Spain - September 2023
Ahhh Spain - one of my favorite countries on Earth! I studied abroad in Cáceres, Spain in 2018, and fell in love with the country’s music, food, and culture. This trip was my first opportunity to return to Spain since my study abroad program, and it was Yana’s first time visiting. We wanted to spend time in some of the lesser visited regions of the country, so we decided to spend the majority of the trip in Asturias and the Basque region. We were blown away by the natural beauty and rugged coastline of the North coast. I’m sure it won’t be another 5 years before I visit again!
Yana and I began our trip flying out of our home airport, Minneapolis-Saint Paul, with a layover in Amsterdam. From there, it was a 3 hour flight to Madrid. We checked into the Atocha Hotel Madrid and walked around the Plaza Mayor and El Mercado de San Miguel. For lunch we ate at the oldest continuously operating restaurant in the world, Restaurante Botín. After that we made our way to the Santiago Bernabéu for a Real Madrid game! I wanted to treat myself on this trip, as it was my Golden Birthday celebration, so I bought us front row tickets to the game against Getafe. It was a mind blowing experience and Real Madrid ended up winning on a last minute goal from Jude Bellingham.
The next segment of our trip brought us to the beautiful region of Asturias. The drive from Madrid to Gijón took 5 hours and the topography became much more mountainous throughout the drive. Asturias is known for its impressive nature - it has coastline, dense forests, and lush mountains. Our first stop in Asturias was the Michelin star awarded restaurant Casa Gerardo. Yana and I heard about this restaurant from watching a travel show featuring José Andres. The experience lived up to the hype! From there we checked into our airbnb and spent the next few days exploring Gijón. The city itself is very charming, with tons of surfers and beachgoers. We really enjoyed having breakfast at La Tinta del Mar and checking out the local Sidrerías (restaurants that feature the local hard cider - a can’t miss in Asturias). On our way to our next stay we visited the Picos de Europa National Park. This was one of the highlights of our trip! The vast scenery with jagged mountain peaks made for some enjoyable hiking. If I could re-do this trip, I’d have scheduled a full day or two dedicated to the Picos.
Our first stop in the Basque Country was checking in to our lovely airbnb eco-lodge on the outskirts of Bilbao. The Basque region of Spain has always intrigued me, so I was super excited to spend a few days exploring. We spent the first morning walking through the center of Bilbao and found it incredibly charming. The Guggenheim is much bigger than I anticipated and the riverfront makes for an enjoyable stroll. We then drove about 20 minutes to Andra Mari, a Michelin Star rated restaurant, for lunch from a tasting menu! The experience at Andra Mari was incredible - I loved the Beef Tartare and the different seafood dishes. In addition, the restaurant is located in a lovely country house with a gorgeous view of the rolling hills - I highly recommend a visit! The next day, we woke up before dawn and drove to San Juan de Gaztelugatxe (aka Dragonstone from Game of Thrones). This was my favorite memory of the trip! Walking the stone bridge just after sunrise was serene. We then spent the rest of the day checking out a few beach towns along the Basque Coast. We enjoyed checking out some of the quieter towns and spending some time relaxing by the beach before heading back to Madrid.
The next leg of our trip brought us back to the Atocha Hotel Madrid. Once we were back in the city, we spent some time around Retiro park and enjoyed a lovely dinner at Tinto y Tapas . During our last full day, we took a day trip to the lovely town of Toledo, which is just a 30 minute train ride outside of the city center. Toledo is one of my favorite cities in Spain due to its gothic architecture and its dramatic scenery. It can get busy in Toledo, so we arrived early so we could check out the main sights of the city before it got too busy. I highly recommend El Greco Museum as a way to dodge the crowds and learn about one of Spain’s most iconic painters.
There is clearly a reason why Spanish food is one of the most world renowned cuisines; the food is incredible. The different regions of the country offer different dishes that highlight the history and agriculture of the area. We ate well on this trip, but there were a few dishes that stood out above the rest: Fabada is a lovely stew with delicate white beans, chorizo and blood sausage. It is one of the staple foods of Asturias and it was incredible! Next, Asturian cheese really blew our minds. I usually don’t like blue cheese, but this cheese is rich, sweet, and salty at the same time. It certainly isn’t for everybody, but this cheese was the best I’ve ever had. Finally, (even though it’s a beverage) I forgot how impressive a Spanish Tinto de Verano can be. People in the US seem to gravitate towards Sangria, but I think Tinto de Verano is the perfect summer drink.
I truly believe that Spain is one of the most versatile travel destinations in Europe. For a country of modest size, each region of the country has its own feel and distinct cuisine. I really enjoyed spending time on the North Coast during this trip, and hope future trips allow me see even more. Spain is one of those places where there will always be more to see. Hopefully, Yana and I can return for much longer at some point in the near future.
- DB
