SPAIN – Llodio (En)

We went to Llodio in the Basque Country to visit my cousin Luis Miguel and his family, and discovered it’s the second-largest city in the province of Álava. It’s nestled between mountains and crossed by the Nervión River, so the landscape is beautiful. It is very lively with many bars, restaurants, and a park in the centre, combining the rural and urban environments.

Where to stay

We stayed in the city’s motorhome site (43.153999, -2.97615 lat, long), which is free and next to the municipal swimming pools. The water and emptying point are located 200 meters from the park, at the entrance to the pools. It has electricity and is powered by tokens that you buy from a machine located near the water point. Tokens cost 3 euros for an hour. There are trash cans on the site. The parking is very spacious and has plenty of room. We slept with another motorhome and two campers. The views from the site are beautiful, overlooking the mountains, and there are horses and donkeys nearby. I had a great time talking to the locals and watching the donkeys. Incidentally, a man was putting something between the stones that form the fence around the parking lot. I asked him what he was doing, and he told me he was planting seeds to help the plants grow. I thought that was great.

What to see

My cousin Luis Miguel and his wife picked us up and took us out for a few drinks and some typical tapas, where we met up with their children, whom I hadn’t seen since they were little.

The twenty-somethings went to meet up with their friends, and Luis Miguel and his wife took us to see the city; we started in the central square, where the Church of San Pedro de Lamuza and the Town Hall are located.

From there, we went to the square where the market is located. The Nervión River crosses the square, and in front of it is the train station, housed in a beautiful historic building.

Then we went to see the park, which is beautiful, with colourful flowers, a fountain, and statues. For me, it’s the most beautiful part of the city.

We ended the visit by heading to the old town, an area of ​​narrow streets filled with shops selling the local products and traditional costumes that my cousin and his wife explained to us. The old town is a bar and restaurant district, where we had a few drinks in a very cool bar.

We ended the day with dinner at my cousin’s house, where Ben tried beef tongue in tomato sauce and loved it. They offered us a typical local wine and a delicious cheese that they gave us to take home. Many thanks to my cousin and his family for everything; they are wonderful people, and we will visit again when we have more time.

The next day, we left the Basque Country and headed to Miranda de Ebro in Castile and León, a town with ancient Roman ruins and medieval structures, which you can see in the next blog!