Notes on Basque country - Spain

So way back in May we spent just over a week in northern Spain and what a treat it was.  We started in Bilbao, which was an architect's wet dream of a city...particularly if said architect is a fan of curves.  We treated ourselves in Bilbao and had dinner at Azurmendi, which was served in four acts: 'Picnic in the Garden', 'The Kitchen', 'Our Greenhouse' and 'The Balcony'.  We ate so much that I can't list it all (and I think sometimes its nice to keep that sort of thing a surprise for people who might go in the future) but my most memorable dish was an egg yolk, cooked inside out with hot truffle oil.  Mmmm.

From Bilbao we drove to San Sebastian, where we rented an Airbnb rooftop apartment (with a terrace!) that was fairly close to La Concha beach.  Well, what can I say?  We were not disappointed with the food Mecca that is San Sebastian.  I don't think I have ever eaten so well for so little money.  Every night we trawled the pinxto bars, filling our bellies with slow roasted beef cheek and grilled octopus, washing it all down with the local Txakoli.  My mouth is watering just thinking about it.  Our top three bars were: Borda Berri, A Fuego Negro and La Cuchara de San Telmo.  Go, go, go!

And because one ridiculously indulgent meal wasn't enough, we also treated ourselves in San Sebastian and went for lunch at Arzak.  We did not regret it.  It was a totally different experience to Azurmendi.  So, if any of you are thinking "We can't do two!"  You're wrong, you can do two and you will love doing two.  I still can't quite decide on what my favourite dish was here - The Big Truffle (a cocoa truffle and melts into itself) was as strong a contender as any.

After San Sebastian, we headed up into the mountains to a tiny village called Soba.  Here we stayed at a wonderful lodge called Casona de Quintana.  We were looked after so well and I would thoroughly recommend a stay here.  Our days were spent walking and our evenings spent reading and drinking gin and tonics of the week that used a vanilla and orange infusion.  We managed to recreate them at home and have been having the all summer long - they are divine.

And I have one final confession.  We actually went for three ridiculously indulgent meals in the end.  I know!  Our final one was at Elkano, a seafood restaurant in the small town of Getaria.  Their speciality is turbot cooked over coals and so we spent more than we ever had before on a single fish and shared the biggest turbot I have ever seen.  But it was so worth it.  We had turbot and turbot alone - nothing else was needed, our waiter said.  And we struggled to get through it all before rolling out of the restaurant a couple of hours later.  It was an education too - our waiter taught us about each different part of the fish and why each part tasted different.  I never knew you could get so much from one fish.  It was heaven.

And there you have it.  Our week living like kings.  For Basque country in pictures, click here.

 

Notes on Copenhagen

Back at the start of April we went to Copenhagen for a long weekend. We did Airbnb again and were hosted by the lovely Per in Norrebro - you can check out his place here.  We spent our first day wandering the streets and waterways of Copehagen, visiting The Workers Museum, climbing the Rundetaarn for some spectacular city views and some cool art and eating mouth watering open face sandwiches at Torvehallerne (a.k.a. the foodie's mecca) before heading up to Amass.  Which was amass-ing (sorry, couldn't resist).  Well, amass-ing except for this whole new age wine thing the Danes seem to be into.  I'm really not that much of a fan. 

Day two saw breakfast at Grod, a restaurant that only serves porridge, followed by a stroll down to the self-proclaimed 'freetown' of Christiana, where the atmosphere's particles nearly saw us back at Grod.  That night we sampled some tasty brew at Mikkeller & Friends.  Twice.  We went back for a night cap after dinner it was so good.  Dinner was eaten at Manfreds and was very, very good indeed.  We also managed to fit in a couple of coffees from The Coffee Collective and a cinnamon role from a little place in Norrebro for which I can't remember the name. We visited Hans Christian Anderson's grave, looked at the Tivoli Gardens from the outside and explored the Botanical Gardens from the inside.

Day three involved more coffee, cinnamon buns, street wandering, open face sandwiches and craft beer.  We rounded the trip off with a home made fish stew, for which the ingredients (bought from the Torvehallerne market) set us back a good fifty squid!

My top three for Copenhagen?

• Having the option to sit outside everywhere (coffee in the cold, crisp sunshine is my new favourite thing)
• The food scene (it was immense)
• The fact (or perhaps the perception) that everyone's just a little more equal... from the pretty standard (but handsome) dwellings sprawling the city, to the sight of every female pushing a pram being matched by a male pushing another pram somewhere else

And no, we didn't make it to The Little Mermaid, sorry.  For Copenhagen in pictures, click here.

Notes on Istanbul

Travel notes below; for Istanbul in pictures, click here.  Happy 30th birthday to me!  Istanbul provided more than could be imagined.  Our home for the weekend was Karakoy; an up and coming neighbourhood on the north bank.  We did Airbnb and were well looked after by Aylin.  Our breakfasts were amazing - I'm still getting cravings as I tuck in to my now rather boring bowl of muesli.

Arriving late afternoon on Friday we took the metro and tram from the airport, settled into our abode with a beer and then headed out for dinner at Lokanta Maya, which we gave 9/10 only because the food was ever so slightly too quick coming out.

On Saturday we wondered up to Hagia Sophia but it was so crazy busy that we took the opportunity to enjoy some watermelon from a street vendor in the gardens overlooking Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque. We then took the tram back up to Karakoy and strolled around the streets of Cihangir and Beyoglu - antique and junk shops galore here ... be very careful!  We ended up in Taksim Square (where thankfully the protesters had finished prostesting two days before).  Dinner was Aheste near Galata Tower, which gets an astounding 10/10.  If you go to Istanbul, you have to go here.

Sunday was quieter on the European side so we hopped over to Asia.  We got on the first boat we could find which went to a place called Kadikoy, which had the most amazing fresh produce market and we sat and ate fish at a place that I unfortunately cannot name but there are so many to choose from you can't go far wrong.  The highlight of the market though was this superb Turkish delight shop called Sekerci Caferde - it was cheaper and more delicious that the stuff you find at the spice bazaar back on the European side.  Sunday dinner was a mackerel kebab cooked by a street vendor and his son next to the Bosphoros, washed down with a couple of Turksih beers and it was heavenly. 

On Monday we rose early and headed to the Bascilia Cistern.  We also went inside the Blue Mosque and ticked of the Grand Bazaar and Spice Bazaar, although both were a little touristy for my liking.  The real markets are more authentic and while you probably wont find much that you want to buy (unless you're really into polyester) there are a few fabric shops tucked away with amazing cheap and beautiful fabrics; I picked up some cotton florals for some summer dress making...eek!

Istanbul you stole my heart and a place in my top three (for now); thank you Declan.