We stayed a couple nights in Irun, got some rest, did a little bit of sightseeing and ate well. One of Irun’s main attractions is that it’s a popular starting point for hiking the Camino de Santiago, but otherwise seems like a pretty ordinary place.
We did find a restaurant for lunch that was recommended called La Vinoteka. It was a cool spot in the centre of Irún where we tried pintxo-pote (a snack and drink duo).
A “pintxo” (pronounced pin-cho) is a type of Spanish appetizer or snack, particularly popular in the Basque region of Spain. It typically consists of a small piece of bread topped with various ingredients like cured meats, cheeses, seafood, vegetables, or even foie gras. Pintxos are often served on toothpicks or skewers and are meant to be enjoyed with drinks, such as wine or cider. They are a social and culinary tradition in Spain, where people gather at bars and taverns to enjoy these delicious bites.
And it was really amazing tasting, so we made a reservation for dinner! Since we had some dead time to fill between meals, we did a tiny bit of sightseeing before returning back to our hotel to prep for dinner.
We arrived for dinner a little before 8:00, which is early by Spanish standards. We started with Serrano ham and toasted bread, a yummy orzo, and then a grilled (barely!) sirloin steak with potatoes. And a few glasses of fine Rioja to go along with the meats. Really good and quite inexpensive!
The forecast for the next few days is HOT! We are headed to Pamplona, and the high temperature forecast for when we will be there is 104F (40C).
So we got up early’ish to head south, hoping to escape the worst of the heat, especially as our maps indicated climbs in the next 2 days of about 8,500 feet. We had breakfast and coffee at the cafe at the end of our street, which was great. Bar/Cafes make fresh selections of sandwiches to buy for about $1.25 each and so it makes it easy.
But, the worst did not arrive. The temperature was about 93 today (34C) and the projected climbs were much more gradual since the track we are on is an old railroad grade so there are tunnels that go through the climbs.
It was a stellar day! Both Chris and I were ready for a change of scenery from the flat beach terrain and we got it! The EV1 path was well marked and the grade was easy. We climbed only 2,000 feet today with just a few very steep (20%) sections.
The mountain scenery was beautiful and it was fun to go through so many tunnels. The architecture of the towns is sort of alpine. The entire landscape is so completely different from what we have experienced the last 3 weeks. And the temperature was fine.
We are staying in an Osteria/Hotel in Labaien with basic rooms but a good country restaurant on the ground floor.
Tomorrow we start the day with a steep climb up to the summit and then head mostly down to Pamploma for a couple days in a place with air conditioning.
We look so forward to dinner!
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