Sunny Getaway to San Sebastian, Spain
In direct contrast to the colorful alleys and sun drenched landscapes of southern Spain is the green, Tyrolean flavor of Basque Country of Northern Spain. Scott and I arrived in Bilbao by plane from Sevilla, and were amazed at the verdant green of the hills. We rented a car and headed to San Sebastian, by the sea. I vacillated on whether to select a hotel more on the outskirts of town, or beach side, on the promenade. In the end we were delighted with our choice of the Hotel Niza, and it’s perfect location, right above the promenade, La Concha Beach and the sea.
A suite with a view in San Sebastian, Spain
In direct contrast to the colorful alleys and sun drenched landscapes of southern Spain is the green, Tyrolean flavor of Basque Country of Northern Spain. Scott and I arrived in Bilbao by plane from Sevilla, and were amazed at the verdant green of the hills. We rented a car and headed to San Sebastian, by the sea. I vacillated on whether to select a hotel more on the outskirts of town, or beach side, on the promenade. In the end we were delighted with our choice of the Hotel Niza, and it's perfect location, right above the promenade, La Concha Beach and the sea.
When we opened the door to our suite our mouths were ajar. Our sun-filled suite, with light and airy furnishings, had two large french windows that opened to a balcony with stone columns, and views of the promenade and the sea.
The Hotel Niza staff, and handsome Harri (above), welcomed us warmly and did everything to make our stay memorable.
It's impossible to choose between favorite spots on a trip, but if forced to decide, I would choose San Sebastian on this summer trip to Portugal and Spain. The seaside beauty, healthy lifestyles, stylish residents and family vibe all appealed to me.
San Sebastian is a chameleon beauty by day.....
and a scintillating temptress by night.
On our first night we ventured down the promenade, towards the old-town center, and discovered a tapas restaurant, Garagar. The charming Eneko treated us to tapas and conversation, as he shared the rich history of the area with us.
Cafe de la Concha
We dined at Cafe De La Concha, on the promenade near Hotel Niza, a record two days in a row. I enjoyed the tomato, arugula, goat cheese baguette so thoroughly that we returned the next day for my birthday lunch. We both enjoyed the refreshing sangria and the entertaining people watching on the beach.
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A glimpse of the promenade and beach
I enjoyed celebrating my birthday, July 15th, while visiting San Sebastian. I love a little pampering on a special occasion, and Scott treated me to a morning at the La Perla Centro Talaso Spa, a relaxing break from our travels. If you want more from San Sebastian, check out How to Dress European Chic. For more on our summer vacation to Portugal and Spain see Lisbon Getaway, Sunny Beaches of Algarve, Sevilla, Barcelona, a little walk down memory lane in Barcelona and my 'revealing day spa day in Spain.
For more romantic travel ideas here.
Getaway Rome & Umbria!
Glimpses of our trip from iconic vistas in Rome to the rustic, natural beauty of Umbria.
Oh Roma! We got up at 3:00 am and took four flights just to get a glimpse of you....
and you are so worth it!
This visit we stayed right in the city center with beautiful views.
Our room with a view~Rome June 2011 {The Trevi Collection}
Chico, California to San Francisco to Washington D.C. to Rome in a day!
Too excited to be jet-lagged--let's enjoy cafe life.
We stayed just a block or 2 from the Spanish Steps
Dinner on the Terrace-couldn't be happier, seriously!
Making new friends-everywhere!
Oh....the gourmet delights!
Iconic Trevi Fountain
Night scene near the Spanish Steps
Off to Umbria.............
From Big City Rome.....to tranquil, rustic Umbria, less traveled than Tuscany, and
filled with incredible hill towns just waiting to be discovered.
La Casella, an Eco Resort in Umbria where we stayed for a week. Rustic Umbrian village with a unique charm. It is a 45 minute drive into the villa on a gravel road. The simplicity and beauty were a unique experience. No phone, no email, no web, no English TV.....how do you say 'unplug' in Italian?
Our villa......pristine pool
The Simple life~bread, cheeses, vino, peaches and tomatoes, olive oil and aged balsamic, sweet basil......
a splash of lemoncello to end the night.
Orvieto, Umbria
(Scott-We rented this car at the train station on our way out of Rome. The line was a bit long, but became a party, of sorts. Yes, you too can drive in Italy! Not that hard, and loads of fun driving down the tiny streets in the center of an old hill town. Oh, and when you score a parking place like this, be sure to look for a meter, because parking tickets DO follow you home to the States. Note the blue "P" in the background.)
Our new wonderful friend, Franceso. Authentic specialty foods and the freshest produce of Umbria. Check out his website and be sure to visit him in Orvieto!
L'Antica Piazzetta Umbria~perfect afternoon on the patio.
Sleepy little town of Fabro. No English spoken here, but a woman suggested we go find the keeper of this church, and he would show it to us.
How do you say "You are welcome!" in Italian? We saw this guy every time we turned around.
This was the view from our table at dinner in Todi.
Another glimpse of the view-I can't help myself!
Loving the cafe' lifestyle
Gelato--a must have!! (Cioccolato, please.)
Perugia
Imagine driving on streets like this through beautiful towns of Cortona, Orvieto, Todi, Citta della Pieve
New friends~Colleen and Kevin from England ......
Lovely evening!
(Scott remembers that at 2:30 a.m. we looked at the time, and realized we might be annoying the neighbors!)
So much fun and so wonderful to hear of their adventures and their horse farm.
Enjoying the cafe life in Umbria.
More on the next chapter of our adventure another time....to Lucca, Italian Riviera and Paris from here. Scott, thanks for commenting as a guest blogger.
