My flight to Lisbon was uneventful. For me, the highlight of this trip was going to be San Sebastian and Saumur. I was to meet my parents at a hotel near the airport for a road trip. They had driven across Spain from Granada in their little Chevvy. I was to help with the driving back to West Yorkshire. We had planned to visit The Azores first, but that is another story.

The Route

The trip was to take us north east of Lisbon to San Sebastion, then on to Saumur in France via a visit to a friend living near Bergerac. After some wine tasting on the banks of the Loire, we intended to wind our way back to Holmfirth, just south of Leeds.

Spain

Heading off from Lisbon we made Fuentes de Onoro, just over the border. We stayed here for the evening with plans to get to San Sebastian the next day. It was too far, we got as far as Burgos and found Santa Agueda, an amazing B&B centrally situated. Burgos is the European home for Bridgestone Tyres, with a massive factory taking up most of the town. However, The Gothic Cathedral of St Mary is worth a look if you happen to be passing through. We had a good look around before we set off for San Sebastian.

  • Statue of El Cid
  • Catedral De Burgos

The drive through the Basque countryside into San Sebastian is wonderful. Green woodlands on each side of well kept winding roads. The beachfront here is world-renowned and some time should be spent on the promenade, just people watching if nothing else. The old town is worth a visit also. We stayed at Olarian, a fair way from the city centre but worthwhile. Olarian is student accommodation that converts to a 2-3 star hotel in the summer. It has interesting concrete mannequins around, and on the building exterior, and is decorated like some kind of weird museum inside. Very different, comfortable, reasonably priced. Food is not very good, it is best to eat out, the famous beach La Concha, with plenty of restaurants, is only a 20-minute walk.

  • Olarian
  • Olarian Concrete Figurines
  • Olarian Concrete Figurines
  • Wierd Gothic design inside Olarian
  • Inside Olarian
  • Close up of one of the many statuettes
    on display outside Olarian

France

We left this strange hostelry the next morning and crossed the border into France. Deciding to stay with a family friend, we detoured to Bergerac for a few nights and then pushed on. Saumur sits on the banks of the Loire river and is well known for the many vineyards nearby. We arrived on market day which is always a good thing when in France. Hotel La Londres is a boutique hotel right in the centre of town. It is perfectly decorated and made for a most enjoyable stay. Everything is good about Saumur. Wine tasting, river walks, great market, and fabulous restaurants. This place is going on my “return soon list”.

  • Saumur, and It wasn’t even raining!
  • Hotel Les Londres
  • Receptioand dining area

Our road trip was nearly over. We stayed in Saint-Omer for the following night. A small town 40 km from Calais, it is ideal for a stopover on the night before the ferry back to the UK or Mud Island, as I call it. It’s a delaying tactic for me, an extra night in my beloved France.