Patrick Viau

As a Game of Thrones fan, San Juan de Gaztelugatxe was at the top of our list when we got to the Basque Country.
We were greeted with a lot of rain—pretty typical for the region—but got lucky the day we made it out here. The rain eventually stopped, though the sky was still thick with clouds when I took this shot.

Even under a grey sky, the place has a kind of quiet, majestic beauty that hits you as soon as you see it.
Later on, the clouds started to break, and we ended up catching some incredible light and a beautiful sunset. I’ll share those shots in my future post of this location.

After our time in Barcelona, we traveled north to Basque Country to explore its dramatic Atlantic coastline and rugged mountainous landscapes. We stayed at the charming Eguzki B&B, hosted by the warm and welcoming Sally and Rober. While Barcelona had blessed us with amazing weather, the rain greeted us upon arriving in Basque Country. Fortunately, Sally recommended a beautiful beach grove near our accommodation, which turned out to be ideal for photography, even on a rainy day.

I've always wanted to try woodland photography, but where I live, there aren't any gnarly trees to spark inspiration. The humid climate of this region kept everything lush, even in October. I was captivated by the vibrant green moss draping the trees, contrasting beautifully with the orange foliage carpeting the ground. We spent over two hours capturing shots in the grove, and I could have easily stayed longer—there were endless compositions waiting to be discovered. Eventually, we tore ourselves away and treated ourselves to some warm, delicious food, a perfect way to end the day.