OVERVIEW TO BLOG & OUR TRIP

DAY 12 TUESDAY 17 MAY 22 San Sebastian on the coast

Forecast for another above average day for the Basque coast and no rain. Breakfast in the hotel’s cafeteria, was pretty darn good if you consider scrambled eggs, bacon, smoked salmon, jamon serrano, jamon de York, all sorts of cheeses, avocado, fruit, yogurt and much more, good! The tables look onto the beach at La Concha and there were quite few people out there already. Some with their dogs, walking, some getting ready with towels ready for a swim even some stalwarts swimming! The tide was out and the sand is quite flat out to the shore line.

La Concha Beach

We caught the #25 bus into the old town. First stop visit the tourist info office to buy a bus pass to lower our cost from 3.70€ per couple to just 1.35€ per couple with 6 trips on each plastic card. We realized we had never been up Mont Urgul where the Statue of Jesus presides over the whole bay. It is said there is a fabulous view from up there with the remains of a castle, graveyards of those lost in old wars, gardens etc. However, there is only one way up there….on foot! Not my feet! The guy in the Tourist office said there had been a bus previously but because of …you guessed it.. Covid they had stopped it! Damn, I doubt I will ever get up there.

Next we want to inspect the various gift shops looking for a real Sociedad soccer jersey for Kade. Prices are outrageous 70€ and UP! I think Real Sociedad must have a monopoly on these, €70 for a kid size jersey is insane. It was quite busy in the old town, lots of tourists, lol! We try to stay away from crowds considering Covid numbers are rising a bit, but the majority of people seem quite unfazed with few masked, except on the buses. Interesting!

San Sebastian Marina

We wandered towards the harbor marina looking a fish restaurant for lunch but nothing found open on a Tuesday and so we re-entered the old town backstreets. We found a place that sold Platos Combinados so went in. It was very quiet. What do you picture when it says “tortilla con ensalada mixta”? A nice little omelet with a bit of salad, right? It was a huge plate of food! I did my best but was not very successful! Paul ordered a pepito which is a steak sandwich, usually a decent size, I swear there was half a cow in there! We did our best but it wasn’t good enough!

Off we went exploring again, Jane paid her 3 euros and went into St Mary’s at the end of the old town. Apparently there have been temples here since the 12^th century, this was built in 1743. Dark and somber as are many churches in Spain. Interesting though.

Jesus Watches Over the Bay

Still looking for a soccer Jersey but no luck except for the hugely expensive ones. By this time my feet and legs are screaming for relief and if I look at one more touristy shop, I, will scream!

St Mary's Church

We took the bus back to the Hotel Niza using our handy dandy new passes. We sat outside with a drink, for a while, people watching and decided that the bike/scooter lane which runs down the promenade saving both pedestrians and bikes would be perfect in the middle of A1A! Lol!

We got a call from Gill at 730PM. She is now in San Sebastian but her luggage did not make it as she mailed it ahead of her flight so she is off to the post office before their 8:00PM closing to see where it is. Arrangements for tomorrow’s lunch are set now let’s see if Gill will have gotten her luggage prior to dining???

Before we went foraging for food again we went to a café across from the hotel that used to be La Perla. Actually, part of it still is but back in the early 70s it was a very posh place with Flamenco dancing and we never went there. When we tell the “youngsters” now they look at us in disbelief! Damn, I feel old.

Bar Martinez Old Town

We tried supper in local establishments versus a trip into the old town, Next to the Tryp Orly San Sebastian there was a cluster of 4 places most with outside tables. As an elderly lady departed we asked to sit at her outside table and we were rudely asked if we had a reservation, NO well then we can NOT help you and walked away, we asked if inside was possible, yes and so they cleared a table but their menu selections did NOT impress us and they didn’t even ask if we wanted a drink…so we up and left unannounced! We walked back to the Niza Hotel where we picked a diverse spread of pintxos to satisfy our hunger pangs. Are you kidding me? Hunger pangs? All we seem to do is eat! It is very late and yet here we are eating at 10pm. Another late night.