San Sebastian, Basque country

Trip Start Jun 03, 2008
1
15
23
Trip End Oct 14, 2008


Loading Map
Map your own trip!
Map Options
Show trip route
Hide lines
shadow

Flag of Spain and Canary Islands  ,
Wednesday, July 9, 2008

After 30 hours of train ride, 5 train changes, I am in cool, refreshing San Sebastian now. The train travel itself was rather interesting. Starting from Turino last morning, I had no plan, and pretty much jumped onto any train next to leave that is heading to the general direction of Spain. Of courese, things aren't made any easier by the fact that I am passing through 3 countries with different railway systems, and ticket offices only adice on their own country. So 3 train changes got me cross the Italian-French border. Some advice from a local on the train, info from the ticket office, and on spot decision making together allowed me to find a sleeper train that arcs through half of France and reaches the Spanish Basque country. Very slow, but nice and clean first class, gave me a well earned rest after the alpine hiking. One more half hour local train, yeah, I got to San Sebastian.  

San Sebastian has 2 really nice beaches next to each other, with a active yet casual ambience. Maybe because the water is too cool, more people seem to favor a walk on the beach than swimming in the sea, turning the beaches into a natural promenade for bathsuit clad walkers. Another popular activity for the kids is to create DIY swimming pools by digging into the wet sand and letting water seep through. You could feel the salty moisture in the sea breeze. So nice. Could do with fewer topless girls and really hairy men though :-).
 
I have learnt that picking a good cafe, and pay repeated visits as much as possible, is a great way to make the cities I am visiting feel like adopted home. In San Sebastian it is the cafe sitting opposite to the cathedral that I fell in love at once. Fruit studded bread, lovely intense coffee with just the right amount of milk and a star shaped cookie, the locals going over newspaper slowly, time to sit back and relax.

As for the tapa- world famous for a reason. It is said that there is a higher concentration of Michelin stars in San Sebastian and tapa bars in old town than anywhere else on earth. I justed wandered around, walking into a place and pointing at what looks interesting on the counter. The result- some truly delicious fried langostino, a stick of grilled mushroom, prawn and bacon, a well constructed tower of prawn sitting on top of egg on top of fish on top of bread. Oh and black pudding and fried hot green peppers too.  Got to stop talking about it now, or I will never be able to leave.
Print this entry Bilbao hotels