Author: marionvermazen

We had a lovely drive today on backroads, basically south, to Siguenza. Every time we saw a sign pointing to something interesting we stopped to check it out.

Next we saw a sign for the Mirador de Galiana. Mirador means viewpoint. It was a pretty phenomenal view.

Next we saw a sign for a Roman canal. We walked down a short path and found a tunnel that was part of the 18 km long canal.

Eventually we came to Siguenza. The Parador is at the top of the hill in the town. We have stayed here twice before in 2016 and 2018. We had our welcome drinks and a sandwich overlooking the courtyard.

For dinner walked down the hill about half a mile and 210 feet down to a wonderful restaurant called El Fogaril Gastrobar. We had a delicious tasting menu and enjoyed talking to the owner. Before we left we talked to a couple from Florida who were sitting next to us. He was 79 and she was 76. They have been visiting Spain for many years since he was stationed from 1968 to 1972 at the U.S. base outside of Seville.

Today was a very relaxing day. After breakfast we went out exploring in Lerma. The palace that is now the Parador and many of the grand buildings in the town were built by the Duke of Lerma in the first two decades of the seventeenth century.

We relaxed in the central courtyard of the Parador. Yesterday, Sunday afternoon, the room was packed. Today, Monday there were less than ten people enjoying the space.

Tomorrow we go to Siguenza. You can read tomorrow’s blog post by clicking here.

Today we drove southeast to Lerma. We enjoyed the backroads again although today was a cold and windy day.

Tonight we are staying in the Parador of Lerma. It is in the former palace of the Duke of Lerma.

To see tomorrow’s blog post click here.

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.

For my next blog post click here.

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.