10 FROM ROSSLARE TO BILBAO


VIVA ESPANA FOR POST-COVID FROLICS


March 2022 Travel News


The Guggenheim Museum opened in the centre of Bilbao back in October 1997


Spain has always been a pre- pandmeic favourite for many Britions up and down the country. Margaret Carragher highlights why it will remain a favourite for the forseeable future...


ACK when Covid was at its worst, when doom and gloom abounded and travels were confined to a miserly two kilometre radius of our front door, oh how we longed to just get away from it all. Fast forward through a siege of lockdowns, of sourdough starters, Joe Wicks workouts and increasingly itchy feet, and finally - joy of joys - we were good to go again.


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And so to perhaps our most cherished place on Earth by our absolute favourite mode of transport. On previous sail and drive trips to Spain we usually cherry-picked a selection of the country’s most famous and fabulous cities, sights and landmarks to visit on our way to and from the glorious Costa del Sol. This time was a bit different. Of course we’d be visiting some of the country’s most


famous and fabulous cities, sights and landmarks – how could you not? Of course we were ultimately bound for the glorious Costa. But with family who’d moved to a beautiful but exceedingly isolated corner of Spain just before lockdown, and whose contact with home since then had been confined to fuzzy Zoom calls on dodgy wifi, we were also on a mission to reconnect .


Our crossing from Rosslare to Bilbao with Brittany Ferries was exactly what you’d expect


from a company at the top of their game. Founded in 1972 by a group of French farmers seeking to export their produce, it is now the leading maritime carrier on the western and central Channel with a fleet of twelve passenger and freight-bearing vessels sailing between Ireland and the U.K. to a wide selection of ports in France and Spain. All crossings between Rosslare and Bilbao offer at least one night on board Brittany Ferries’ MV Connemara, a comfortable, no-frills vessel featuring a self-service restaurant, café-bar, small shopping area, public seating lounge and en suite cabins. And so, having decided to save the delights of the port city of Bilbao for the return leg of our trip, we were off at full tilt for a family reunion. But first - Zaragoza.


And having chosen this city almost at random as a stopgap en route to the rellies, oh what a bonus it was to discover its delights. Located in north-eastern Spain, Zaragoza is the country’s fifth-largest city and the capital of its autonomous region of Aragon which was once a kingdom in itself. This might explain


its veritable embarrassment of architectural and


cultural gems, perhaps none more spectacular than its Aljaferia Palace, one of the most important Islamic monuments in all of Spain. Stretching back to the late 11th Century and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the fortified palace originally stood in splendid isolation outside the city’s walls. Now, thanks to centuries of urban expansion it dominates the heart of


Zaragoza. But for all its historical heft, this Moorish mansion is merely a new kid on the block of a Roman Empire outpost which was founded in 24 BC and mushroomed to a metropolis fit to fill its 6,000-seat amphitheatre by the first century AD. Cannibalised for its building materials over the centuries, it was only in 1973 that archaeological excavations uncovered its remains. Now an adjacent museum relates the tale of this stupendous Roman ruin and the role it played in Empire city life.


You could hang around here forever just soaking up the atmosphere – but family duty called. Some two hours east of here in a remote olive grove on a Catalonian hillside, the rellies and their 35 rescue dogs (!) awaited.


Having survived the rigours of Covid without such basic home comforts as Tayto cheese and onion crisps, Barry’s tea and, ahem, Madra dog biscuits, our arrival, with industrial quantities of all the aforementioned staples crammed into the car boot, was eagerly anticipated. And so to Mora d’Ebre, a charming and historic Catalonian town on the River d’Ebre where we based ourselves while playing family catch-up.


Looking around the simple, stone built farmhouse on their secluded hillside idyll it was easy to see why the rellies chose this part of the world in which to retire to the good life.


With a climate ideally suited to growing and harvesting olives, acres of space for their four-legged friends to run wild and free and views to die for, this truly was the little patch of heaven they had so long aspired to. And so, leaving them and their collective noun - a


barking madness? - of canines to their happy and wholesome devices, it was back on the road again. But with nearly 600 miles to go, another pit-stop beckoned.


And with our stated aim, as ever, to savour the


journey as much as the destination it was off to Altea, a delightful holiday resort on the Costa Blanca (www. costablanca.org).


With the soaring Sierra Bernia Mountains as a backdrop, this snow-white coastal town is widely regarded as among the most beautiful in the Alicante region. Here, as well as soaking up the sun on its talcum fine sandy beaches you can check out the many quaint boutiques and fine restaurants dotted along the narrow cobbled streets of its Old Town; hike along the soaring cliffs of the Sierra Helada Natural Park, or go luxury yacht-spotting in the Marina Greenwich. Time then for bed. And with its sunny balcony, wonderful sea views and direct access to the beach, our overnight stay in the Hotel Cap Negret ( www. hotelcapnegret.es) ticked all the right boxes. Then following an excellent dinner, bed and breakfast it was back in the driving seat, our trusty old jalopy swallowing up the miles between there and our destination. Fast forward (otherwise I might rattle on forever)


through two sun-soaked weeks in our spiritual homeland of La Cala de Mijas on the Costa del Sol. Then it was back on the road again to hit some of the noteworthy spots we’d missed on our way there. First stop - Granada. Naturally. How could you just drive by a city so steeped in myth and legend without at least a cursory visit? The capital city of its eponymous province, Granada is located in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains, its grand medieval architecture dominated by the sprawling bulk of the Alhambra. This massive 13th century fortress complex features a plethora


of palaces and patios, flower gardens, orchards and fountains, and is the only Muslim citadel on the planet that still retains its original splendour. But it’s not all about awe-inspiring architecture and cultural kudos. With a tapas bar scene to rival the best


in Spain you can graze to your heart’s content here and never get the same bite twice. Within strolling distance of the cathedral - another absolute showstopper - you’ll find a particularly good selection, with many serving complimentary tapas with each round of drinks. And if flamenco dancing floats your boat, the Pena


la Plateria is the place to go - and the place where other professional dancers go too, to brush up their skills. Situated within sight of the Alhambra, their Thursday evening show is almost always sold out so it’s worth booking in advance (www.chuaalba.com) For the more sedate, Granada’s Botanic Gardens,


located adjacent to the Plaza de la Universidad offers a tranquil oasis in the city centre. Dating back to the 19th century, you’ll find over 70 large tree specimens here together with a wide range of wild species native to the Sierra Nevada. Also, because the gardens are actually part of the university campus, you can take a wander around its law building which still serves it original purpose. Founded by Carlos V in the 16th century it is all very grand indeed with endless marble corridors, courtyards and crannies. And if you’re so inclined, you can even have a nosey around its Hogwartian lecture halls with their soaring ceilings, original pew seating and woodblock floors.


Another day, another road trip. And although it might be stating the obvious to say that motorways are a great way of getting from A to B, you should never underestimate how tiring they can be, particularly if you’ve been overambitious with your travel plans. Having resolved to make it from Granada to Bilbao


in a single day we ended up many hours later, stiff as stakes, ravenous and bug-eyed with exhaustion, pulling into a trucker stop.


And here’s a thing : you’d probably never plan a


stopover in one of these places - unless of course you were a trucker - but we got a spotlessly clean en suite double room, a tasty three course meal of famished trucker proportions, bottled water and a carafe of deliciously rough red, all for just €60. (www. gomellano). Where would you get it? Next up - Bilbao. And while its roots might stretch


back to 1300 it is often said that this port city only made its debut on the international stage in October 1997 with the opening of its Guggenheim Museum. Certainly there is no escaping it, and not just because it audacious configuration seems to dominate the cityscape from every conceivable angle. Described variously by architectural critics as “a masterpiece of the 20th century”, “ the greatest building of our time”, and “ a fantastic dream ship of undulating form…” this place needs to be seen if only to box-tick it and move on to other things.


Like for instance the foodie scene. In these parts, tapas are referred to as pintxos, and bars specialising in them abound. Think fun dining rather than fine dining and you’ve got it in spades. A good place to start a pintxo crawl is Calla Ledesma in the city centre where outdoor tables run all the way down the bar-lined street and the atmosphere is to die for.


Time then for a spot of last minute shopping, and where better than La Ribera Market. Hailed by the Guinness Book of Records as the largest covered food market in the world, you don’t need to be hungry to shop here, but it certainly helps. Synonymous since its origin in 1929 with the finest produce to be had, traditional stalls featuring an extensive array of foodstuffs run alongside rows of gourmet bar-restaurants in a space that, thanks to a recent civic initiative, resonates with the sound of heavenly jazz music. Alas, good times like these slip swiftly by and soon it’s back to porridge.


But hopefully not for long.


The Birttany ferry Connemara sails out of of port


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