Basque – Andorra

Looking out the plane window, the sky was covered with white clouds as far as the eye could see. Indeed, Bilbao was a winter-like cloudy sky. First, I visited Puente de Vizcaya by Metro. I like such rugged iron structures as the Eiffel Tower. I then went to Restaurante Abando. Every pintxos looked tasty, so I couldn’t help myself and had it.

BTW, passengers booked bus tickets online, so I couldn’t get an available seat at the terminal. Times have changed. *28/12/18

I had to leave the hotel 1 hour earlier due to the departure of my bus, but I could eat breakfast before opening thanks to Hotel Abando. First, I walked Donostia-San Sebastian’s pretty beach, a famous spot. Arriving early, I couldn’t wait for lunch and departed briskly to Irun by train. After leaving my backpack at a hotel, I visited Hondarribia. The town faced France across an estuary. Many bars, locals and tourists alike, enjoyed pintxos, tapas and txakoli.

BTW, I am glad I came to Basque; the food was great. *29/12/18

I began to walk toward the French border from Irun before sunrise. I crossed the border at the first grey of dawn. The beauty of the pink sky took my breath away. From Hendaye to Bayonne by TGV. No lockers in Bayonne, so I was carrying a heavy backpack, but I enjoyed strolling the colourful and charming streets, buying chocolates and eating prosciutto. I finally stayed in Toulouse.

BTW, a marathon race was held in Bayonne and runners passed the small cobbled alley. I wish I could have joined in. *30/12/18

The bus to Andorra went up a country road toward Les Pyrenees. The scenery was gradually covered with snow and the border was a perfect snowscape. Suddenly, the modern city appeared despite its location on top of a mountain. Andorra was the 67th country I’ve visited. As I just was satisfied, I headed to Barcelona. The bus was connecting villages, so I felt the pleasure of travelling going slowly.

BTW, the only sightseeing in Toulouse was the Pont Neuf shrouded in the early morning fog before getting on the bus. *31/12/18

The NYE fireworks in Barcelona were the biggest I’ve ever joined. The performance time was enough to be satisfied. The way back from Placa d’Espanya to Placa d’Catalunya was full of people, so I was excited. Anyway, Sagrada Familia had grown in the last 20 years. Well, I felt nostalgic to take a selfie at Santa Eulalia as last time. After having pintxos, I got a TGV to Carcassonne via Perpignan.

BTW, all restaurant was closed, so I had a Kebab for dinner. *1/1/19

I didn’t know the climate tendency in Carcassonne, it was the coldest city I’d visited during that trip. I wondered if it was due to the wind. I went to the castle at 9am. There was a quiet spot, so I could take good photos. I returned to the town to eat a cassoulet for lunch. That was for tourists, but it was tasty. Finally, I stayed in Montpellier.

BTW, I wanted to go to Paris at 12pm the next day, but the TGV was full, so I decided to stop by at Nîmes. *2/1/19

There were two types of ticket machines at Montpellier station. I thought the red one was for a short distance trip and another was for a long distance. I bought the ticket to Nîmes by the red one. After that, I asked a railway officer about my ticket and was told that it could only be used on local lines. She also stubbornly refused to give me a refund. But I was happy because she didn’t treat me like a tourist.

BTW, I put that aside and set about enjoying Paris. *3/1/19

I wanted to have my last dinner at La Petite Périgourdine I dined in 2018, but it was fully booked. Well, I could eat a nice magret de canard at Le Village Ronsard. Anyway, I was pleased to wander around Paris just on foot, to the fullest. The cloudy winter sky was suitable for taking photos. Besides, it was early morning, so there were few people around. Sounds corny, but I also enjoyed a full-course French breakfast at a cafe in Le Marais.

BTW, I wish I try other things next time in Paris. *4/1/19