Barcelona:
We spent the first few days of our time in Spain visiting the neighborhood of Poblenou where SJ's cousin Marissa lives with her husband Curro. Our first stop involved paella. Because, duh. We wandered the streets of Barcelona, and hopped from place to place to properly "vermut" before turning in. Our next morning was greeted with rooftop breakfast with Marissa and Curro, followed by a fantastic road trip to the Costa Brava. We capped off the evening making a wonderfully late dinner together on the roof.
Our first meal in Barcelona, with a view of the water. Heaven
Curro
Day trip to the Costa Brava. Leica M2, Portra 400
Clams in green sauce!
La "Bomba" - Meat, potatoes, sauce, fried.
Yes, yes, yes!
Rooftop chef
Sardines and padron peppers by candlelight.
Walking along the Calella Palafrugell
San Sebastian:
Oh, how we've looked forward to this city. As people who love to eat, a visit to San Sebastian was a must. In fact, Basque Country is what brought us to Spain this summer. We spent several extraordinary days exploring and enjoying this magnificent city in Northern Spain.
Elkano
Traveling to San Sebastian, we needed to collect our first Michelin star. A reservation at Asador Etxebarri was unobtainable, but because of the insane density of great restaurants in Northern Spain, we weren't too disappointed. Instead, we had the distinct pleasure of dining at one of the best seafood restaurants in the world -- Elkano. This place is known for their preparation of Turbot fish. We had an outstanding meal, where the owner guided us through the different flavors and textures hidden in every nook and cranny of this delicious creature. The meal paired perfectly with a locally produced, lightly effervescent white wine -- Txakoli. Unforgettable experience.
Rioja
We rented a car for a day and ventured southwest into wine country. Excellent decision. Lucky for us, the rental agency was out of the car I paid for, and upgraded us to a BMW 5 series. No complaints from me! The highways in Spain are unbelievably nice. We drove through the countryside, through probably 10km of tunnels, and ended up in Rioja. Fun day exploring the wineries and the surrounding small towns.
The castle in LaGuardia, Rioja, Spain
NICE, FRANCE:
After a delightful visit to San Sebastian, it was time to head to France. Getting there was more complicated than anticipated. We flew to Barcelona, and on arrival were told that our plane to Nice had been cancelled. Not only that, but that Marseilles Air Traffic Control was on strike, and that any flight headed through that airspace was being cancelled. A few annoying hours later, and we were on an overnight bus, turning a 1 hour trip into a 12 hour journey. All that aside, Nice was a lovely place to visit, and we were spoiled for accommodations. There was an incredible market just outside of our incredible apartment, and we were about 2 blocks from the waterfront promenade. One of our days was spent exploring the nearby towns of Eze and Villefranche Sur Mer.
