Customer Reviews

Bilbao & the Basque Lands, 2nd (Country & Regional Guides - Cadogan)

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A very interesting guidebook to Bilbao and surrounding areas including the French Basque region. Great and lengthy historical and cultural introduction, many sidenotes that have been well-researched. Probably an excellent guide if you plan to drive the region with descriptions of several routes and geographical organization. (You would still want some excellent highway maps.) However, if you plan to use public transit, specific helpful data are lacking. Reviews of lodging, restaurants, attractions are out-of-date despite 2003 copywrite. Some attractions are closed and many prices are way off.

This book offers an overview of the Basque lands and culture, a general travel guide for the region, followed by more detailed guides for specific towns and areas (listings of accomodation, restaurants, buses, things to do, etc).
Contents:
1) The Basque Lands: a photo essay
2) Introduction
3) History
4) Culture
- The Language that Defeated the Devil Himself
- Giants, Shaggy Men and a Not-So-Virgin Mary
- Basque Accessories
- Music, Dance and the Basque Yodel
- Surviving the Pilgrimage to Sanitiago
- The Sporting Life
5) Food and Drink
- Traditional Basque Cuisine
- New Basque Cuisine
- Learning to eat like a Basque
6) Travel
- Getting there
- Entry Formalities
- Getting Around
- Self-catering and Special Interest Holidays
7) Practical A-Z
- Before you go
- Climate and When to Go
- Crime and the Police
- Disabled Travellers
- Eating Out
- Embassies and Consulates
- Festivals
- Health and Emergencies
- Internet
- Maps
- Markets and Shopping
- Money
- Natural Parks
- Opening Hours
- Post Offices
- Sports and Activities
- Telephones
- Toilets
- Tourist Information
- Where to Stay
8) Bilbao
- Getting there
- Getting around
- Tourist information
- Shopping
- Sports and Activities
- Where to Stay
- Eating Out
- Tapas/Pintxos
- Entertainment and Nightlife
- The Casco Viejo
- The Ensanche
- Along the Nervion
- The Guggenheim Museum
- Around Bilbao
9) Euskadi
- Vitoria (Gasteiz)
- Alava Province
- Haro
- Around Haro
- Inland: Bilbao to San Sebastian
- San Sebastian (Donostia)
- Inland from San Sebastian
- Along the Coast - San Sebastian to France
10) Navarra
- History
- Pamplona (Iruna)
- West of Pamplona: Aralar and San Miguel in Excelsis
- West of Pamplona: The Camino de Santiago
- Estella
- South of Pamplona to Tudela
- Sanguesa, Javier and Leyre
- Routes into France: Up the Valleys of the Pyrenees
11) The Pays Basque
- The Cote Basque
- St-Jean-de-Luz
- Ciboure
- Biarritz
- Bayonne
- The Labourd Interior: Around La Rhune
- Sare
- Saint-Pee-sur-Nivelle and Ainhoa
- The Valley of the Nive
- St-Jean-Pied-de-Port
- The Haute Soule
Reference
- Chronology
- Language
- Menu reader
- Glossary
- Further Reading
- Index