San Sebastian PLAYAS

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Wednesday morning I woke up early, around 6:30 and took the metro to the Termibus station with the speed of a native where I caught the coach bus to San Sebastian, or Donostia, depending on where in Spain one is from (Donostia is Euskara…I’m in Basque country, folks!). I arrived in Plaza Pio XII and was planning on walking to the Parte Vieja (Old Town), but managed somehow to quickly surmise the bus schedule in Euskara and catch a bus that instant to the Alameda del Boulevard, saving myself a lot of time. I didn’t even have to look at street names to know where I was headed because I could sense exactly where the port was just 200 or so meters ahead of me. It was before 8:30 am and there were few people strolling around and it was just that morning air that I could see my breath and a little fog with the promise to clear and warm up. I immediately walked up around the port past the fishing boats and the fishermen, folding up the fishing nets and taking a break in the morning fog. I walked along a path past the San Sebastian aquarium and up around the base of Monte Urgull. I snapped a couple pictures and thought that the views were the best I would get, but I noticed a footpath up around Monte Urgull that went to a castle, Castillo de la Mota, and battlements, baterias (Mirador). I followed the footpath and climbed the mountain by around 10 o’clock where the views were simply amazing.

I walked back down to the boardwalk and took off my shoes at the Playa de la Concha to begin the 2-mile promenade to Playa de Ondarreta and Monte Igueldo. I walked with my feet in the ocean along the beach and stopped at Playa de Ondarreta to lay in the sun for a few minutes and warm up and grab a café con leche at the beach’s café/restuarante. I walked to the Monte Igueldo funicular and arrived at the top of the Monte in awe of the view, even more breathtaking than that of Monte Urgull. I walked around the peak and snapped photographs before returning to Parte Vieja to walk around and debate bus schedules. After learning I missed the last bus to Lekeito (to see Guernica) until that evening, I decided to stroll around to the port one last time and head back to Bilbao.

Back in Bilbao I walked to the Guggenheim to see it one last time and take a couple more photos and got café con leche and lunch at the café there beside the bookstore. From there, the bus back to the airport and Madrid was only a couple easy hours. I am now completely exhausted, my feet are about ready to break off and I have not accomplished any packing for my flight out tomorrow. I am planning on spending the morning visiting a few last sites, including Goya’s tomb and frescoes in the church something Florida and Huertas by Atocha.

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