Day 3
On the third day of my Basque Country press trip, it was time to check out of my Bilbao hotel and move on toward San Sebastian. Along the way, we’d be stopping and spending some time in Getaria and the Balenciaga Museum.
From Balenciaga’s page on Wikipedia: “Cristóbal Balenciaga Eizaguirre … was a Spanish fashion designer, and the founder of the Balenciaga clothing brand. He had a reputation as a couturier of uncompromising standards and was referred to as ‘the master of us all’ by Christian Dior and as ‘the only couturier in the truest sense of the word’ by Coco Chanel, who continued, ‘The others are simply fashion designers’.”
The Museum is located in a modern structure adjoining the Aldamar Palace, the place where Balenciaga began his career, on a hillside overlooking the old town of Getaria.
It’s a hilly location, so much so that outdoor escalators have been installed to assist people in climbing up from the main village to the museum and the many residential structures surrounding it.
The focal point of the old town is the Church of San Salvador, its current form dating from the 15th and 18th centuries although previous medieval churches existed on the same site.
A view of Getaria’s Txomin Etaniz vineyards and winery from a viewpoint south of the village.
And with a last look at the beautiful coastline surrounding Getaria, it was time to head for San Sebastian.
