San Sebastián is located in Northern Spain, in the Basque region bordering France. País Vasco, as is is known as in Castellano Spanish, has a language and culture so distinct that it's like its own country. The Spanish and French Basque regions share the same Union-jack style flag.
Many people who live in this region consider themselves Basque rather than Spanish. The language (Euskara) sounds the way you'd expect it to -- like a blend of Spanish and French. My friend Sheri and I were in the region for just a couple of days, so we stuck to good ol' español the whole time.
The Basque region is famous for its gourmet food. There are lots of bars around, and the bars all serve several varieties of tapas, which are called "pinchos." Like most bars in Spain, you point and tell the bartender what you want, eat it, then pay after.
San Sebastián is the jewel of the Basque region. It's a popular tourist destination that is famous for its beaches. Our first day there, we lay out the main stretch of beach, the shell-shaped Playa de la Concha.
If you look closely in the photo above, way up in the trees on the left, you can see the top of a castle, Castilla de la Mota, topped by a small statue overlooking the ocean.
Here is a closer view of the statue, which is of Jesús. You'll see more of him later.
After sitting around in the sun and kicking up some waves, we took the Monte Igueldo funicular up to the top of a hill. Once we arrived at the summit, we saw a breathtaking view of the beach, and found ourselves smack in the middle of an amusement park.
That night we checked out the cathedral (below) then wandered around the Old Town and enjoyed some more pinchos and Tinto de Verano, which is similar to sangría, but fizzy like a soda.
The next day, we hiked up a tall hill to see the castle where Jesús lived.
I've been back from Spain for about a month now. I've had some amazing experiences and some really difficult ones. At this moment, I don't think I wanna look at a suitcase ever again, let alone pack or unpack another one! Still, I don't regret a thing and I'm so glad I spent those ten months abroad. It definitely opened my mind and gave me a new perspective of looking at the world.
*** Thanks to anyone and everyone who has ever looked at this blog -- friends, family, and random strangers alike. It seems as though everybody has a blah blah blog these days. I hope you enjoyed this one! You just wasted moments of your life reading it. ***
