spent at the beach .
Among these there are also us who cannot end the day without toasting with a good tinto in front of a plate of appetising tapas . Whether they are based on fish , meat , vegetables or cheese , the creations that cooks invent whet anyone ' s appetite .
We move east and as soon as we leave the highway we find what we have come to look for ; The small village of Pasai Donibane ( one of the four settlements that make up the city of Pasaia ) extends in the rocky fissure that gives access to the port . Even though we are just a few kilometres from chaotic San Sebastian , the atmosphere is relaxed and almost fairytale-like . Following narrow pedestrian streets you reach the square where small coloured houses overlook the tourist pier from which it is possible to embark for the villages located on the other side of the canal .
We travel along the panoramic road that takes us to the top of Mount Jaizkibel ; along the dirt road that leads to the panoramic point you will notice the signs of the Camino de
Santiago . It is no coincidence that pilgrims pass through here as the monastery of Our Lady of Guadalupe , patroness of Hondarribia , is a short distance away , an important stop on the French Way . The city of the same name extends on the hill bordered by the Bidasoa river which forms the natural border with France . Its historic centre is a network of elegant squares and charming buildings ; the best known is the castle of Henry V which after having hosted kings and knights for thousands of years has become a state-owned hotel .
We say goodbye to San Sebastian by resuming the journey on the N-634 coastal state road heading west . We let ourselves be cradled by the bike between curves and ups and downs , letting the ocean coast slide to our right on a perfect Atlantic day . Mild climate and the sun playing hide and seek behind the clouds moved by the strong winds .
In Lekeitio the attraction is La Isla de San Nicolás which can only be reached via a footbridge during low tide . Guilty of not having listened to the lifeguard who warned us of the few minutes we had to reach the strip of land , we end up soaked on the way back . “ Did you make this horror ?” “ No , it ’ s your work ,” so replied Pablo Picasso to a German guard visiting his studio , who asked him what the ' Guernica ' painting was , which later became a symbol of the violence committed in the 20th century . The great painter describes with the canvas the morning of April 26 , 1937 when the city was razed to the ground by the planes of Hitler ' s Condor Legion in one of the best known massacres of the Second World War . In the small town we stop in front of the life-size copy of the painting ; it is located at the entrance to the Peace Museum , which illustrates the horrors of war around the world using various multimedia supports .
Before reaching Bilbao we cross the Puente Colgante , declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO . Designed by Alberto Palacio , a student of Gustave Eiffel , it was the first transporter bridge in the world . We glide over the Ria del Nervión on
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