Michelin stars, we decided to go to a traditional Basque sidreria (or "sagardotegi" in Euskera), a place that makes hard apple cider and serves wonderful traditional food. There are few that are open this time of year, but we found one that was.

Arzak - A Taste of Heaven

We've all eaten on average about three times a day every day of our lives thus far. So to have a single meal stand out in your memory for the rest of your life is a pretty big deal. And last night, for Wilbert and I, Jose Mari Arzak (pictured with us above) and his amazing staff accomplished this feat. Our dinner at Arzak in San Sebastian will go down in our memories as one of the most special and outstanding meals we've ever had.

Every detail from beginning to end was painstakingly thought out and well-executed (as one would hope from a restaurant with THREE well-deserved Michelin stars!). From the moment we arrived to the moment we left, we were treated like royalty. The atmosphere was friendly, elegantly casual, and while sophisticated, not at all ostentatious. We were approached in English (by a member of staff who had accurately judged us not to be Spanish or French like the majority of guests), but were accommodated when we chose to speak Spanish instead. We were expertly helped through our choice of menu items and wines.

The food was nothing less than edible art. We ordered the five course "Tasting Menu", and were proactively offered seconds (and thirds) of individual courses at no additional charge, giving us a chance to try as many as twenty separate dishes over the course of the evening (including complementary hors d'oeuvres and various desserts). We finished off the evening with cofee and a delightful "copita" of thier homemade pacharan, an anis-based Basque liqueur far better than any one we've ever had from a bottle.

We paid by far the biggest price we've ever paid for a meal, but in retrospect it was worth it for a unique experience that we'll remember for the rest of our lives.

Hondarribia Christopher - Felling a bit under the weather (think I'm coming down with a cold), so I look a bit grumpy. But all in all, it was a nice day in Hondarribia!

Hondarribia Airport - Hondarribia is also the site of San Sebastian's regional airport. Here, one of the regional Iberia flights from Madrid or Barcelona lands at the local airstrip. Local residents are strongly against the addition of more runways, but the provincial government considers it important for economic growth in the region. Where else have I heard this story?

Hondarribia Port - Wilbert gets some sun and smiles for the camera on a sunny day across the bay from the French Basque Country.

Hondarribia Market/Hotel - Wilbert poses in front of a hotel in Hondarribia with a decidedly un-Basque color scheme. But it matches his outfit.

Hondarribia Parador - One of the many "Paradores" in Spain - historic old buildings converted into tourist hotels. This one is in a beautiful old building (probably about 17th century).

Hondarribia - Another one of the typical Basque stone homes, beautifully decorated for summer.

Hondarribia - Today's outing took us to the beautiful border town of Hondarribia; the last outpost of the Spanish Basque Country across the bay from France. The town was celebrating a festival today, so there was an open-air market, art fairs and Basque dance and music demonstrations. The weather cooperated nicely as well. The town has lots of historic buildings like the one Wilbert is standing in front of.

At the old port is this beautiful tiled house. The tiles aren't actually different colors as it appears in the photo. They're made using a coloring and glazing technique akin to an oil slick, where they reflect light at different wavelengths in a rainbow-like fashion. Wilbert has gotten me a few pieces of pottery from Ibiza that use the same technique. Easily the most beautiful house in the port.

The old port of San Sebastian. Today the weather is really spotty, so we walked to the acquarium and took a tour. Afterwards we had lunch at "Old Dutch", a former Dutch pub that is now a restaurant, but hasn't yet changed its decor.

Amigos/Amis/Lagunak Elsa & Erramun