My name is Marion Vermazen. I am a traveler, hiker, reader, Sun alumnus, computer geek, YouTuber, Spanish and French language student, knitter, weaver and genealogist.
To make it easier for you to follow our 2026 Spring European trip from the beginning I’ve linked the blog posts in order.
You can go to the first blog post of our trip by clicking on this link.
At the end of each blog post after that, there is a link to the next day’s blog post.
This morning in Bilbao we found a place for croissants and coffee then went out for a walk to explore Bilbao.
We had fun exploring the back roads again today. We stopped at Orbaneja del Castillo. It’s a little village where a stream comes out of a cave and creates a beautiful waterfall. The cliffs above the canyon that surrounds the town have incredible formations that look like castles.
We went into the cave to see the stream.
As we continued down the back roads again we came across this fortress. we could have climbed to the top but it was cold, windy and raining so we just enjoyed it from the car.
Santo Domingo where we are tonight was an important stop on the Camino de Santiago. It has two Paradors. the one we’ve stayed in before, Parador de Santo Domingo de la Calzada, is a former hospital for pilgrims in the Middle Ages. The one we’ve stayed are at tonight, Parador de Santo Domingo Bernardo de Fresneda, is a former Convent.
We went to any excellent Italian Restaurant, La Strada, across the street for dinner.
Today we drove along the Basque coast east of Bilbao. We could have driven the direct route from Argomaniz to Bilbao but we really wanted to enjoy the beauty of the coast.
Tonight in Bilbao we walked a few blocks from our Catelonia Hotel to a nearby pintxos restaurant, Mugi Taberna. pintxos are the basque equivalent of tapas.
We shared pimentos, ensalada rusa, and octopus. Then for desert we had Torrijas with Carmel sauce and ice cream. The food and wine were all really good but the atmosphere is what really made it fun. Everybody including the staff was just socializing and having fun.
To see my next blog post click here.
If we had taken the fastest Google recommended route today the drive would have been about 4 hours. But we wanted to take the back roads so our drive took us a bit over six hours. It was a beautiful drive, well worth the extra time.
First we took a very narrow and winding road through Canyon de Añisclo in Parque Nacional de Ordesa y Monte Perdido. It was stunningly beautiful.
For dinner we had hamburgers in the Parador bar.
My next blog post about our journey from Argomaniz to Bilbao is available if you click here.
Today we did a really nice 3.5 mile hike to waterfalls in the canyon above the Parador. The hike up from the Parador was wide and smooth. It had a gradual uphill grade. It was a beautiful day. We really enjoyed ourselves.
At the beginning of the hike there was a sign warning about dangerous invasive pine processionary caterpillars. They are pretty impressive and apparently very dangerous. If you want to be appalled, Google dangerous processionary caterpillars. We saw people carrying their big dogs. I can see why. Apparently the caterpillars can kill dogs.
The hike back down was relatively short but very steep and rocky. By the time we got back our leg muscles and joints were complaining. We decided that after the hike would be a good time to have Spain’s National drink.
To read my next blog post click here.
Our drive north today, almost to the French border, was beautiful. It was about three hours. Tonight we are in the Parador of Bielsa. We’ve been here twice before but they have been closed for renovations and we wanted to see the new decor.
The Parador is pretty much at the end of the road in a box canyon. The renovation is excellent. The interior feels lighter and more modern.
To read about our second day at the Parador de Bielsa click here.
Marion's Blog 