After a 2 days in Getaria we decided to move on to Bilbao. The temperature was fine, we sailed in our shorts, but it was quite choppy with a good swell and strongish winds.
On the way we past a offshore platform and dodged a biological sea reserve after being shown the right way by a powerful motor launch.
We spent 5 days in Bilbao and used the time to pick up the car from Hendaye and take a tour of the city.
We met Sue and Ed Bowness at Bilbao with their boat Locomotion. Some time having a meal together and doing some swimming in the club pool we parted company when they wanted to move on and we still had some tasks to do.
The video shows our trip to Bilbao and tour around the city.
Thursday 18 August 2016
Wednesday 17 August 2016
Galavanting in Getaria
Having arrived at Orio from Hendaye (see our previous post ), we moved up to Getaria the next day. Orio was interesting but there was a motorway right by the marina and not much more we could see in the town.
The trip from Orio to Getaria was only a few miles so we motored over and booked in for a couple of days to explore the town.
It was certainly an active place with fishing boats in and out, yachts and rowing boats dodging each other and children swimming in the harbour. Even a couple of not-so-young children boarding in it to. It was a bit hilly but the outdoor escalator helped.
We are still in the Basque country, but its Spanish Basque now, having left the French Basque at Hendaye.
Getaria, located between San Sebastian and Bilbao, gets its name from the Latin word "cetaria". In the classic Latin, pronounced as [ketaria], it means a place where fish is canned. There is evidence of Roman installations for canning fish. It is one of the oldest towns in the area, and still survives on fishing as well as tourism.
The 7 minute video below gives you a good sprinkling of what the place is like and the lovely views. We hope you enjoy it.
The trip from Orio to Getaria was only a few miles so we motored over and booked in for a couple of days to explore the town.
It was certainly an active place with fishing boats in and out, yachts and rowing boats dodging each other and children swimming in the harbour. Even a couple of not-so-young children boarding in it to. It was a bit hilly but the outdoor escalator helped.
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| Getario old and new |
We are still in the Basque country, but its Spanish Basque now, having left the French Basque at Hendaye.
Getaria, located between San Sebastian and Bilbao, gets its name from the Latin word "cetaria". In the classic Latin, pronounced as [ketaria], it means a place where fish is canned. There is evidence of Roman installations for canning fish. It is one of the oldest towns in the area, and still survives on fishing as well as tourism.
The 7 minute video below gives you a good sprinkling of what the place is like and the lovely views. We hope you enjoy it.
Monday 15 August 2016
Leaving Hendaye
We arrived in Hendaye with Jim and Megan on the Sunday 19th June late afternoon.
They stayed with us most of the week before setting off. Jim doesn't like paying for marinas and prefers anchoring. Their attempt to anchor in the Hendaye bay was not a good one. With a 45 foot steel boat I can understand his reluctance.
After a trip around the town and considering the need to get back to St.Denis to pick up our car, we decided to make Hendaye our base until we returned from our trip back to the UK in July.
If you have never been to Hendaye, then I would recommend a visit. It has a lovely sandy beach. On the other side of the river is Spain so you have two holidays in one. It is also well placed for visiting the local towns of St. Jean de Luz, Biarritz and Bayonne.
We went to Jean de Luz, where my old mate the Duke of Wellington set up his winter headquarters in the town during the Peninsular War, 1813-14. He was not available when we went there, but we managed a trip around the town on "Le Tren."
In this 30 second video, can you spot the tune and our car?
Bayonne is a city in the Basque Country region of southwest France, where the Nive and Adour rivers meet. Narrow medieval streets characterize the old Grand Bayonne district.
Here lie the Gothic-style Bayonne Cathedral, with its 13th-century cloister, and Château Vieux castle.
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| Magnet and Scallywag side-by-side |
After a trip around the town and considering the need to get back to St.Denis to pick up our car, we decided to make Hendaye our base until we returned from our trip back to the UK in July.
If you have never been to Hendaye, then I would recommend a visit. It has a lovely sandy beach. On the other side of the river is Spain so you have two holidays in one. It is also well placed for visiting the local towns of St. Jean de Luz, Biarritz and Bayonne.
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| Hendaye Beach |
We went to Jean de Luz, where my old mate the Duke of Wellington set up his winter headquarters in the town during the Peninsular War, 1813-14. He was not available when we went there, but we managed a trip around the town on "Le Tren."
In this 30 second video, can you spot the tune and our car?
On another day trip we went to the 1950's favourite haunt of the stars, Biarritz and historic Bayonne.
Biarritz, an elegant seaside town on southwestern France’s Basque coast, has been a popular resort since European royalty began visiting in the 1800s. It’s also a major surfing destination, with long sandy beaches and surf schools. It seems my mate Wellington did not come here, but Napoleon had a swim in 1808. You can see more in the video at the bottom of this post.
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| Biarritz Sea Front |
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In 1814 Bayonne and its surroundings were the scene of fighting between the Napoleonic troops and the Spanish-Anglo-Portuguese coalition led by the Duke of Wellington: the city then underwent its final siege.
Whilst at Hendaye we caught the train to Bordeaux, had a weekend there and collected the car. More of this in another video and post.
In the meantime, sit back and watch our 8 minute summary of Hendaye and the next trip.
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