The North

So last week I faced my fears and hired a car. I was even more scared of driving a car on the right (wrong) side of the road than I was driving a scooter in Thailand! I needn't have worried though, as after 5 minutes or so the brain quickly adapts. It was so good to have the freedom to go wherever I liked without relying on trains and lugging baggage around. The little fiat 500 I got was perfect for me, and I only wished I'd done it sooner!

I spent 10 days travelling around different spots. You definitely need a car for this as many places aren't easily accessible by public transport. Everyone told me that the north was beautiful and completely different from the rest of Spain, and they're right. It's often compared to Scotland in that there's lots of green hills, it rains a lot and they speak a language that most other people can't understand!  I absolutely loved it! The scenery is incredible, the food is out of this world, and the people are great.

My first stop was Logroño in La Rioja. Needless to say the only reason I went here was for the wine! Although there are many wineries, I ended up doing a tour of one called Bodegas Franco Españoles which is in the town of Logrono itself. All of the other ones require at least a 20 minute drive by car, which clearly defeats the whole purpose as you can't have much to drink! I imagine the tour itself was much the same anywhere given the process doesn't change. And I ended up trying many different types of Rioja in the bars that evening, so it didn't really matter in the end. The next day I made a quick pit stop in Pamplona, but there's not really much going on there other than the bull run in July!

San Sebastian was my second stop, and it's where I had some of the best food. It's also one of the most beautiful towns I've been to, with the beach running along its length and enclosed by hills on both sides. It's like something on a postcard. The day I arrived the sky was grey and it was pissing down. But even then the place is beautiful! The place doesn't feel at all Spanish, it's more French. Not altogether surprising given the proximity to the border. It did, however, mean that I encountered more French people than I would have liked. The sun was shining in my second day when I went to the beach and climbed Mount urgull for views of the city. The picture says it all. So beautiful.

The food here deserves a mention. Instead of tapas, the bars here are lined with pinxtos (pinchos). Most of the time these are served on little bits of bread, and could be something as simple as goats cheese or Iberian ham. Others are small plates of hot food such as pork cheek, or grilled steak. I have to say it's some of the best food I've eaten since I've been here. The only problem is ordering the stuff! In some bars you have to ask for a plate and you help yourself to the bar pinxtos. Often you have to order the hot stuff from blackboards behind the bar. Of course, nobody really tells you any of this. Also, being polite here gets you nowhere fast. You can't stand at the bar and just wait to be served. First of all, even getting into the bar is a challenge give everywhere is heaving! Once you battle your way through,  you need to command the attention of the bar staff by signalling or shouting. This does not come easy to us Brits! It's a bit daunting at first, but it's amazing how ruthless you can be when you're hungry. My favourite places for anyone thinking of going - la Cuchara de San Telmo, Txuleta, Zerruko.

San Sebastian is also where I went on a date with Ivo the porn director. Well, it wouldn't be a proper trip without a tinder date would it? Some of my friends were a bit shocked when I told them, but you should never judge a book by its cover, and I was very curious about the industry! He was actually a lovely guy, very intelligent and well travelled, and very successful with his business. He also mentioned I could make £500+ per session. Something to think about if I struggle to find employment on my return to Scotland...

The next stop was Bilbao. I only booked one night here because I didn't think there would be much to see or do. I was glad I did, as even though I liked the city more than I thought I would (it's very pretty) there's not much to do. Especially since I was here on a Monday when the Guggenheim museum was closed (not that I would have gone in anyway since I have zero appreciation for art). I took the funicular to the top of the mountain for some really nice views of the town, before heading to Bar Irrintzi for some pinxtos. I actually ended up going back here for dinner as it was that bloody good! They had this amazing pork knuckle dish and a skewer of pork with mustard mayonnaise. I'm still salivating at the thought! 

The next morning I drove to Santander, where it did nothing but rain. I thought that was maybe the reason why I didn't really like the city, but even when the sun came out for an hour or so that afternoon, I was still a bit underwhelmed. I maybe shouldn't be so harsh on the place as I'm told that a huge fire raged through the old town in 1941, which is why there's not as many historical sights here. It just lacks any sort of charm in my opinion, although there's no denying the coastline is beautiful.  Given the whole point of my stop there was to enjoy the beach it was very disappointing. I actually ended up cutting my trip short by one night and driving to a small town 30 mins from here. I'm told I arrived the worst possible week as the week before and the week after was glorious sunshine. Typical. From Santander I booked a last minute hostel in a small town called Santillana del Mar. Its listed on many websites as a must see town in Spain, and because of this, it is SUPER touristy. It's still beautiful though. It was nice to chill out i a small little town as opposed to a big city for a change. 

At 8am I set off for the Picos de Europa mountain range. I did the Ruta de Cares which is a 24km walk. I can't really describe just how amazing it was, and the photos really don't do it justice. I had great weather for it too as the sun was shining all day. The only issue is, it's not like being on a Scottish mountain where you can nip in the nearest bush for a pee. The whole route is along a very small path in a gorge, so you have the rocks to one side and a sheer drop in the other. Very few places along the way, such as little recesses in the mountain, where you can drop your kegs and relieve yourself! Especially when you're own your tod and don't have anyone to keep a look out for other tourists!

Next stop was Oviedo in Asturias. This was a beautiful little town, full of charm and lovely people! The famous drink here is Cider. They drink bucketloads of the stuff. As you can see from the photo, there is a special knack to pouring it i.e. from a great heigh without looking. This is so it gets a proper airing apparently. Each time they pour only a mouthful and you're supposed to shot it. I'm not a cider fan normally, and I didn't particularly like it. The next night I found this great little bar called Casa Pachu. When I went to order my glass of wine at the bar this old guy started chatting to me and invited me to sit down. Eventually I realised that he was the owner, although I swear he's santa claus. He was standing there helping himself to glass after glass of wine, which is exactly what I'd be doing if I owned my own bar too. He was one of the friendliest people I met, as was his friend who was also sat at the bar. I chatted away to them all night, and it turns out his friend is a very keen mountaineer. I've been invited to return to Oviedo to go hill walking and it's something I will definitely think about doing. Some of the photos he showed me of the mountains were incredible, and very similar to the ones I showed him in Scotland.

From Oviedo I took a trip 20 mins further north to visit Gijon. I didn't love it as much as Oviedo, but it has a nice coastline with a couple of decent beaches. I'm glad I didn't decide to spent the evening there. Instead I decided to travel South to Leon and stay overnight. Leon was probably the biggest surprise for me of the trip as I loved it. Its not a place anyone has really mentioned to me before or suggested I visit, and I can't understand why, because its beautiful. The food here is also fab, and the same tapas culture as Granada where you get a free tapa with every drink. The night I spent here i think I went to about 7 different bars and had croquettes, fried potatoes with spicy mince, nachos with guacamole, sopa de ajo (garlic soup), ham and cheese, to name a few. I know, I'm a fat bastard!

The next day it was time to head back to Madrid. To break up the journey I stopped in Valladolid for a couple of hours. Again it's a city that people don't have too much to say about, but I thought it was really pretty, and the award winning tapas bar i went to (Taperia Jero) had some of the tastiest pinchos I've had on my stay here. All in all it's been a fabulous 10 days, but I'm glad to be back in Madrid. It feels like I've spent so much time travelling and seeing the country than I have actually living in Madrid! Which is why I've decided to stay here until the end of the year. I'm sure most of you won't be surprised to hear that. But I don't think 3 months is really enough time here, especially since I've only now just established myself with students and friends. Whats another 3 months after all! The next two weeks will be spent enjoying myself with friends and looking for a new apartment to move into when I return in late September. I have to go back to Scotland first for a two week holiday to Florida with the family. I know, I'd hate me too if I were you!