San Sebastian

July 31 - August 1

On my way to San Sebastian I had a one hour transfer in Laredo. Just enough time to dash through the Old Town and climb the tiny 'mountain' that overlooks the town and the coast. Views very much worth it!

The moment I arrived in San Sebastian I fell in love with it. There's just this charm about the city, with its traditional buildings, busy Old Town streets, stunning beaches, incredible food and friendly people. I love it.

After dumping my bag at the hostel, I set off exploring. First I wandered along the promenade, admiring views of the coast. Even with the crappy weather, it was beautiful - just think how stunning it would be with some sun!

I walked through the drizzle until I reached Miramar Palace gardens. An interesting art exhibit, a gorgeous building and some pretty impressive views.

I continued until the end of the path, making it to El Peine del Viento, where sculptures pop out of the rocks and waves crash up against them.

On my return I passed the town hall which marks the start of the Old Town. Where the magic happens. ie...The food. Oh. My. God. THE FOOD! I can't even begin to explain how much I loved it. The narrow little pedestrian streets are full of bars and restaurants serving pintxos - little delicious bite size dishes. They're all lined up on the bar, you're given a plate and can then take whatever you please. I spent the night pintxo-hopping, going to many diffrent places to try a bit of everything. And every single pintxo I ate was incredibly tasty. And of course, a meal wouldn't be complete without a glass of sangria on the side!

After filling my belly I crossed the river onto the east side of town. There was a free outdoor arts festival on the bridge, where I caught a rather strange performance about peace, followed by an aerial rope performance.

On the east side, I found another beautiful beach and sat down for a while to watch a guy practising tricks on his unicycle. Aimlessly meandering the streets, I stumbled upon the most delicious ice cream I've ever had. EVER.

Night well spent!

Day two was equally jam-packed. I joined a walking tour in the morning, which was unfortunately a bit of a fact overload. It lacked the interesting stories and cultural insights that you hope to get from a local. One place I enjoyed was the San Vicente church, thought to be the oldest building in all of San Sebastian.

Another interesting spot was the Constitucion Plaza, where they used to do bull fights. The apartment windows on either side of the plaza were numbered because the city used to rent them out (with no benefits for the tennants) during bull fights. Nowadays, a lot of people in San Sebastian are very much against bull fighting.

I had lunch (more pintxos!) with some Kiwis and a Polish guy that I met on the tour, then we began the short trek up a little mountain that promised views of the bay. We stopped at the English cemetery part way up - where English soldiers who died protecting San Sebastian from invasion are buried.

We also had a look around an old castle that sits at the top of the mountain, where we found the lovely panoramic views.

Just as I was about ready to leave San Sebastian, the sun finally came out! I walked along the coast again, admiring the difference a bit of sunshine makes - suddenly every man and his dog were out and about!

I made one last stop before heading to the bus station - this stunning cathedral!

On the way back to Argoños I had another hour or so in Laredo. I legged it from the bus stop to the beach just in time to catch the last little bit of the sunset! Lovely way to end my weekend.