Bordeaux

 To get from San Sebastian to Bordeaux we had to take a tram.   France and Spain have different gauge railways so there is no direct train connection between the two.  The tram was like a metro train and it took us to Hendaye, just inside the French border and here we caught a train to Bordeaux.  For most of the 35 minute tram trip we were in tunnels so we now know why it's nicknamed 'the Mole'.  We were on the train for 2 ½ hours and it was flat land all the way, lush green grass in the fields and several forestry plots of what looked like pine trees but their trunks were quite skinny compared to NZ forestry.

At Bordeaux they were renovating the station and as scaffolding covered the exit signs we didn't know which way to go to get off the platform. We tried to follow the crowds but that didn't help as some people were like us going backwards and forwards, others were rushing to catch the train on the opposite side of the platform or the one we had just left and those who knew where to go quickly disappeared.  In the end we just chose a direction, walked a bit and soon found the way out.

The next hurdle was to catch a tram into the city.  Getting tickets from the machine was easy but we chose the wrong platform, from a choice of two.  This station had the tram direction on the track side of the shelter so it wasn't easily seen from where you waited.  It wasn't until we had crossed to the wrong platform and looked across the tracks that we saw the sign we needed.  Fortunately trams were coming every 3 minutes so we didn't have long to wait for the next one to arrive.

Our Bordeaux apartment  was a little different.  As we had guessed from the AirBnB photos the bedroom/lounge  area was in a converted wine cellar so we had stone walls and ceiling.  The kitchen and bathroom were upstairs but what we didn't know was that there were no windows there either as the apartment was accessed from a covered internal courtyard.  The décor was very modern and we had air-conditioning so it was fine but I did miss getting up in the morning and looking outside to see what the weather was like.  To do this we had to go through the courtyard, through a door into a passage, through another door and walk 15 metres to the front door that went directly onto the street.

We had map and a walking tour to follow so set off next morning to discover the city.  The Romans were there in the early 2nd century but as the current city was built on top of the Roman one only the remains of an amphitheatre can be seen today.

The Grosse Cloche (big bell) was once part of a 13th century defensive structure.  Until the French revolution the bell was rung to mark major events but nowadays it's only rung 5 times a year.  The bell made in 1775 weighs 7800kg.

The Dijeaux gate was built from 1771 - 1773 is a monumental gateway and the Caihau gate was opened in the city walls 1496.

Dijeaux gate 

Caihau gate.

The city's Cathedral Saint Andre was built during the 12th to 16th centuries and it's stonework was in the process of being cleaned changing it from black to golden.  We couldn't visit the cathedral but the adjacent bell tower Pey Berland, built in the 15th century could be climbed for a small fee.  

The tower was built separate from the cathedral so the vibration from the bells wouldn't damage it.  We climbed 238 steps up a narrow spiral staircase to get to the topmost balcony and from there we had lovely views over the city.  Many orange tile roofs and flat land for as far as you can see.

Bordeaux had many buildings in what I think of as a French style, four or five stories lots of windows and slate roofs.  

The impressive buildings of Palace de Bourse and Hotel Des Fermes, built 1729 - 1733, have a grand view of the Garonne river.

and the opera house has 12 statues above 12 columns.

We found an impressive fountain which was built as part of a monument to honour those guillotined during the French revolution.  All fountains have been turned off and we think this is because crowds are arriving in the city to watch European football cup games, which is a pity as it would have been nice to see it going.

On our second day in Bordeaux we took a trip to St Emilion, a small town 35km north west.  We looked into taking a tour here but the small group tours that looked attractive were booked out so we decided to do it on our own.  Armed with train tickets and a map we set off to explore this town that was founded in the 8th century by a Benedictine monk called Emilion.  He settled in a cave and lived there for many years until his death in 787.  The monks that followed him started the commercial wine production that's a feature of the area today, they created caves and catacombs and in the limestone hillside they dugout stone to make church.  The village sits on a small hill and most buildings are built from limestone from in and around the town.

The first place we explored was the tower of a 13th century chateau that disappeared a long time ago and from the top, 113 steps up a circular stone stairway, we had views of the town and neighbouring vineyard covered land.

The tower

The Collegiate church was built around the 12th century and the cloisters in the 15th.  Inside the church there are remains of 12th century frescoes.

The highlight of the day was a guided tour through the underground church, Emilion’s cave and the catacombs.  We couldn't do this on our own as the land and buildings are owned privately by three people.  The founding monk’s stone bed and meditation chair can be seen but many changes have been made to his cave.  A house wall has been built across one end and his followers built a balustrade to protect the freshwater pool.  Above his cave the Benedictine monks built a chapel and on the walls there are 13th century frescoes.  In later times the chapel was used for barrel making and the ash from the fires coated the paintings and protected them.  They were rediscovered during cleaning in the 1990’s.

Not my photo as we couldn't take any inside - Frescoes in the chapel 

We walked through the catacombs, which are beneath the church and saw where bodies used to lie. There are no bones there today.   

The church is an amazing space, 36 metres long, 20 metres wide and 11 metres high, all dug out block by block.  It took 50 years to build and money was never a problem as they sold the stone they removed for making buildings in the town and nearby.  To build the church they started at the top and dug down so they were always working at floor level. It's called an underground church as the floor level is below ground.  When the church was built they put in a drainage system but over time this was damaged, probably when they buried bodies under the floor. There used to be frescoes on the wall but during the French revolution the saltpetre that formed on the damp limestone walls was scraped off to make gunpowder and with it the frescoes. Above the church is a 53 metre high bell tower which adds a huge weight stress on the church below.

The underground church 

We returned to Bordeaux to find that more football fans had invaded the city.  Spain played Croatia there that night and fans were in party mood well before the game started.  We still managed to find a quiet spot for dinner.

San Sebastion

Our last stop in Spain was in San Sebastian, in the northwest corner of Spain not far from the French border.  It was a six hour, 430 km bus ride that passed surprisingly quickly.  After an hour the landscape was noticeably greener with quite a few trees and cattle being farmed amongst them.  We passed through rocky hills before going over a pass and descended into a valley with fields of crops, there were wind farms here and there.

Before reaching San Sebastian the motorway passed through a several tunnels and we went over viaducts too.  We also had the novelty of rain, the first we have seen since leaving home a month ago if you don't count the brief rain squall we encountered in the Sahara.  As we neared our destination we were amongst lush green tree covered hills and saw the city on the flatter land near the sea.

In San Sebastian the rain was over and we trundled our packs along the knobbly paving, fortunately it wasn't far too our ‘pension’ (boarding house). Until now we have stayed in self contained apartments that we booked through AirBnB but as San Sebastian is a resort town our budget had us in a room with shared facilities.  The room was roomy, the facilities were spotless and we seldom saw other guests so it was all we needed.

Our first impressions of the old town, where we were staying, was of paved streets, with no cars, and lots and lots of bars.  Most bars were very small and people spilled out onto the streets to eat their pintxos (pinchos) and have their drinks and cigarettes.  As we travelled through Spain we have noticed many people smoking and while we are amongst more people than usual I think there is a higher percentage of smokers here than at home.

A typical street in the old town

Here in Basque country they have a different take on tapas, instead it's pinchos which are mainly a variety of toppings on bread.  Initially we thought they might be nice but when at 6pm we saw empty bars and the pinchos sitting out on the bar counters we wondered how fresh they would be come dinnertime.

Pintxos waiting for customers 

Here, as elsewhere in Spain, people dine late with some restaurants not opening until 8pm and even then it's not until after 9pm that the crowds start arrive.  Having snacks and drinks earlier in the evening seems to be normal and maybe this is the evening meal for some as we have noticed lunch portions are large and often three course set menus offered although these are offered in the evening too.  By 8pm the bars were full with people standing by the counters (and food) drinking and chatting.  When it was raining they still spilled out onto the streets where they huddled under the small awnings.

San Sebastian's  La Concha Bay is a lovely curving  beach with golden sand and on our first morning we walked the promenade along the length of it.  It's not the height summer here yet so the beach was relatively deserted and at 21C while comfortable it was quite a lot cooler than what we have become used to.

Part way along the beach we visited the gardens of the Mirimar Palace, the house there was designed by an English architect and was commissioned in 1893 by the Queen who used it for her summer holidays.  

Mirimar Palace with its English appearance  

At one end of the bay is Mt Igueldo and we took the easy way

up (and down) riding in a 1912 funicular.

Relieved that the down coming car took the other track

At the top of Mt Igueldo we had lovely views of the bay and the surrounding hills.  There is an old lighthouse tower (built in 1778) there so we climbed to the top to check out the view from there.

View from the tower

The old lighthouse tower 

When we were back in the old town again we went past the 18th century Basilica of Santa Maria Costello, it had beautiful carvings over the doorway.

We were able to go inside the San Vicente church but from the crowd the gathered soon after came out we think we sneaked in before a funeral. This church was built in the 16th century with towers and decorations added later.

San Vicente church

Also in town is the Cathedral of Buen Pastor built around 1897.  The main naves is 77 metres long and the belfry 75 metres tall.  

By mid morning of our second day the overnight rain had cleared so we set off to climb the 123 metres up Mt Urgill. There was no easy way up this time but it wasn't a hard walk.  The hill is topped by an old barracks and warehouse and a chapel and Jesus Christ statue that was added in 1950.  In the 12th century the hill was a defence point and it was reinforced in the 16th century.  In 1813 it was the site of military operations during the seige of San Sebastian and there were assaults during later wars.

On our way up the hill we passed an old gate and Bastian that overlooked the city.  At the top there was an interesting museum and although all the explanations were in Spanish the pictures have us a good idea of the city's military history.

San Sebastian is on a river and over the bridge is the town of Gros, a smaller town and beach.  There were many surfers in the water looking for waves and surf is what this beach is known for.

From here it's

       adios España

                et bonjour France.

Madrid

To get from Cordoba to Madrid we went by train, not a fancy fast one but we still got there in a couple of hours.  After settling into our apartment, which was in a residential area, we went for a walk to familiarise ourselves with the area.

 We walked down to the river then through the park alongside.  As we neared the end of our park walk we saw a collection of brick buildings and went to investigate.  They housed a variety of entertainment, cultural and arts centres and when we checked it out on the internet we discovered the huge complex was once a municipal slaughterhouse and livestock saleyard ( from 1911 to 1996 ). It's known as Matadero.

Matadero

Matadero

Still more Matadero - They are a fascinating collection of brick buildings with tiles and abstract designs

We had two full days in Madrid and spent a good part of the daylight hours walking :)  

We caught the metro to take us a few stops down the line and into the central city which is an older part.  While there weren't the historical buildings like we have seen elsewhere there were many grand buildings and churches etc.

The royal palace but not the residence if the royal family.  This is only used for state ceremonies.

Cathedral de la Almudena

Cathedral from the other side.  Construction began in 1879; it stopped during the Spanish civil war (1936-1939) and was abandoned until 1950; the cathedral was completed and consecrated in 1993.

Cybele Palace opened in 1919 as headquarters of the Spanish postal and telecommunication service. In 2007 it became Madrid's city hall

Monestery de la Descalzas Reales. This is a former palace of King Charles I of Spain and Isabel of Portugal.  In 1559 their daughter founded a convent of nuns here.  The convent attracted young widowed or spinster noblewomen and through their dowries the convent became very rich. By the 20th century the sisters were in poverty but unable to sell off any items or spend any of the money.  In 1960 the Pope gave dispensation for the convent to be opened as a museum.  I missed the once daily English tour so didn't get to see the precious dowries and valuable paintings.

From my observation Madrid is a city of statues, they are in the parks, in the plazas, on city gates, in fountains, on top of buildings and even on the sides of buildings.  Statues with horses caught my eye so I made a photo collection of the ones I came across.   A few them are below.

Don Quixote and Sancho Panza

Not horses but I like this one

One day we met up with an Australian couple from our Morocco tour and had lunch with them at the oldest restaurant in the world. It opened in 1725 and roast meat is still the house speciality.

Our friends outside the restaurant

 The kitchen, roasts ready to be cooked

We went to the ’ Temple de Debod’ which dates from 2200 years ago and was moved to Spain in 1968.  It was donated to Spain for their help in saving monuments that would be flooded due to the Aswan dam construction.  From the outside I wasn't very impressed but inside there were carvings on the stone walls showing figures making offerings to a god.  Now those did impress me.

The temple

Some inscriptions 

Carvings