Treasure of the Basque Country--San Sebastian

view of San Sebastian

San Sebastian is the capital of one of the Basque provinces of Spain, a beautiful city on the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by rugged mountains.  The bay is partly protected by 2 rocky islands that get battered by large swells coming in from the west, throwing up great swaths of white water as they hit the rocks.  From a viewpoint above the city you can see the perfectly formed bathing beach (a bit chilly right now) and the breakers beyond that attract surfers from all over Spain.

 

We went from there down to the water to see sculptures by one of San Sebastian's most famous artists.  The waves were big and frothy.  We watched them crashing on the rocks and then got thoroughly doused by one particularly large wave.

wave breaking on rock





Gail and Karlos enjoying wine and pintxos

Years ago, when my kids were in high school, we had an exchange student from San Sebastian.  That exchange student is now a critical care doctor in San Sebastian, married to an oncologist.  They have a 15 year old son who is an avid surfer and skier. 

Our first night in San Sebastian, we met them for an evening of pintxos (pronounced pinchos) and wine and had a wonderful time traipsing from tiny bar to tiny bar, eating these delicious tapas and enjoying the regional wines.  This is a big deal with locals and tourists alike, so the streets of the old city are crowded from about 9 p.m. to 1 or 2 a.m. every night as people follow the Basque tradition of sharing a glass of wine and a plate of tapas in one bar after another.  I hadn't seen Karlos since an earlier visit to San Sebastian with my daughter a dozen years ago--and before that not in the 15 years since he'd graduated from Ponderosa High School in Parker at the end of his year with us.  It was a real joy to see him and his family again and to reminisce about adventures and misadventures when he lived with us.  We look forward to spending time with Karlos and his family when we return to San Sebastian next year.

view of river out to Atlantic

We had an excellent guide to show us the city the next morning.  He owns his own travel agency, Basque Tours (www.basquetours.com) which specializes in showing travelers the beautiful Basque country.  Jon is a world traveler himself so knows how to work well with people from many countries and cultures.

Our first stop was the viewpoint above the city that was hard to leave, given the gorgeous beaches and rocky points below.  After that, the Old City with its spotless market where Jon gave us a chef's tour of the many varieties of fish on display and showed us how to identify the very fresh from the slightly less so.  There are Iberian hams hanging in shops, the best from the black pigs from southern Spain which feast on acorns and tender care until the very end.  Fruits and vegetables are just coming into season, so the market was full of beautifully arranged produce.

Pulpo (octopus), calamari, anchovies and bacalao (cod, much of which is salted and dried) are staples throughout Spain and Portugal.  Entire shops sell only salted cod.  When you order pinxtos or snacks from a bar or restaurant, these are  heavily represented on the menu.

Maria Cristina Hotel

The historic center of San Sebastian is bordered by a large rocky promontory on one side, the Atlantic on another, the river on a third and a wide boulevard on the fourth.  Originally, the city was confined to this area but now, of course, is much larger.  While prosperous in the 15th and 16th centuries, the city went into decline after that until the 19th century when Queen Maria Cristina, regent for her infant son who was the king, decided to spend her summers in San Sebastian.  Her court and the diplomatic corps followed her there, thus bringing new fortune to the city.  Our hotel, the Maria Cristina, is named after her and features her prominently throughout the hotel.

Today, San Sebastian is known for its food, wine, surfing, beauty and culture.  It has a heavily Basque population, proud of their language and heritage and determined to maintain their identity and culture.