Boog's Blog

Last night in San Sebastian before heading to Bilbao.

With more rain and qb chilled did our Walking urban style. That and coffee shops and a final Basque dinner.

Shared from Google Keep

Another day another mountain, Igelado this time. Much of the Camino is an old paved road, a sufficient amount is rocky and muddy as pictured.

Rated 5 in difficulty, like Irun, the guide book was accurate.

Headed west towards Zabretz but did not make it there as the distances on the path are double what the guide book says. Soaked, through to our underwear, took a cab back after six hours and many miles,qb popped into the tub.

Shared from Google Keep

Shared from Google Keep

Shared from Google Keep

Pasai to San Sebastian,a shorter walk than the crossing of the mountain.

One never knows the adventure that awaits. Today while ascending the first cliff we found ourselves in the midst of a 10K race. One runner coming down hill pushed me over!

We waited, in the hail and rain and wind, for five hundred runners to pass.

Views included snow capped mountains and of course coves.

Ocean sufficiently rough to drive the waves upriver past our hotel, with the whitecaps.

Pipperrade appears to be a southern Basque dish. Have not seen it on the menus so I asked. Apparently the peppers prefer the warmer climes.

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A day to wander the city in the rain. The beaches, contiguous, three of them, connected by a pedestrian tunnel in one case, put the Riviera to shame.

A visit to the local themalbad resulted in the usual: what is the temperature I asked? 32 she repeated; thinking I misunderstood the Spanish I asked again, same answer when when written down. Not to surprised but this is low even for Europe.

The guernika peppers are much milder than the peppers de padron. There were no spicy ones and with less salt than in Galicia.

A new, to us, soup for dinner: salmorejo. Basically a gazpacho without peppers but with ham and eggs. Mild and tasty.

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Our third crossing of the pyrannes, first from sea to sea in one day. Route, the high alpine one, turned out much longer than we planned. 26km/15 miles. 500 meters/1800 feet, up, same down of course.

The first part of the walk up to the sanctuary was better than most roads on the cornish of walk. Most of the walk is fairly easy. Two difficult assents and a few steep descents. Over all much easier than the Cornish coast, though a bit too long for the first day out.

A buen Camino to escrivaalvaro whom we met at the sanctuary; he generously bought us drinks. A real gentleman. Looking forward to seeing your pictures on picassa s you make it all the way to Santiago.

Ended with a ferry ride to Pasai. Twice when I tried to get directions in Spanish the responders switched to French, still much easier for me. And not doing much for Spanish

Ltb

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Awoke to a bright sun and a view of both the river and ocean from the hotel window.

Any ready city to fall in love with.

Tomorrow the first leg in the pyrannes; starts with an 1800 foot ascent.

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Arrival by plane into Bilbao. Notice the airport sign. Spanish is the THIRD language.

Met Blair Armstrong, a soon to be famous neural net academic. Bus ride conversation. A good way to catch up with current tech.

Hotel a lovely old one, 100 years. Pictured. Situated right on the river a short walk to the sea.

Then a walk to the old town. Restaurants and bars close early here. Closing at 23:00. Found some good pinxos. End of a long day.

Shared from Google Keep

How to get, Rx drugs from those that are known to be honest brokers. A NYT article yesterday discussed a few particularly bad ones and one particularly good one. 

I went to CVS and failed completely.  Choice of supplier is set by corporate policy; I read that a lowest possible cost, supplier of choice be dammed.

Anyone know how to pick a supplier of ones Rx items?

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/15/world/asia/medicines-made-in-india-set-off-safety-worries.html?_r=0