On Saturday, March 21 Eli and I took the bus to San Sebastian (also known as Donostia in Basque) for the day. It was about an hour ride and only 15 € for the round trip. As soon as we got there, it was evident why the Kings and Queens of Spain used to spend their summers in San Sebastian. It's beautiful! There are endless amounts of shopping in the new and old portions of the city, delicious food (as always), at least three separate beaches, lots of history and character, and the amazing La Concha Bay. La Concha Bay is a sheltered portion of the Bay of Biscay, and has created a great, calm area for swimming and relaxing with no waves.
First, we did a bit of sight seeing; checking out the city hall and the old part of the city. (When first entering the old city, I saw the first Spanish flag since arriving here. The flag that's always flying is the Basque flag. I was shocked to see a Spanish Flag!) Once in the old city we, of course, we went for pintxos. The pintxos in San Sebastian are a bit different than those in Bilbao. The flavor and contents are a bit different. Another interesting thing about going for pintxos was that there was always large legs of ham hanging in the windows of the bars. Every bar would have windows full of hanging ham. I'm not really sure why. In Bilbao, ham is also popular, but there is none hanging in the windows... Anyway, after pintxos, we walked along the long seaside promenade from one beach on one side of the city, to the main beach in the center. Here, we put our feet in the water and relaxed on the sand.
After chilling on the beach and the stores and attractions opened again (everything in San Sebastian also closes in the afternoon), we went to the aquarium. It was a really interesting set up. The main portion of the aquarium was a tube (a Plexiglas-type material) that allows you to walk through the bottom of the sea/lake they created. It was really neat to see sharks, manta-rays, turtles, and all types of fish swim right up to you and over your head.
Next, we went back to the old quarter to do some shopping. In doing so, we discovered Plaza de la Constitucion. This used to double as a bull-fighting arena. If you look in the pictures below, you can see that every door on the balconies has a number above it. This is because during the bull-fighting you could rent a 'box' to watch the event. It was quite unique. So much detail went into constructing all of the archways and everything else. Today, one end of the Plaza has cafes and bar with a large patio and a live band playing.
I can't wait to go back. I will be sure to take anyone who comes to visit to San Sebastian!
Hasta la proximá vez,
Kathlene
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