Toledo (3 nights)

Getting to Toledo from Segovia was a little more complicated and required 2 trains and a connection in Madrid. We are getting smart in our old age, and allowing plenty of time for connections (“We could have booked an earlier train” said no one, ever), so we had 2 hours between our train arriving at Charmartin station, and our train departure at Madrid Atocha station to Toledo. We figured out the train connection between the stations, but Atocha was confusing (for first-timers, anyway). Suffice to say, we used up a good part of that 2 hour layover figuring out where to find our next train, and failing to find anything we wanted to eat.

At Toledo’s beautiful train station, we were not the only people having trouble finding a taxi. The taxi stand outside the station had a large sign for tours, leading everyone to think it was not a regular taxi stand. It was, but there were no taxis for another 20 minutes or so, with a dozen of us waiting. This is why you don’t book stuff on your travel days, kids!

Toledo is another day-trip destination from Madrid, so similar to Segovia the narrow streets were packed with tour groups during the day, but quieter at night. We took a harrowing cab ride from the train station to our hotel, La Posada de Manolo, which was right around the corner from the cathedral. And right across the street from the Cheese Museum (I am not kidding). Once we checked in, we went to the recommended Ludena for carcamusas, a pork stew in tomato sauce (and those are really the only two ingredients, which was OK.

The major attractions in Toledo are the cathedral, of course, and El Greco, the Greek artist who made Toledo his home. We spent a morning at the cathedral and considered a second visit - it’s that big, and that ornate.

Photos: exterior of cathedral; altar view; carvings in the choir; 3-D ceiling fresco; “Disrobing of Christ” by El Greco; me, after too much cathedral-ing; tourist train that went around the outside of the city; city and cathedral view from across the river.

The tourist train (photo above) is…touristy, of course, but it turned out to be a great way to get a quick tour and beautiful views of the city from across the river.

That evening we had a good and highly entertaining dinner at Virtudes, just down the street from our hotel. They were short-staffed, with the owner doing all the table service and he was a hoot. Several tables left because he was chatty and distracted and not in as much of a hurry as they were, apparently. We were happy to have a drink and munch on chips while he scurried around. We ordered paella, which prompted a mild tirade on the growing prevalence of frozen paella (!) because everyone is so impatient. The (not-frozen) paella was very good.

Photos: the not-frozen paella; a sign I need for my front door

Our last day in Toledo, we went to the San Tome church to see the Burial of Count Orgaz painting by El Greco. Somehow we thought there was more to this, but there is not. You buy a ticket, get herded into the small alcove where it is displayed, and then out you go. Done. We also went to the El Greco Museum, which is a house thought to have been El Greco’s and later discovered that it was not. And while it doesn’t have a ton of his works, it’s a great stop. We then walked along the city wall and back to the hotel for lunch at Madre Tierra the vegetarian restaurant nearby (we had dinner there one night as well, it was excellent). A rainy day by that point, so relaxed at the hotel until dinner. Bought a bocadilla (Iberico ham sandwich), and got a bottle of wine from the cheese museum. They asked if were staying across the street, and when we said yes, open the bottle for us and handed us two glasses. “Just leave them in your room, they’ll know where they go.”

And on to Madrid…

Segovia (2 nights)

Our train from Bilbao to Segovia was easy (once I got past the Renfe dilemma - see earlier transportation post). We took a cab from the station to the Hotel Don Felipe, which was one of our favorite hotels on this trip.

Segovia is a daytrip destination from Madrid, so after Basque country, the tour groups and crowds were a bit of a shock. Large tour groups were moving along the streets constantly. The nice thing about staying in Segovia is that many of the tourists clear out by about 5 and everything quiets down considerably.

We headed to Plaza Mayor for a quick tapas lunch, and chose poorly, going to Restaurante la Oja Blanca. I mean, it wasn’t awful, but…don’t go there.

We discovered a miniscule bar for evening drinks at Bar Rubi. This was the first - and I think only - place that offered the classic free tapa (ham or cheese on baguette slice) with your drink. The entire space was smaller than my living room. We were the only Americans in there. The TV was showing BBC concert footage, so we were treated to the weirdness of Arcade Fire before heading to La Almuzara - mostly vegetarian, and excellent - for dinner. (sorry, no link - no website, like many many eateries in Spain).

Photos: drinks and tapas at Bar Rubi; some regulars at Bar Rubi; table at La Almuzara; veggie lasagne; asparagus gratin; bill for 2 dinners and 3 glasses of wine

After a good breakfast, included in our room price, we planned to go to the Alcazar (castle), which dates to the 12th century (and was one of the inspirations for Cinderella’s castle), but there was a military ceremony that delayed opening until the afternoon. So we walked down to the aqueduct that cuts right through town and saw what had to be one of the most delightfully bizarre sights of the whole trip:

I was waiting for some creature to show up and eat the children, but this did not happen.

It was a very cold and windy day, so we headed back up the hill and took a tour of the bell tower of the cathedral, wandered around the cathedral itself, and then returned to La Almuzara for lunch. By then, the alcazar was open and we were able to walk through it and along the walls for fantastic views.

Photos - the aquaduct; cathedral; one of the bells in the belltower; interior of cathedral; Bob demonstrating scale of the pillars in the cathedral; the alcazar; view from windows in the castle; view of snowy mountains.

In the evening we headed back to Bar Rubi for drinks (Muse concert on the TV this time) and then walked through the Jewish Quarter to El Fugon Sefardi for dinner. We weren’t very hungry, so got an order of berejengas (fried eggplant with honey) and another eggplant dish layered with curried lamb stew. So good.

And on to Toledo…

Bilbao (3 nights)

We were a little panicked about the trip to Bilbao - Bob was up most of the night with the suspected food poisoning (which will forever remain a mystery - we shared and ate the same things, and I was fine. But it only takes one bite, I guess.). We could not get a late checkout from the hotel, so didn’t have much choice but to get to the bus and head to Bilbao. Sat in the front of the bus, with a bag ready, just in case, and thankfully he made it through just fine.

Bilbao bus station is a 1.5 miles from the bus station, so we decided to take a cab to the hotel. We followed the signage at the station to what we thought would be the taxi stand. This led us - and many other passengers - to a locked door, with a button on the wall and vague directions. It took 5 of us to figure out that you pushed the button to call a cab. There was an intercom-type system that only seemed to work intermittently, so you had to listen for the door to buzz and unlock, and then you could go through to get a cab…but it seemed only one cab at a time showed up, with long waits in between. We gave up and went outside the station, and followed signs to a taxi stand around the block, which was much quicker and easier.

Once we got to Hotel Bilbao Plaza, we both collapsed for a chunk of the afternoon before walking over to Old Town and finding an Italian restaurant a few blocks away from the hotel.

Tile mural of Picasso’s “Guernica,” in Guernica

The next day, Bob was feeling well enough that we took the train to Guernica (very easy). Nice weather, so we walked all through the town (very cute) and the Monday Market, and then went to the Peace Museum (museum dedicated to peace, but also has some good information, displays and videos of the 1934 bombing of the town), saw the Basque Tree (symbol of Basque Independence), the tile Guernica mural, and more.

Back in Bilbao, Bob wants soup for dinner. Well, we are in stew country. We settled on a restaurant called Txoko, in Old Town, for some risotto. Nothing we ate in Bilbao was amazing, I have to say, but we were limited by what Bob thought he could stomach so I am not sure that’s an accurate reflection of the food scene there.

Another beautiful day the next day, and we walked along the very pedestrianized riverfront to the Guggenheim. I had read that the collection there was mainly secondary works by modern artists, and this is perhaps true but there’s something about seeing art inside a work of art that elevates the whole experience.

And while my feelings are decidedly mixed, and generally unkind, about Jeff Koons, “Puppy” is very very awesome:

“Puppy” in his spring coat.

But “Maman” (Louise Bourgeois) is maybe cooler:

We had lunch not far from the museum at Sua-San, where Bob was finally able to find a vegetable soup on the menu. After a short tram ride, we decided to check out the train station for our very early train the next day. And it was good we did, since we discovered there were two train stations, and were directed to the correct one.

We had dinner back in Old Town, at Rio-ja, which was pretty mediocre. I had a “pintxos” paella, which was less than ideal (more on paella experiences later).

San Sebastian/Donostia (3 nights)

We got our little taste of Basque Country at the start of our trip in San Sebastian, or Donostia as the Basques call it. This town is famous for its pintxos, or tapas, and also has the second-highest number of Michelin-starred restaurants after Kyoto. But since our food budget doesn’t run to $250 per person tasting menus, we ate a lot of pintxos, and as fans of “snack supper” as we call it at home, this suited us just fine. Or it did - like pizza, you think you could eat pintxos for every meal for days but the reality is - perhaps not.

We were jet-lagged, of course, so didn’t scramble to get things done. Which isn’t how things work in Spain anyway. Bus from Bilbao airport was easy to navigate, and weather (which can be very rainy) cooperated enough that we could walk to the hotel from the bus station. Our hotel (Sarriegi Pension) was in old town, in Sarriegi Plaza. Walkable to everything, close to a grocery store, great location - but a bit noisy inside and outside (two bars across the street).

We spent part of a day walking along the San Sebastian waterfront and up Mt Urgull, which has great views of bay, ocean, and city. Definitely an uphill climb though! Highly recommend a rest at Urgulleko Polboriña, a tiny outdoor bar serving coffee, beer, wine and cocktails.

We also walked over to Gros, the neighborhood on the other side of the river, but it was raining so we got a late start and did not explore much there.

Where did we eat (that’s really why you’re reading this, right?)? Here we go:

Our favorite place was Tamboril, right off Plaza de la Constitucion. We went here twice.

Photos - Anchovies in oil; trout; fried anchovies; mushrooms in broth; beverages and menu; bar buddy, waiting for something to drop

We also went to Bar Betijai twice, although we didn’t like it as much as Tamboril.

Photos - warm goat cheese salad; goat cheese with jamon; anchovy with tuna; pintxos display; anchovy with crab salad and a shrimp skewer; more jamon

We thought we might go to dinner at Casa Urola, but they were booked, so we sat downstairs for a couple of pinxtos.

Photos - menu display; more anchovies; scallop in cold cream sauce; something with pine nuts!; daily menu behind the bar; yet another anchovy pintxo

Fast food mussels? Potatoes? Sure, why not. Cervecerias La Mejillonera is here to fill that niche.

Photos - menu board outside the restaurant (potatoes and mussels, that’s it); menu inside; mussels “tigre” (spicy sauce) and mussels “a la marinera” (kind of an Italian dressing); menu board; trough for shells and other pintxos debris.

And finally, Basque cheesecake. Yes. In all its creamy and gooey deliciousness.

Photos - crowd outside La Vina; slices of cheesecake; whole cakes; Bob is pleased with his cheesecake plate

Also-rans for food: Bartolo, La Cepa de Bernardo, Kofradia (highly rated for seafood - but Bob got food poisoning, so…)

Some Logistical Stuff, Part Two: Hotels

I used booking.com for research, although I did book almost all the hotels directly once I knew what we wanted. We did check the Rick Steves guide for a few places, as some of the recommendations will give a “Rick Steves” discount (about 10%), and they are almost always centrally-located.

In San Sebastian/Donostia, we stayed at the Pension Sarriegi. This was a great location, walkable to everything, including the bus station. Modern room with fridge, overlooked a small square - which meant it could be noisy with the late night restaurant/bar crowd. It was noisy inside as well - you could hear all the doors to rooms in the central hall. No breakfast, but there was a coffee machine and hot water for tea. I booked this directly, €98/night. Staff spoke good English.

In Bilbao, we stayed at Hotel Bilbao Plaza. This was a great location along the river, walkable to the Guggenheim and Old Town and the train station (but required a taxi from the bus station - and that was an adventure. Short version: don’t follow the sign for taxis that requires you to wait at a door until a taxi shows up. Go out the station and follow signs to get a taxi on the street.) Room was very plain, but reasonably spacious and quiet, helped by the fact that it faced a funeral home - no late parties there lol. €107/night not including breakfast, and I did book this via booking.com - I think perhaps the hotel site did not offer any cancellation options. Breakfast was pretty good, for an extra €9 per person, but there wasn’t anything in the immediate area in the morning, so. Staff spoke excellent English.

We stayed at the Hotel Don Felipe in Segovia, and this may have been the nicest hotel of the trip. Also well-located just down the street from the cathedral and Plaza Mayor; also walkable to the castle and to the aquaduct. I booked this on booking.com as well, because you can’t book directly on the hotel website - you have to send them a message via the site. €121/night, but included an excellent breakfast. Room was spacious, but faced the street so there was some noise from tour groups during the day, which ended at about 6 pm when they all left. Staff spoke excellent English.

In Toledo, we stayed at La Posado de Manolo, which is around the block from the cathedral. The photo on their home page is the actual view from their rooftop terrace and breakfast room. €106/night, included a decent breakfast. This is the kind of place you just love to stay at - family-owned, Manolo used to be a vet and decided to buy his parents’ house and turn it into an inn. The three floors are themed - Christian, Jewish, Arabic - and the rooms are named and decorated after various trades. Ours was the Las Armoras (armorers), with swords and armor as the decor. Room itself was small, and bathroom had one of those capsule-type showers. So not our favorite room, but the inn was great. And across from the Museum of Cheese! Staff spoke very good English.

Our last stop was Madrid, where we stayed at the Petit Palace Puerta del Sol. This is a hotel chain, and the most expensive room of the trip at €209/night (hey, Madrid). Included breakfast which was totally amazing. Great location off the Puerta del Sol and the Sol metro stop. Walkable to Plaza Mayor and the palace; long walk - subway is a better option - to the Prado, Sofia Reina, Retiro park, etc. Room was modern, quiet and annoyingly hip (Towels monogrammed with “This is a towel,” coasters identified as “Coasters,” lined writing pad “Almost blank notepad,” etc.). Staff spoke excellent English.

All in all, very happy with our hotel choices.

Some Logistical Stuff, Part One: Transportation

A word about Renfe, the Spanish train system. The trains are great. The website…not so great.

My research on Rome2Rio and elsewhere indicated that I needed a bus between Bilbao and San Sebastian/Donostia (faster than the train) and that was easy enough. With buses leaving both cities every hour, no need to purchase tickets ahead of time. And the buses are nice - think tour bus, not city bus.

For Bilbao to Segovia, there were two trains, a 4-hour ride. One at 7 am (ouch) and one at 5:30 pm (ugh), but not a lot of alternatives. The bus option was over 6 hours. Flying was just as long as the train (fly into Madrid, then train to Segovia). So I went to the Renfe site to buy train tickets for the 7 am train for May 1st.

Sold out.

That can’t be right, I thought to myself. Tried a few more times. Still sold out. Tried alternative websites, got “not available.”

So I asked a question on the Rick Steves travel forum, and immediately got answers to the effect of “Eh, typical Renfe.” They load tickets 90 days out, except when they decide maybe 60 days out, and sometimes maybe they’ll post them 30 days ahead. You know, whatever. I was reassured that there would be tickets - these trains rarely sell out, they just add another car - but as to when there would be tickets, it was anyone’s guess.

On March 19, I was able to book tickets for May 1. But could I do it on Renfe’s website? Of course not. In addition to some indifferent English translations, and some pages not translated at all, and random error messages - I was tripped up, by all things, the US country code for my required phone number. Filled it all on on one page, using the country code drop down menu. Next page asked for the same information (?), and didn’t have the US country code listed (??), and I could not manually add it (???).

Trainline is a website that is infinitely easier to use, although they still have to wait for Renfe to load the schedules before they can sell the tickets. I may have paid a few euros more, but the site actually worked and their app is very good.

Once I got on Trainline, booking everything else was easy. Train from Segovia to Toledo involved arriving at Madrid Charmartin train station, and departing from Madrid Atocha train station, and we allowed plenty of time to get between the two. We had no issues with any of our transportation.

We also took quite a few taxis, from train stations to hotel, although there were some public transit options that would have been fine. Walking was not really an option in Segovia (station is outside of town) or Toledo (uphill climb with suitcase? no thanks.). Taxis are just…easier, let’s all admit it.

It's Been A While Since We Planned A Trip

After going on about 3 or 4 tours in a row, we finally started making plans for some independent travel, and decided on Spain. We had been to southern Spain in 2014, so this trip we decided to fly into Bilbao, and travel to San Sebastian/Donostia, Segovia, Toledo and end the trip in Madrid.

We traveled late April into early May, and relied on public transportation to get between places. I used Rome2Rio for transportation planning, it’s a great resource for at least showing what your transportation options are (more on that later), so we made a few adjustments to the itinerary after plugging things in to that website.

As usual, we used Rick Steves’ guidebook to find highlights and hotels when possible. I also used the Rick Steves travel forum to ask questions and do some research, which was helpful

Final itinerary:

• Mid-morning arrival in Bilbao, bus to San Sebastian/Donostia, 3 nights

• Bus back to Bilbao, 3 nights

• Train to Segovia, 2 nights

• Train to Madrid Charmartin station, train to Madrid Atocha station, train to Toledo, 3 nights

• Train to Madrid, 3 nights

• Early morning flight home

Let’s go!