Life in a year full of Saturdays: San Sebastian (SPAIN) - bite size sightseeing, pintxos style

Wednesday, September 9, 2015

San Sebastian (SPAIN) - bite size sightseeing, pintxos style

San Sebastian (Spain)

09 September - 10 September 2015

San Sebastian is an incredible place to me. It has everything that you could want from a coastal destination, great beaches, a wonderful, quiet bay, beautiful scenery, the most bars per capita in Spain, Michelin star restaurants such as Mugaritz & Arzak, tapas galore and a gorgeous climate. Once again however, I seemed like the only one in that car that could understand what the rest of the world understood, that this place was (is) truly fantastic. I don't know whether it was too hot, people were too tired or just plain uninterested but there was no real impetus to have a look around and enjoy the place. This trip had become a perpetual frustration, and as I mentioned in my write up on Toledo, a true opportunity missed.

What you miss if you don't look around are the golden beaches, especially the long sweeping playa de la Concha which is the epicentre of the cities outdoor activities. Then there' the iconic Isla Santa Clara at the entrance to the bay which itself is framed by beautiful, lush mountains all around. On the other side of town you'll encounter your more 'rolling wave' type of scene with surfboards at playa Zurriola. For me however the real treat are the proliferation of tapas bars and the nature of the food they provide, there's just an abundance of all things wonderful that the trap is wanting to try everything and not really giving yourself the time to appreciate a few. Simply savouring the moment. That's the thing, limiting your time pushes you to limit your appreciation.

I'll come back to San Sebastian, of that I'm sure. Spain is one of those countries that is always at the forefront of my mind when it comes to travel, its just a shame that this time the stop was underdone and underwhelming through no fault of its own.