After Bordeaux, we spent a full day exploring two cities in the Basque Country, a unique region on the Bay of Biscay spanning northern Spain and southwestern France.

A Region Worth the Wait

I’ve wanted to visit this region since I did a report on the history of the Basque people back in 7th grade. Our guide for the day, from Best of Basque, was Zach.

Bilbao’s Old Quarter and the Guggenheim

We began with a walking tour of Bilbao, mainly in the old quarter. We stopped at the market and saw the stunning Guggenheim museum (from the outside).

Crossing the Mountains to San Sebastián

We then drove over the mountains to San Sebastián, a coastal resort city, for a walking tour — all the while dodging the paparazzi, since it was the middle of the San Sebastián Film Festival. One quickly understands why this is a sought after destination by the sea.

A Pintxos Tasting Tour Through the Old Quarter

This is where Zach’s enthusiasm really came to life, diving into the wine and pintxos culture from bar to bar.

• First stop: grilled squid and shrimp pintxos with a garlic vinegar sauce and local white wine.

• Second stop: orzo and sheep’s cheese risotto with a dry rosé.

• Third stop: traditional olive, pepper, and anchovy pintxos, plus braised beef cheek with cheesy potatoes and a nice Rioja red.

• Fourth stop: mussels two ways and fried calamari with white wine. The mussels were so unique.

• Last stop: Basque “burnt” cheesecake and hard cider. Outrageously good.