San Sebastian

Panarama of San Sebastian and Playa de la Concha
Walls of the Castillo
We arrived in San Sebastian after driving from Bilbao.  As we pulled into the city we immediately became lost again.  By sheer luck and a good guess, we found ourselves heading up a hill overlooking the city towards the Palacio de Aiete and suddenly there was our hotel.  After checking in we ate a light dinner (yuck - hotel food) and went to sleep.

Sculpture by the sea wall
The next morning we headed back down to the center of town along the ocean.   The beach named Playa de la Concha, stretched along the coast forming a perfect crescent.  As the weather was a little chilly and rainy the beach was completely empty. 

We parked beneath the Castile de Santa Cruz de la Mota, walked along the sea wall and climbed up the hill.  At each turn we were confronted by spectacular views of the bay and San Sebastian.  Below us small fishing boats plowed through the waters beneath an old light house.


View from the hill

 As it was a Monday we were virtually the only people on the hill. As you approach the top you wind your way through several layers of old castle fortifications.  The walls snaked through the forest broken only by the openings through which the old cannons and archers would fire.


At the peak of the castle stands a giant statue of Jesus overlooking the bay.  After a few hours we worked our way back down to the bottom.

As we arrived back at our car we spotted a parking attendant approaching our car. Luis ran  down the last 50 meters to avoid getting a ticket.  Of course, we had way overstayed our metered time. Luckily he smiled and said it was ok.  Ticket avoided!

We then drove a few mintues and found a spot to park near the old part of San Sebastian.  The small winding streets looped around the Plaza Mayor and were filled with interesting shops and restaurants.  We found the Iglesia San Pablo and went in to look around.


Next we stopped for a café con leche for me and a café solo for Luis.  We sat in the square watching the people walk by.  On the way back to the car we stopped in a small store to buy some bread, cheese, crackers and chocolate milk for Luis.  As we turned the corner we saw another parking attendant standing behind our car.  Walking up Luis asked if we had overstayed.  She replied “yes” and commenced typing the car plate into her mobile ticket issuing device.  Luis turned to her and asked “What do I do? How do I pay the ticket?”.  She shrugged and said she hadn’t printed the ticket yet, smiled and walked off.  Whew! Another ticket avoided!
Old city at night
We went back to the hotel for a late siesta.  At night, we returned to the old part of town to explore the city.  This time as it was nearing midnight we were virtually alone on the streets.  By accident, we found ourselves in Plaza Mayor.  The plaza is much smaller than the one in Salamanca but much prettier.  Surrounding the square are numerous balconies and doors each with a number painted on it.  These numbers represented the seats when the plaza was used for bullfighting.  Many of the balconies displayed banners urging freedom for the Basque region.  Around 1:30am we walked along the beach and touched the ocean water, the Bay of Biscay. Our trip to the northern coast could now be considered complete.



San Sebastian's Plaza Mayor


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