Tag: food

Iceland 2026 – post 3

by ginnyinshanghai

We travel for food and culture, usually in that order. This trip was no different. The five hour time difference messed with our eating schedule. After a nap upon arrival, we walked to a nearby food hall for lunch(?) or dinner (?) or whatever our schedule is on.

While not everyone enjoys food halls, I like them since each of us can pick a different type of food. Shockingly, I felt like sushi and ended up with a poke bowl.

Eric wanted fish. HIs entre was Ling, similar to cod. Then he added the fries for us to share. 🙂

Most cities we visit we start with a food tour early on. This trip was no different. In 2025 it was rated #1 Food Tour in the World – pretty high recommendation! We scheduled this for our first full day in the city.

First stop on the tour was at Fjallkonan, translates to ‘The Women of The Mountain’. They combine Icelandic tradition with international influence. Essentially three buildings along the street are owned by them and are different food/drink stops: gastropub, lunch/dinner restaurant and a cocktail bar. We were in the middle spot for the tour.

We were served two tastes from their menu: slow-cooked lamb & flatbread with a carrot puree, red onions & horseradish and arctic char blini on a chickpea flatbread, roe, horseradish and popping lentils. I liked the lamb tasting the best. Iceland was the reason I started eating lamb. Only problem……………I only like Icelandic lamb, and we can’t find it in the states, yes we have tried.

Something a bit different on this tour was that drinks were not included – I’m fine with that. We had to add a bit of time at the end of each stop to pay for any drinks ordered.

The second stop was Messinn – a place we had visited several times in the past. Our guide, Dave, is talking about one of the dishes we will be getting which is their specialty: fish pan, with arctic char, butter roasted potatoes and cherry tomatoes. Did you now they grow tomatoes in Iceland? With all of the geothermal heat, it has been channeled into heating greenhouses. During our travels in the past we also saw greenhouses growing banana plants! I couldn’t find any history about Messinn but every tour guide has always commented, this was a place their families stopped in years ago and it remains a consistent spot for family gatherings.

We had another pan that was smashed fish with mashed potatoes – but alas, no photo. I got the photo of the arctic char fish pan with crispy potatoes and cherry tomatoes. Oh yeah, and a coffee to warm me up.

Our third stop was another repeat for us – Baejarins Bezto Pylsur hot dog stand and yes, it’s outside. We had no problem with this being a repeat. If a food tour didn’t stop here…………..I would question their integrity – just saying. Pretty much any time of day there is a line, day or night, cold temps or snow. It doesn’t matter; this was the original spot for Icelandic hotdogs. Their business began in 1937 with lamb being the primary meat but also includes a small portion of beef and/or pork in the mix. Please note, this is one of the few places that serves coke products! The largest beer distributor has the largest soft drink distribution – which is Pepsi. Bummer. The few places that sold coke product, I ordered a second round.

I didn’t get a photo of our hot dogs, but found this one on the internet. Icelanders like their sauces and their hotdog has a number of them. If you get one ‘all the way’ it will have fried onion pieces (yum – who knew), fresh cut onions, sweet mustard, Icelandic ketchup (sweetened with apple cider – yuck) and remoulade.

Three stops down, two more to go. Next up was Islenski Barinn. Since 2009 this family-run gastropub is where Icelandic home-cooking meets a modern twist.

The main event was the lamb soup and local beer, GULL. BTW – they are the ones that have the largest drink distributorship in Iceland.

There was another ‘event’ during our time at this stop. Fermented shark was a subsistence food that has now become a tourist attraction.  It stinks, it has a weird texture and the taste lingers on long after it’s gone.  Nope, I’m not doing it. They cut it in small square chunks and keep it in an air-tight container. Tradition dictates after eating said shark, it should be followed with a shot of Brennivin.

Brennivin is considered to be the country’s signature distilled beverage. It is distilled from fermented grain mash and then combined with Iceland’s very soft high-pH water and flavored only with caraway. The steeping of herbs in alcohol is a long-held folk tradition in Nordic countries. It is typically drunk chilled.

Okay – back to the food.

This was also the stop where I got a group photo.  The guide was in the middle of the table, left side, wearing a baseball cap. Our group was composed of individuals from California, Massachusetts and two couples from United Kingdom – all Iceland rookies.

Our final stop, which will be dessert and coffee – Kaffi Loki.

In the past we’ve eaten here for breakfast and it was touted as a traditional Icelandic breakfast. 

But this was our sweet treat for the food tour:  rye-bread ice cream with chocolate chips, rhubarb syrup and whipped cream.   It must be growing on me.  I’ve had it a few times and made a token effort to try it.  This time, most of mine was gone. Coffee or hot tea was included.

One evening, we wanted something different and Eric suggested pizza.  Really?  Really!  He had been looking at some You-Tube videos for bloggers in Iceland and after checking their website, this stop was one of their favorites.  FYI – this was the same place we had a breakfast snack the day we arrived.  They obviously can create a variety of items – great!

Started with a little wine as we settled in.

Seems like we were a tad bit hungry that evening.  We ordered their garlic bread – O.M.G!  it was excellent.  Just the right amount of garlic & salt and not swimming in butter.  This would be a definite repeat if we’re back in town.

Perfect timing for the pizza to arrive.  When the utensils were brought to the table, we also got pizza cutters – interesting.  Now we see why.  The pizza doesn’t come to the table cut.

A few evenings we stopped in for a night-cap.  The Einstok Bar was one we visited. Eric was looking for a cocktail and this one struck his fancy.  I had a sip. I will agree it was pretty good.

Me, I wanted a beer.

Finally time to end this post and curate my photos and geothermal experience for the next post!

Ginny

Amsterdam 2025 – final post

by ginnyinshanghai

We took the train back to Amsterdam before flying home.

We’re staying at a different hotel then earlier in this trip: Ambassade Hotel.

It was one of the nicer hotels for this trip.

Loved seeing these bicycles on the bridges over their canals.

During our return, we stopped back in a few places we both enjoyed. Eric looked for cheese………

……………and I wandered the flower market.

We walked to the ‘Red Light District’ – just to say we were there. Yes, down some of the alleyways there were ladies in the windows at street level – scantily clothed – even at 11 am in the morning.

Being so close to the sea, Eric found a popular (yet affordable) restaurant that we stopped in twice before leaving Amsterdam.

Of course, we had to get a version of their ‘seafood tower’. Let me see, I believe this is a fairly complete list of the items below: two different shrimp species, cockles, clams, razor clams, oysters, snow crab legs, stone crab, sea snails, mussels and crab salad (which we enjoyed the least).

What drove us (read – Eric) back for our second visit was their oyster happy hour. Between the hours of 3pm – 5pm, these tasty bivalves were available for a great price. So naturally, we needed 2 dozen between us to share.

I couldn’t pass up a chance to try their grilled octopus, with slices of fried potatoes – delicious!

I needed more for my evening meal. The mussels from the previous seafood tower were so good, that’s what I requested, also adding the frites. 🙂

One last shot of the restaurant we so enjoyed………..The Seafood Bar.

We thought we were full, until I saw the ice cream shop across the street. We needed some ice cream to ‘fill in the cracks’. Even with the chilly temps, ice cream hit the spot.

We had such a good trip, we were trying to find a way to end our time in Amsterdam. Found it!

After a short walk to our boat departure, we were ready for our last adventure. Random art installations followed a set pathway due to the number of vessels.

So glad Eric didn’t book the ‘boat tour’ below. The photo is a little dark, and yes, that’s a kayak. We saw several that had strung Christmas lights along the top of the hull.

Interesting thought……..

This one was interesting. The lights were on a cycle, looking perfect initially, then slowly crumbling down upon itself.

These birds commanded a lot of attention. Some of the installations were easily seen along the canals while the one above was in the port area.

Our cruise was a notch above the rest, complete with food, drink and a bit of history.

While this last post is way overdue – like most of my final trip posts – it is finally finished. We really loved Amsterdam and visiting the Christmas markets. Hopefully more Christmas markets will in our future.

Ginny

Cologne 2025 – post 2

by ginnyinshanghai

That church we saw when we stepped off the train………it was time for a visit. 

A bit of information about the Cathedral:

~Construction began in1248, then halted in 1560. Work was ultimately completed in 1860 after funding in the 1940s, literally off and on for 632 years. The completion of Germany’s largest cathedral was celebrated as a national event in 1880.

~The Cathedral is Germany’s most visited attraction for tourists and pilgrims and one of the oldest and most important pilgrimage sites in Northern Europe.

~It is the tallest twin-spired church in the world, and the third tallest church in Europe. Being built from different types of rock which weather to varying degrees, rarely is the cathedral seen without scaffolding.

When American troops entered the city on March 6, 1945, one of the only buildings standing was the Cologne Cathedral. The twin spires were an easy navigational touchstone for the Allied bombers. It endured 14 bomb hits and was heavily damaged, but key parts remained standing.

Immediately after the war, building materials were procured for repairs needed to bolster the Cathedral. Repairs were competed in 1956.

Walking up, the entranceway was imposing.

A number of prophets also line the entrance; here was Moses with the 10 commandments. Hmmm, my photo looks a bit weird and makes Moses have a shortened statue. Yep, the angle wasn’t the best. Next time…………..

One visit there was a service going on and we had a chance to hear one of their two organs.

As noted above WWII saw a lot of destruction……………………some of the windows were saved and are traditional.

A more recent addition is this modern stained-glass window – interesting.  Not really sure how I feel about that.

I did like the colors as they hit one of the cathedral’s walls.

This church was built to hold relics from the ‘Three Wise Men’.  Sharing ‘relics’ was big business in medieval times.  Parts and pieces of important religious figures were shared amongst a number of parties. Back in the day…………………it was a big business to have ‘relics’ for the masses to make pilgrimages to honor said relics. Pieces and parts of individuals were divided up for multiple religious sites for the people.

Whenever we’re in churches, I try to look for things that most miss, like these burial sites that most visitors walk right over.  Loved the intricacy of the designs.

Exiting the cathedral this greeted us. Okay, I’m sorry, this might seem sacrilegious…………….but I took this photo right in front of the cathedral.  Oh my goodness – not a good likeness.  ☹

Actually, I was going to start this post with our evening brewery tour then I remembered the church.  I have to talk about the church. I’ve always loved walking into the European churches since most are older than the U.S. has been a country.

Originally, we had a food tour scheduled for Cologne, but Eric got an email that it was canceled.  He found this brewery tour at the last minute.

It was a large group and ultimately had 2 tour guides, so we were split up.  Our guide was interesting, that’s all I’ll say.  Not the best guide, but we needed to lower our expectations.  It was advertised that we would be stopping at five breweries, but only beers at the first three were covered.  The last two stops we needed to pay.  Eric forgot to read that tidbit of info and we were pretty low on cash with barely enough to cover.

The first three stops were Brauerei Zur Malzmuhle, Sunner & Whale and Peters Brauhaus.

Sorry, this photo was the only one from the second brewery. Yes, that is a depection of a while, hence the name.

No photo for the next stop as it was at a mini convenience store – everyone covered their own expense.  I didn’t deem it photo-worthy. The last spot was Fruh Brewery, also a restaurant and after most of the group left, we stayed to order food. Let’s talk about the beer.

This is how your kolsch beer arrives. The tray is called a ‘kranz’. The slender .2L glasses are called ‘stange’.

Kolsch was defined as an ‘easy-drinking pale ale’. Most breweries have one single beer on tap and you know that place focused on their beer and care about their product.

One important piece of the Kolsch-drinking culture was the coaster called a ‘deckel’. The coaster was marked with tallies to keep track of how many glasses of Kolsch you drink. Glasses will continue to arrive until you put the deckel over the top of your glass. Take the deckel to the cashier and payment was based upon the number of tally marks. You always have a fresh and cold beer in front of you. Okay – I like that.

I’m closing with a (unplanned) fabulous photo of the church. I sent this to some friends back home and they wanted to know what I did to enhance the shot. Nothing. I just got lucky with the angle of the sun.

One more full day in Cologne and a chance to find the remaining Christmas markets in the city.

Ginny

Strasbourg Xmas 2025-part 2

by ginnyinshanghai

We’re here for the Christmas markets, but also for the food. I had a request when we got to Strasbourg………………a repeat visit for a tapas restaurant we visited earlier. Eric made the reservation.

One advantage to a larger group, more items can be ordered and shared. We had plenty, but only needed four for the two of us. First two: foie gras and quiche with goat cheese.

Local sausages and pickled vegetables.

Pork roll in a delicious broth.

Naturally we ordered dessert – which was also a repeat and just as good as my memory: toasted kougelhopf cake, marinated pears with a local fruit puree and a scoop of ice cream. Yum, yum delicious. Not a drop was left on the plate. 🙂

It was a good meal at a repeat location – thanks hon.

Let’s get back to the Christmas decorations. Later in the evening, this wall also had some projections they added.

Now this was a large advent calendar, counting down the days until Christmas. All the numbers were represented, even if you can’t see them in my photo.

Decorations didn’t have to be over the top, sometimes simple and classic is best. Here’s Eric waiting patiently (not!) for my photo.

This was one of my favorite photos. In May, we had dinner at the restaurant in the background.

Several displays had giant bears in their windows.

This was seen on a side of a church, subtle but nice.

Those glasses I mentioned in the previous post?

Before coming, I read that collecting the Christmas market mugs was a ‘thing’. In Strasbourg, it was all about these (plastic) glasses. After getting your chosen hot beverage, a euro was charged for the cup. You bring back the glass, you get back a euro. Let’s just say that we are coming home with a collection. I convinced Eric these plastic glasses were much better (and lighter) than mugs for packing. We were on a hunt to not repeat a glass – we succeeded.

During our wandering, we came across some oysters – Eric needed some. And, maybe just maybe, I had a few of them – very salty.

Another ‘snack’ was a raclette sandwich – O.M.G. Their line was so long, Eric stood in line to pay for the sandwich, while I waited in the other line for pick up. Here was one of the many ‘burners’ melting the cheese before it was scraped onto a bun. You could add a protein and we got the ham.

Oh, and some gherkin pickles was the finishing touch. There was plenty for us to share with the one sandwich. We only needed one.

I needed one more photo of the cathedral while the sun was setting. I didn’t enhance this photo but the beauty of the church was stunning.

These last few photos were show some whimsical shots of Christmas I saw while walking around.

Merry Christmas a bit early.

Ginny & Eric

France 2025 – post 5

by ginnyinshanghai

Final photos and experiences in Strasbourg before heading to Paris.

One morning Rich and I got up before the others to walk the streets early morning. There was something going on……………..

We discovered there were multiple races occuring simultaneously, various lenghts and ages. We made the way to the finish line and this gentleman picked up his daughter about 20 feet before the finish line – very cute.

Walking the historic center, I curated a number of photos. A number of bridges exist for walking or driving. It seemed like all those we crossed had ironwork, nice.

I really don’t like the locks, but I see them everywhere – even in Iceland. Really? Really!

A few city or neighborhood parks were sprinkled throughout the downtown area.

Another use for a tub. This one had a few vegetable plants along with herbs sprinkled amongst the flowers.

One afternoon several of us walked to the University’s botanical garden.

Some of the flowers were similar to those seen at home.

And one I didn’t know……………

I r.e.a.l.l.y liked this insect house we came across in the garden. Hon? Can I have one of these? Can you build me one?

All too soon, our time was up in this city.

We grabbed a ride to the train station before looking to eat somewhere. This place was 1 block away – serving really good food, Restaurant D Steakhouse. I’m sure there are bad restaurants serving bad food somewhere (chains maybe?) but no complaints for the meals thus far.

A meat & cheese plate and duck foie gras were the starters we shared.

A nice goat cheese salad was all that I needed.

Veal cordon bleu (left) along with veal scallops (right).

What is a meal without desserts?

We enjoyed our time in this lovely city. Eric and I visited with friends in 2005 and I remember very little of that time. This visit was an excellent experience. Who knows, maybe we will be back. One last group photo in front of the cathedral.

Let’s get on the train and head to Paris!

Ginny

France 2025 – post 4

by ginnyinshanghai

Food glorious food! We had several more meals that were memorable. Let’s start with another food tour this time in Strasbourg!

Our meeting spot was a bronze display of the historic city center in a nearby park.

Our guide shared details using the bronze map giving us an idea of our walking path and the stops we were going to make. The cathedral can easily be seen below.

Before our first ‘official’ eating spot, we had to make a slight detour and pick-up. This tasty treat – kougelhopf – was being shared at the very end of the tour. But to be sure the bakery still had some available, an order was placed earlier for us to pick up. They have a unique shape (and baking instrument), somewhat similar to a bundt pan. You can see part of one behind the sign below.

Our first stop was the Meteor Brewery – an independent, family-run brewery since 1640.

The beer was easy drinking and served with local sausages, meats and cheese.

Next up – a bit of cheese.

Yes, one of those were a local Munster cheese.

Time for a sit-down break at the next stop at Le Gruber. Most of their patrons were sitting outside, yes, the weather was that nice. We went inside since our group was larger.

Choices were meat or vegetarian. We got one of each to share. 🙂

The last stop on our food tour was a ‘dessert’ tarte flambe.

Remember that first stop we made to pick up the ‘kougelhopf’? Yeah, we were too full and we each were given a mini kougelhopf to eat at our leisure. Thank goodness.

We had walked past this restaurant a number of times as we traversed the area. One day we stopped for lunch – delicious! Another fine choice for eating.

Two rooms and an outside terrace (of course, that’s where we sat) gave this restaurant a capacity of almost 50. It was a privileged gastronomic experience. The salmon with creme-fresh (left photo) and the duck foie gras (right photo) was a heavenly way to start the experience.

All of the main courses were well chosen:

Beef Carpaccio with pesto and Parmigano Regioano.

I chose the creamy risotto with spring vegetables (white asparagus). It was the creamiest!

Pork shank braised in beer & honey.

Steak with tiger sauce and mixed vegetables.

Delicious desserts.

Excellent eating!

While the restaurant noted above was a great lunch spot, we made reservations for one of the oldest establishments in Strausborg for our last evening of dining…….Maison Kammerzell.

Written by numerous journalists around the world as one of the 1000 places to see in your life. Located at the foot of the Strasbourg Cathedral, it symbolizes the Renaissance art of the city. The wood sculptures, murals and the 75 windows with stained glass in a cul-de-boteille fashion, exalt the virtues combining medieval nobility and ancient culture.

A quick shot before the feasting began.

The duck terrine with hazelnuts and snails in Alsatian style started our dining. Seems like every meal has foie gras or a terrine – what living.

My chicken supreme marinated with lemon and ginger (and don’t forget the frites) was some of the best chicken I’ve eaten.

Pan-fried sea bass fillet with saffron rice and veggies.

Veal kidneys and mushrooms, pasta and more mixed veggies.

The last meal selection was Pike perch fillet, ‘Matelote’ style, a Riesling sauce, tagliatelle and crispy bacon – of course it needed the bacon. 🙂

Desserts were no less fabulous: chocolate & banana tart (left) ice cream & sorbet (right).

Pistachio biscuit, w/ yogurt mouse and yogurt sorbet.

We would definitely eat at this restaurant if we ever make it back to the city – yes, it is that good. Then right around the corner……………..

One last post for Strasbourg and then headed to Paris.

Ginny

France 2025 – post 2

by ginnyinshanghai

Strausbourg Dining:

Our first night of dining was absolutely amazing. Rich found a tapas bar that specialized in regional food and this was one of the top rated: Restaurant les Chauvins. They welcome you in a modern and warm setting in preparation for discovery of the flavors of Alsace. Their mission is for their diners to rediscover the authentic taste of fresh quality products, including organic farming and the know-how of local producers. The owners make it a point of honor to work with fresh products grown on Alsatian terroir.

Days into our trip and we were still talking about some of the food from that night. The first thing to arrive was ‘tarte flammbee traditionnelle’, a lovely thin-crusted item with a special cheese base, thinly-sliced onions and bacon pieces. Truly, it is the only thing I remember from our trip in 2005.

Next three items to arrive were: foie gras de canard (duck), aslacian pork and mini-burgers.

We still wanted more food: white asparagus, rolled meat & herbs rolled in egg pasta and hot dog aslacian.

This item was liked the least: escargot in mushroom cap.

Desserts? But of course. Eric ordered ice cream……..raspberry and citrus flavors, with sparkling white aslacian wine poured into the glass. It was pretty good.

However……………..this is the dessert we talked about the remainder of our time in France: Kougelhopf pain perdu with ice cream and a v.e.r.y tasty sauce. Most similar to French Toast – only better.

The kougelhopf was a local specialty of the Alsace region. It is a yeast brioche cake with raisins and almonds although googling recipes found a multitude of fruit and/or nuts that could also be added. I am going to make this at home! Don’t think I’ve mentioned yet, but at the point this photo was taken, I had been up 32+ hours. Yikes – I’m too old for this.

Walking through the historic area, one gets hungry. Lunch was at Au Petit Bois Vert, outside on the terrace around the foot of the oldest tree in Strasbourg.

While not a tapas place, we continued to share and taste each other’s selections. Never going to be a bad meal when sitting next to water – just saying.

No surprise, I got another tarte flambe with plenty to share.

All shared the homemade duck foie gras and the assorted venison meat & cheese platter.

Eric chose the traditional choucroute garnie (sausages, pork and sauerkraut).

While Rich and Hunter had the ‘wild game (boar) from Alsace. The presentation wasn’t exactly what they were expecting, but enjoyed their selection.

The guys all got dessert with Eric choosing raspberry glace (ice cream) and cafe gourmand for the other two.

So far so good our first few days in Strasbourg. Next up, Strasbourg Cathedral.

Ginny

Madrid 2025 – last post

by ginnyinshanghai

Concluding our 2025 Spain trip was sad, but looking back over these photos – we had some great times, saw interesting sites and undoubtedly had awesome food experiences. Let’s wrap this up!

One of our stops was at Point Zero in Madrid, found in one of their most famous spaces – Puerta del Sol, in front of the Government of Madrid Community. The ‘point zero’ tradition comes from the Roman Empire, dating back to the time of Augustus, the first emperor of Rome. Remember ‘All roads lead to Rome’. And I discovered it almost matches the authentic center of this country.

Let’s talk some food. One afternoon we stopped in this establishment for a ‘light snack’. Sangria went nicely with the cheese & bread they brought us.

Even something that ‘mundane’ just tasted better in Spain.

Naturally a meat platter, an egg tortilla and a salad were thrown in for good measure.

We made another visit to Mercado de San Miguel. Yes, it might be filled with tourists but it was definitely worth going back for one last visit. We wandered until we found a spot where 2 or maybe 3 can sit then one goes off to bring back food.

Most of the photos below are easily identifiable. The top left was octopus – delicious!

Eric had anxiously been awaiting his dining experience in Posada de Villa Madrid.

Back in the seventeenth century there was only one Flour Mill in Madrid, which became in 1642 the first Posada de la Corte, under the protection of the Arab walls, where food and lodging were given to all travelers who arrived in Madrid. It was in 1980 when it was rescued (from disrepair) after 2 years of meticulous restoration, by an individual from Madrid to ensure the tradition continued. We were there when it opened at 7pm for our reservation.

Bread and olives started our feast.

Then the reason Eric made these reservations………………….Quarter lamb roasted in a wood oven – shared by him and Adrienne.

I ordered chicken and truth be told, all three of us could have eaten off of the lamb that evening. Their kitchen offered a cuisine prepared with dishes belonging to Castilian and Madrid gastronomy.

There were some ‘sides’ that came with the meal, but totally not necessary. What we did need…….was dessert. ha!

After eating, these Floratine cookies were brought with the check – like we needed more food. BTW – no crumb was left.

I have one more eating experience to share – cava street crawl. Although looking back at our photos, I don’t think we drank any cava. Ha!

This was our first stop. Pitchers of sangria were already made. They added some juice and ice and they were ready to serve.

This next place was s.u.p.e.r crowded. We squeezed into a spot along the bar. Really, we ‘made’ a spot for us to stand.

This third stop had an interesting twist. The hostess led us down some stairs so I assumed we would have horrible service. Not so much. Why was that? In one of the photos below – a doorbell when you needed something or someone.

It quit raining and it started getting thick. Both with people and with cars. There were people living above all the restaurants streetside. Yikes!

Last stop – we were getting full.

One last look of Cava Street before we left to crash at our rental. The colorful umbrellas drew your attention.

You may have noticed Eric was sporting a new look. Eric felt a new wool hat was needed. Once he saw the bronze plaque indicating a 100+ years existence in front of this store – he was sold, a blue wool hat was purchased.

Our last night we were able to see one of their iconic emblems fully lit. Read one of my earlier posts for why this advertisement continues to exist. 🙂

We enjoyed Spain – central and northern Spain. Food was great and expenses were not totally outrageous and our AirBNBs were well situated. We hope to be back and explore the southern parts of Spain.

Adios!

Ginny

Oviedo 2025 – post 1

by ginnyinshanghai

On our way out, I wanted one last photo from San Sebastian: Peine del Viento or ‘The Comb Of The Wind’. Located in the western area of San Sebastián and at the foot of Mount Igeldo, the Peine del Viento is one of the most celebrated sculptures by Basque artist Eduardo Chillida. Here are the first two sculptures.

Installed in 1977, the artwork is a series of terraces built of pink colour granite and three anchor-like iron shapes welded into rocks. This is one of the most visited places by tourists and locals, especially on stormy days, when waves pound against the cliff rocks. And this is the third sculpture.

All my photos had been from the Old Town, but here is one last shot of San Sebastian, taken near the sculptures, looking towards the beach and the Old Town.

We are headed West towards Oviedo and halfway there we started thinking about eating. Googled ‘places to eat near me’ and in 5-ish minutes, we would be near a highly-rated restaurant. Okay, let’s do it.

What’s in a name? We knew it didn’t open until 1pm and that was our arrival time. Once again, we were the first ones inside the restaurant.

Let’s just say they took pity on us and shared they could set up in a table in a side room for us. Okay. It was a set menu displayed in the entrance. Eric caught on before I did and possibly, he searched the internet while we waited.

We had walked into a Michelin Star restaurant – without a reservation and we were being seated. OMG. You might see the price above and go ‘yikes’. For foodies and for anyone wishing to eat at a Michelin star restaurant – this was a deal. We tend to look for ‘Michelin recommended restaurants’ which are less expensive but quite frankly just as good.

First to arrive was their bread, butter and marianito. We all really enjoyed the parsley butter. What was so special about it? It was just darn good and not seen before.

The foie gras curd topped with orange gelee’ arrived, complete with an ivory spoon and edible flowers on the rim. Both Adrienne and Eric reaped the benefits of my selective eating. I tried everything that was brought to the table. Some I liked (or not) and this was one that after the orange gelee was eaten, i could eat the foie gras curd underneath – not an entire cup mind you. And yes, I ate some of the flowers. 🙂

This dish we talked about several times after the visit. Several cockles were nestled amongst the green peas. The light green round items were potato-shaped garlic bombs (my word, not theirs).

Our next plate was probably the one I liked the least. The mushrooms had been formed into a ‘log’, with fried (?) garlic dough balls on the ends. I didn’t love the flavor profile but the other two enjoyed the remainder.

Okay, I knew the meat in the next dish I would eat, but somewhat hesitant about the smoked eel. Our server said it could be altered, but also shared it was a small part of the dish. I didn’t change a thing. I tried both, but let’s be real. By this time, I was getting full. Add in wine and rustic bread……………I was reaching my food intake limit.

The creativity was good, I liked the fresh farm egg yolk and the crunchy ‘chips’ which did add some flavor to the wheat rice. The other two were starting to be selective when finishing their dishes as we still had more to come.

I enjoy mullet but never been served with it roasted. The cauliflower and sauce was interesting. I had plenty to share.

The beef was very tasty and I enjoyed the ghnocchi. Again, I had plenty to share with the other two. We made it through all of the courses. I am truly stuffed.

Two different dessert options were available so naturally between the three of us, we got to try both. Their homemade ‘torrija’ was the clear winner. I enjoyed my coffee brownie with the two different types of ice creams, but the other was perfect.

To top off the meal (like we really needed more food – LOL) coffee and petit fours (Yuzu, passionfruit, jellied red fruits and white chocolate arrived for each of us.

After the meal was concluded, our server took us over the other side of the building. The main dining room looks out over the valley, but more importantly, there were two open kitchens where all the food was being prepared (same menu) and part of their experience. Really, it was the only difference between the two eating spots.

Speaking of views………………

Behind the restaurant was a vineyard.

Sometimes it is better to be lucky than good.

Before writing this, i looked at the website for Eneko. Oh my goodness. They shared the timeline of their restaurants.

~2005, first restaurant opens here, Azurmendi

~2007, first Michelin Star

~2010, second Michelin Star

~2012, third Michelin Star

~2013 thru 2016, numerous awards and Azumendi opens in Thailand, chef selected to form group of European’s Young Leaders

~2017, opening of Eneko at this location, earned Michelin Star, also opened in Tokyo

~2018 thru 2020, earns number of sustainability awards

~2021 thru 2024, opens restaurants in Seville, Madrid (2) and Bilboa, Chef Eneka Axta wins Vanitatus Chef of the Year

I have to end this post here. The remainder of our drive to Oviedo, pales in comparison. The adventure will continue in the next post.

Ginny

San Sebastian 2025 – post 4

by ginnyinshanghai

Our last day in the city and we made the most of it. We found a little market and bought cheese (for Eric) and bread (for myself) which I used for toast the next several days – yummy.

The beach along the bay had different activity this morning – sports.

Our goal today was the San Sebastian Cathedral as it is commonly referred to or the full name is Cathedral of the Good Shepherd of San Sebastian.

Its construction took place in the last years of the 19th century in a Neo-Gothic style. One of the most astonishing features of this cathedral is the bell tower, standing at 75 meters and is one of the tallest points in San Sebastian.

Once inside, it is imposing.

One of the first chapels on the right held this clock. I haven’t seen one of those spaces dedicated in this way.

naturally there a multitude of stained glass windows.

I discovered another set of windows with this anchor, undoubtedly closely linked to the people of San Sebastian.

One of the highly ornamented chapels:

Lately I’ve started noticing the columns of these churches and all of the extra ornamentation. Always someone watchng the congregation – be it person or beast.

As we were leaving the building and area, the bells started ringing.

One thing I discovered on the internet about the Cathedral I found interesting. They have a subterranean pumping machine in their basement to prevent flooding in San Sebastian. The presence of this underground infrastructure demonstrates the historical significance of the cathedral in the city and its ability to adapt to the community’s needs. They are intertwined amongst crucial moments of Spanish history. During the Spanish Civil War, the cathedral as a field hospital.

A number of hours had passed since our food tour the previous night and it was time for mourishment. Eric wanted a repeat from an earlier foray – pig ear.

He was happy with his selection, and I ate another braised beef cheek – such a hardship, not!

We revisted the place with the ‘potato salad’ and saw another pintxos being prepared – we wanted one. Tomatoes with tuna – delicious!

Another stop at the Oyster place, which I discovered I never got a photo of the outside. We were there so much, the guy recognized us – by us, I mean Eric and Adrienne.

Believe it or not, we were trying to hold back. We had dinner reservations at a seafood restaurant tonight and wanted to go with a (semi) empty stomach.

It was a good restaurant. I wouldn’t call it fantastic, but with so much food and michelin stars around, what is ‘good’ is relative. There were a few reasons Eric wanted to eat here. First were the barnacles. It would be a first for Eric and truthfully, there’s not many new things he hasn’t tasted.

Okay, interesting. We asked the best way to get to the meat and a manager came over to show us. Don’t think I mentioned, we were the only ones in the restaurant. Our reservation was when it opened – which is way too early for locals to eat. Actually, they did seat us and let us order wine before they opened and we could order.

Back to the barnacles. Did I eat them? Yes, and here’s proof.

The had a special item on their menu that we got for sharing. Crab was the main component. It was okay. Truth be told, I would have rather eaten more of the barnacles.

Here is the second reason Eric wanted to eat here……………………Turbot. First, they brought out the uncooked fish, sharing its weight and cost. Yes, they wanted it. I say ‘they’ as this is a dish for two. Adrienne was all in and wanted to be part of the ‘two’.

It was served table-side.

What did I eat? Shrimp and frites. Both were good.

This was to be our last night in San Sebastian.

We packed and cleaned up the apartment, basically pulling together our recyclables and items to throw away. In the morning, drinking our coffee, we heard clapping. Looked outside our window and saw this.

A few minutes later, groups of runners arrived.

The photos were taken from our apartment – a great locaiton by the way for eating and walking. We hope to be back to San Sebastian for more food adventures.

Ginny