No idea, huh? Most travelers think it's them. I found the answer, however, when I least expected it in the village of the old surfer outside my hotel in Bilbao: Getaria.
Take the EuskoTrain just 25-30 minutes outside of San Sebastian, and you're at Arautz, a pretty little beach town where the waves look "just like in California" according to some song, the name of which I've forgotten. There's very little to see in Arautz, itself, unless you're in the middle of the international surf competition the village hosts yearly. Hell, if you are a surfer, Arautz is the place in Spain to be, not Barcelona. The Atlantic Ocean trumps the Mediterranean sea for waves any day.
A short car ride, or long walk along the mountainside, and you'll end up in Getaria. Old Surfer Guy only scratched the surface of the incredible stories Getaria has to tell. Legendary clothing designer, Balenciaga was born there. A museum is in the process of being built in his honor as we speak. Also, it's the place Juan Sebastian Elkano called home, before he set off to become the first man to successfully complete a trip around the world---
Actually, what Elkano did was a 'circumnavigation' of the globe. Also, he became the first as Magellan's 2nd in command. When Magellan was killed in a clash with Filipinos, Elkano did the honors. Good story, and I really am trying to be as excited as the locals are about it. But colonialism looms here. Makes me wanna holler. I mean, why would they be fighting Filipinos? I'm just going to go ahead and talk about the food...
We had the pleasure of being accompanied by Daniel, who grew up in the area, moved to Barcelona as a youth, but recently moved back for work. So though I'm sure there are at least a handful of fab restaurants in Getaria, I'm confident we ate at the best, the Mayflower, perched right on a bluff overlooking the water. Servers of the freshest fish I've ever eaten. Ever.
Start with a bottle of txacoli, regional white wine. This one was made with Chardonnay grapes. Ask before you order, there are txacolis less sweet.
Even on a chilly Sunday, the fish is minimally spiced (a dash of salt, spritz of lemon, diced roasted onion and garlic) and cooked on an asador, an outdoor grill.
We shared octopus, prawns, a few whole fish, and a basket of fresh bread. Really, you can order any fish on the menu, and win, but we had this guy, the turbot. The flesh along the spine is the tastiest.
Here's what he looks like in the market. In case you were wondering.
Normally, I don't do shrimp with the head still on. But the food was just so good...
Built on mountainous terrain, you navigate Getaria via hidden staircases and sloping tunnels. Somehow, no matter how high we went or where we turned, the water was visible.
Take the EuskoTrain just 25-30 minutes outside of San Sebastian, and you're at Arautz, a pretty little beach town where the waves look "just like in California" according to some song, the name of which I've forgotten. There's very little to see in Arautz, itself, unless you're in the middle of the international surf competition the village hosts yearly. Hell, if you are a surfer, Arautz is the place in Spain to be, not Barcelona. The Atlantic Ocean trumps the Mediterranean sea for waves any day.
A short car ride, or long walk along the mountainside, and you'll end up in Getaria. Old Surfer Guy only scratched the surface of the incredible stories Getaria has to tell. Legendary clothing designer, Balenciaga was born there. A museum is in the process of being built in his honor as we speak. Also, it's the place Juan Sebastian Elkano called home, before he set off to become the first man to successfully complete a trip around the world---
Actually, what Elkano did was a 'circumnavigation' of the globe. Also, he became the first as Magellan's 2nd in command. When Magellan was killed in a clash with Filipinos, Elkano did the honors. Good story, and I really am trying to be as excited as the locals are about it. But colonialism looms here. Makes me wanna holler. I mean, why would they be fighting Filipinos? I'm just going to go ahead and talk about the food...
We had the pleasure of being accompanied by Daniel, who grew up in the area, moved to Barcelona as a youth, but recently moved back for work. So though I'm sure there are at least a handful of fab restaurants in Getaria, I'm confident we ate at the best, the Mayflower, perched right on a bluff overlooking the water. Servers of the freshest fish I've ever eaten. Ever.
Start with a bottle of txacoli, regional white wine. This one was made with Chardonnay grapes. Ask before you order, there are txacolis less sweet.
Even on a chilly Sunday, the fish is minimally spiced (a dash of salt, spritz of lemon, diced roasted onion and garlic) and cooked on an asador, an outdoor grill.
We shared octopus, prawns, a few whole fish, and a basket of fresh bread. Really, you can order any fish on the menu, and win, but we had this guy, the turbot. The flesh along the spine is the tastiest.
Here's what he looks like in the market. In case you were wondering.
Normally, I don't do shrimp with the head still on. But the food was just so good...
Built on mountainous terrain, you navigate Getaria via hidden staircases and sloping tunnels. Somehow, no matter how high we went or where we turned, the water was visible.
2 comments:
I always thought that the first Human to circumnavigate the globe was Henry the Black - Magellan's slave. Maybe I'm wrong...
You know, I don't know. I'm in Spain, so of course, everyone around me says it's Juan. And from what I've read, no one on the ship really liked how much Magellan loved & trusted his slave, so could be...
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