Leaving a city like Barcelona is not the easiest thing to do. Sure, its fairly from a logistical point of view, but from a travelers point of view, it is more challenging. Barcelona is a fabulous place that provided a marvelous time for us. It is no small wonder why people rave about it. But...it was time to move on. Wed been on the road for over 40 days and seen great places, great friends and eaten some stunningly tasty food. With only one stop left before our return to the States, how do you transition from such a lively place like Barcelona? You go to San Sebastian, also known as Donostia, in the north east of Spain. Not far from the border with France, this is one place we would to anyone. Its a city with two names and some of the finest cuisine around. So much fine cuisine that it boasts the most restaurants per capita than anywhere else in the world. Whats not to like about that?
San Sebastian turned out to be one of our favorite locations on this trip. It was exciting from the moment the airplane banked in a nearly full
circle over the ocean back and land appropriately on the only runway we could see from the air. It gave us an outstanding view of the city, the bay and the surrounding mountains.
For those that know us, the foodie alarm was ringing.....and quite loud. We had secured an AirBnb in Old Town, which proved to be logistically perfect. We were mere minutes away from great food. The apartment was one of the nicest we had ever stayed in and provided an and convenient place to stay and very close to the water. The weather forecast overall was not in our favor, but after all, it was early November in the north of Spain and the seasons were changing. We had been extremely fortunate up to this time with very favorable weather, but after our first day, that was not the case. No worries though as we had brought the proper gear and so we pushed on, troopers that we are! When you find yourself in a city that prides itself on food, nothing should stop you, not even the colder, rainier winds of November.
that one was Spanish, the other Basque. Although the two names are not at all similar, they mean the same thing...Saint Sebastian. There is a lot of history here, but well spare you the details. Essentially, its the story of how a region throughout the centuries attempted to keep its identity in the face of bigger governmental powers. The local culture prevails in spite of this, which makes this area of Spain unique.
Our first full day there was quite pleasant and we rode the Funicular Monte Igueldo and took in some magnificent views of San Sebastian. This is a seriously old funicular, but we enjoy these things for some reason and find them hard to resist. After descending back to sea level, we walked back to our apartment from there and enjoyed a 6 mile stroll around the bay back to our apartment. The city has a bay on one side, which allows for sunbathing (certainly not this time of year), some surfing and promenades along the water. We were staying on the eastern side of Old Town and a few feet from our apartment was the Urumea River, which runs into the Mediterranean unless the tides
are high and its mouth turns into an estuary due to the influx of the sea. Interesting to watch this, especially in stormy weather as the water pounds the rocks along the river and sprays onto the sidewalks.
The alluring neighborhoods with their small restaurant storefronts along with a town square were almost in fashion as the ambiance was exhilarating. On our first night there, we strolled to Constitution Square and shared a bottle of wine and pinxtos. PInxtos, you say? Yes....this is the Basque term for tapas, and we rapidly learned that in this town, it meant that we were in for some real treats. As MJ often says, our taste buds are dancing. But this proved to be only the beginning of the great taste treats ahead.
