Barcelona

Our trip to northern Spain - stretching across the provinces of Catalunya, Basque Country and Galicia - started in Barcelona. The six days spent in the city did not do justice to its richness and we later regretted not spending more days there. Old town, (Ciutat Vella), was full of tourist but still fascinating. We visited Barceloneta where we were delighted to happen upon a store selling the Brazilian smoothie, acai; were astonished by the beauty and complexity of Antoni Gaudi's La Sagrada Familia, went to Museo Picasso in pouring rain, and took a tour of the Metropolitan Cathedral Basilica of Barcelona. I took this side view of the cathedral because of the crowds in front. Gothic in style, the construction began in May 1298 on the very location of an early Roman settlement. Various additions have been made to this amazing edifice over the centuries; the last a restoration of the facade between 2004 and 2012 is still incomplete.

Girona

All the principal cities we visited included side trips to two or three smaller cities and towns. To reach our next stop, Girona, we boarded the high-speed AVE train at Barcelona-Sants station, covering the 53 miles in just 40 minutes with a speed of over 100 miles per hour. We loved our first experience of high-speed train travel. Girona (pop 100,000) is one of the favorite cities for Spanish tourist. Dating back to its Roman origin in 79BC, it is known for its medieval buildings and labyrinthine streets connected by stairways. It is also the home of El Call, the world's best-preserved Jewish quarters. We were surprised to see Latinos from Central and South America working in gelato and coffee shops. One man told us that they were welcome in the city and many worked in surrounding factories. This photo shows St. Agusti Bridge, one of several over the River Onyar, that connects the old and modern sectors of the city. The pastel-colored houses are on the side of the old quarter.

Girona

Another view of the old quarter from across St. Agusti Bridge.

Girona

Like many of the churches and cathedrals of Europe, the Girona Cathedral (also called Cathedral de Santa Maria de Girona) has a long history. The groundbreaking was in 1015 but it was not completed until the 18th century. Over the centuries it has undergone many changes and restorations, the last ending in 2009. It is remarkable among cathedrals for its wide nave, the largest in the world, and in size it is surpassed only by the Roman St. Peter's Basilica. Its style is a combination of Romanesque, Gothic and Neoclassical. By chance, we reached the cathedral's entrance from the old quarters. Entering from the front, visitors confront the challenge of its 17th century baroque staircase of 89 steps. The cathedral is known to some for its appearance in films and episodes of the Game of Thrones.

Girona

Closeup of Girona Cathedral. The cathedral is located at the highest point in the old quarter.

Besalu

Besalu - population 2,467 -is one of the best preserved medieval towns in Spain. Located in the Girona province, just 21 miles from the city of Girona, it is easily reached by bus. For this side trip from Barcelona, we stayed in an Airbnb in Girona and traveled the short distance to Besalu by bus. With a history going back to the prehistoric era, Besalu grew in importance when it became an independent municipality in the 9th century and eventually a flourishing market town. An important Jewish community also thrived in peaceful coexistence with local Christians. We entered the town via the magnificent 12th century Romanesque bridge over the river Fluvia. An imposing gate which originally guarded the entrance to the town still solidly stands.

Besalu

I took this photo from a different angle to show both the Romanesque bridge and part of the town beyond.

Besalu

This photo captures some of the river Fluvia with reflections of the bridge and houses.

Besalu

This photo shows the architecture and spatial arrangement of the medieval town of Besalu. The construction represents the Romanesque architectural period of the early Middle Ages: 800-1100AD. Roman arches are visible in the construction of the bridge and elsewhere. Building materials were still mostly stone. Some houses show later additions with stucco. The survival of towns from the early Middle Ages attest to their historical importance. In the case of Besalu, it was its rise to the status of an independent municipality in Catalonia in the 9th century.

Besalu

Close up of the Romanesque construction of the 12th century bridge.

Besalu

View of a church and mountains around Besalu.

Besalu

Entrance to the Church of Saint Vincent (Iglesia Sant Vincenc in Catalan language), believed to be the oldest church in Besalu, going back to the 10th century. The building today is a 12th century restoration. It was built in the Romanesque style with gothic touches in the interior restoration. This photo shows the Romanesque style of the period with arches and columns, as well as the use of large cut stones.

Besalu

Another entrance to Iglesia Sant Vincenc with a more elaborate Romanesque style of arches and columns.

San Sebastian (Donastia)

We reached our next destination, San Sebastian, by retracing our route to Besalu: bus back to Girona, AVE to Barcelona- Sants then a 6-hour train ride from Barcelona-Sants to San Sebastian. Arriving at night at the Extacion de Tren de San Sebastian-Donastia we were met by the host of our Airbnb. Our trip was 6-hours because the high-speed AVE is not yet on all train routes in Spain. Like Catalonia, the Basque region is an autonomous community with San Sebastian its most important city. (There are 17 autonomous regions in Spain.) Like Catalonia, also, the Basque country has its own language: Euskara. Unlike Catalan which shares some similarity with Spanish, Euskara has no known origin or similarity to other languages. It is spoken by about one-third of people in the Basque community. This photo is of the Casa Constorial, which sits across from the famous Playa de la Concha beach. It was originally constructed as a casino between 1882 and 1887. In 1947 it became the headquarters of San Sebastian City Council. It is an imposing building that dominants the landscape along the walkway of Playa de la Concha. San Sebastian's old town (Parte Vieja), where we spent a great deal of our time, was just a 20-minute walk from our Airbnb near the beach. Madrid is known for its tapas, while San Sebastian has its pintxos (pin-chos) which are primarily some kind of fish appetizer on a piece of bread. They are what the natives consume during their happy hour. Restaurants in the Parte Vieja often have counters stacked with pintxos in late afternoon which are typically consumed with wine. There are also pintxo bars. We marveled at the amount of wine consumption we witnessed for lunch, happy hour and dinner.

Zumaia

Zumaia traces its origin to 1282 as a small community around the Santa Maria Monastery. Today it is a small town of about 10,000 inhabitants along the Guipuzcoa coast, 21 miles west of San Sebastian. It has an old quarter with colorful houses. For such a small town, it has a museum with a collection of masters such as El Greco, Goya and Rodin. This photo of a playful combination of flowers and bicycles captures some of the ambiance of the town.

Zumaia

A cobblestone alley in the old quarter showing some historical buildings.

Zumaia

As we wandered about the town, we came across this colorful stairway that connected two levels of the town.

Hondarribia

Hondaribia, which lies only 14 miles east of San Sebastian on the French border, is a small fishing town and port. Its small size (pop 17,000) belies its historical significance and present interest. There is a walled old town, entered through the Santa Maria gate, where the 16th century castle of Charles V has been converted to a Parador of Hondarribia. The old town is also the location of the 16th century church of Santa Maria del Manzano. The Marina Neighborhood is lined with fishermen's homes and small fishing boats as well as restaurants and pintxo bars.

Hondarribia

Hondarribia's Marina Neighborhood is lined with fishermen's homes and small fishing boats as well as restaurants and pintxo bars. The colorful wooden balconies are everywhere.

Hondarribia

The Basque houses with wooden balconies painted in a variety of colors make Hondarribia one of the most beautiful towns we visited.

Hondarribia

The mixture of modern colors with old architecture creates a uniqueness not easily found elsewhere.

Hondarribia

From the upper level of Hondarribia one can get a glimpse of the ocean.

Hondarribia

In the old quarter, large yellow brick homes and cobblestone streets mix with more modern architecture.

Hondarribia

The alleys and narrow streets of the old quarter reveal the cobblestone and architecture of the past.