An afternoon in San Sebastián

Hello everyone! I’ve just realised that it’s been almost a year since I first set off on my period abroad, and quite frankly, I can hardly believe how fast the time has flown by. While my mind is dwelling on past events, I thought I’d tell you about a day trip I did with my dad last autumn, when he came to visit me in Biarritz. After doing a whistle-stop tour of Saint-Jean-de-Luz (you can read more about this town here), we hopped on a bus, and crossed over the spanish border into the coastal city of Donostia-San Sebastián.

An account of our afternoon

The underground bus station was clammy and dark, but as soon as we got back outside, we were hit by a pleasant wave of heat. We crossed over the River Urumea, via the María Cristina Bridge, and within ten minutes, we were standing in the grassy Del Buen Pastor Plaza, gazing up at the city cathedral. A service was taking place when we entered this nineteenth-century structure, but that didn’t stop us from having a quick look around. Particularly intriguing here were the colourful rose window and the golden altarpiece that stood just beneath it.

Back out in the open, we made our way along a few bustling shopping streets, into the Parte Vieja (Old Town), where another magnificent house of worship – the Basílica de Santa María del Coro – was awaiting us. Even from a distance, we could tell that this would be a sight worth seeing: indeed, if the crowds of people in front of it weren’t enough of a clue, the intricately carved portal certainly put any doubts at rest. Inside, we were most impressed by the ceiling vaults, and the imposing pillars that rose up to support them.

From here, we headed to the city’s most iconic square – the Plaza de la Constitución – which was once used as a venue for bull fights. That day, only humans were in sight, many of them taking full advantage of the bars and shops located along the exterior arcades of the quadrangle. Well aware that the price of a cup of coffee would be at its peak in this part of town, we decided not to settle here.

Instead, we headed north to see the beautiful Gothic-style Saint Vicente Church (which is said to be the oldest building in the city). This monument was unfortunately not open to the public that day, but we still enjoyed walking around the exterior, admiring its impressive entranceway and countless stained glass windows. Also, in the courtyard of the church, we came across a quirky bronze statue, representing two giant hands. We weren’t entirely sure what it was doing there, but it was interesting to see a modern-day piece juxtaposed with a centuries-old building.

After stopping for a quick drink in the Zuloaga Plaza, we decided that since there wasn’t enough time to visit the nearby San Telmo Museum, we would, instead, have gone on a walk along the coast. I’m not sure we picked the most scenic pathway – indeed, every time we looked down, there was about as much rock armour as there was water – but when we turned our gaze landward, our eyes were treated to some traditional Spanish architecture.

Thanks to a small ginger kitten, who seemed to be guarding the steps, we found one of the many walkways leading up to the top of Mount Urgull. If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you’ll know that I love seeing cities from above, so this was the sight I was most looking forward to, and it certainly didn’t disappoint!

The hike was arduous, especially with the sun beating down on us, but the beauty of our setting more than made up for this. Halfway up, we spotted the Isla de Santa Clara, a tiny tree-covered island just off the coast, and closer to the summit, we stumbled across various ancient fortifications, many of which still had cannons lined up along their walls.

A short time later, and we’d reached the Castillo de la Mota, a hilltop castle with an enormous statue of Jesus rising out of its roof. From this position, we had fantastic views over the buildings Old Town below, not to mention the city beach, which was still crowded with tourists and their deckchairs.

During our ascent, my dad and I had worked up quite an appetite, so our number one priority at this point was to get back down to ground level, and find some places to tuck into some tapas (or ‘pintxos’, as they say in the Basque Country). Beti Jai Berria was our eatery of choice, and we enjoyed quite the selection of nibbles, standing round a table on the terrace. I unfortunately didn’t document this event, but the photo below should give you a rough idea of the sort of snacks we ate.

Source

By the time our stomachs were filled, and the bill was paid, it was getting on for four o’ clock, so we made our way slowly back across the river to the bus station. I’m not usually one to doze off on public transport, but a combination of tiredness from the hike, fullness from the food, and comfort from the steady motion of the coach, meant that I slept the entire way home.

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