Hondarribia

The final destination of our summer's holidays from 2022 before crossing into France and back home to The Netherlands was Hondarribia! I ended up with some mixed feelings.

A lovely and authentic square in Hondaribbia: Gipuzkoa Plaza. Photo: Casper Molenaar, the 19th of August 2022

No misunderstanding, I loved Hondarribia. It really is a lovely place, but it is not a good idea to leave it on a Fridayafternoon to try to jump into France and make some distances. That took us over an hour, but, and now I am getting to the core, I was refused access to the place where Kurt Hielscher made his photo, something that has not ever happened before. And indeed there was a sign in the Hotel, what the palace had become, that read "Registered guests only". Till this moment I even was allowed to fancy private parties in unique buildings in city centers of tourist hotspots to make the photo only after I explained about the project. Well, not here. The "host" did not want to really hear me when I tried to explain, but he did confirm the photo was made only a few steps behind the glass door in the archery bow. And so the impressive Palace of Alfonso V remained closed for me.  

The impressive Palace of Alfonso V today houses the Parrador de Hondaribbia, a Hotel only accessible for registered guests, so not for me, though I asked to have me registered instantly, but that was not possible.

So I could go in here, but for me it ended here before this glass door. On the right you can see the sign with the note that the entrance is only for registered guests.

But there was enough to see and do some shopping in Hondarribia. (Hond=Dutch for dog btw, but that's no so relevant, because hondarribia means sandbank in Basque).

Here some more characteristic impressions from Hondarribia.

Back to the campervan leaving the old city center through San Nicolas gate.

Below: view on the old city center from San Nikolas gate.