Circle Tour 13: on to Lekeitio

The day we left San Sebastián dawned cold and wet, so I donned my rainy-day uniform: layers + scarf + my world jacket.

 We were looking forward to seeing some of the special places we had visited on our previous trip on the Northern Cantabrian coast and hoping to meet friends with whom we had corresponded. However, it was not to be.
This is what we saw for mile after mile (or should I say kilometer after kilometer.)

And this is what we missed, documented three years earlier in these posts: Zarautz and Getaria; Basque Farm Country. The weather was gray and unpredictable back then too. For further entertainment you can watch our friend Dane try his hand at Pelota vasca, (Basque hand ball).

In due time we arrived in Lekeitio, a quaint fishing village.

It was somewhat complicated to park the vans and carry our luggage up to the 17th century hotel where our team took over the entire building--Hotel Palacio Oxangoiti (on the right). You can read about it in this article in the New York Times.

Directly across from the hotel was the town hall, el ayuntamiento.

And across the plaza an imposing fifteenth century cathedral.

It was rather late by the time we sorted out who would stay in what rooms, each one unique in this modernized remodeled house built in 1674. The girls were excited to share a suite and probably had too much fun that night and not enough sleep. ;-)

By the time we set out to find something to eat the row of restaurants on the waterfront had just closed their Menú del día. It was, after all, 4 p.m. We did, however, find one that would serve us.

The Wait-la espera

Ensalada rusa, my first course

When I settled in our room I found the one proper double bed so far in our experience on the Spanish side of the Basque Country.

I stepped out on the small balcony and was surprised to look down just in time to see the cyclists ride in!
 Video of cyclists arrival in Leikeitio

María Isabel, our delightful hotel manager, had arranged for a dinner to be served at a nearby restaurant.

A wonderful meal and evening with our friends ended our twelfth day in beautiful Basque Country.