As I sit here in the Athens airport on my way to Tel Aviv for Keith’s cousin’s wedding, I realize I haven’t written anything about our year abroad in over a month. I didn’t write one post when we lived in Barcelona in August. A lot of flights, early bus rides, new routines, more projects at work, Instagram black holes, [our amazing] visitors and excuses, excuses, excuses have gotten in the way of my writing.
Remembering this year is important to me, so it’s time to write something, right now. I have 45 minutes before I board this flight to Tel Aviv.
San Sebastian
San Sebastian. My heart keeps coming back to those two weeks in paradise. It was one of our favorite places we’ve been to thus far. Maybe it was the extended length of time we spent there (two weeks). Maybe it was the soft sand and clear blue water. Maybe it was because I had lived there for 4 months when I studied abroad years ago and it felt like coming home. I think it was the perfect waves that Keith body surfed every day and the plethora of pintxos we ate. That’s why my heart keeps coming back to this place.
Here are 5 activities/moments/things I loved most about our two weeks in paradise, in no particular order or group.
Gros + Zurriola Beach
Gros was the name of our neighborhood we chose to live in during our two weeks in San Sebastian. It’s on the far right side of the city, about a 5 minute walk from Parte Viejo (Old Town). It leans against the ‘surfer beach’ called Zurriola, known for its’ gorgeous waves and even prettier sunset views. Behind it are giant green hills and cliffs wrapped in hidden hiking paths the lead to tiny fishing villages.
This neighborhood only swallows some of the summer tourists. Nothing against summer tourists, as we sit in this category of human, but we prefer places that are a little less infested. Gros has a very laid back, local, communal vibe. We were steps away from Zurriola beach, which is also less crowded than the famous (yet stunning) La Concha beach closer to the center of town.
Our days in Gros looked like this: Morning coffee and an acai bowl in one of the many local cafes in the neighborhood, a run along the paved path that stretches along the entire coast of the city, an afternoon swim and Keith’s body surf session at Zurriola beach, bites of food at local, hidden gem pintxo bars nestled in Gros, and evening beers back on the sand of Zurriola beach as we watched the sunset and surfers.
Hike to Pasaia
Sitting behind Gros and Zurriola Beach are rolling hills and green cliffs. Through these cliffs and on the other side is Pasaia, a small fishing village. There is a hiking path that’s part of the Camino de Santiago and guides walkers and hikers alike to Pasaia. On the way there are ocean views along steep cliffs, rolling streams and lots of greenery.
One morning we woke up early, found the trail at the end of Zurriola Beach, and made the trek to Pasaia by lunch time. There are only a few restaurants in this village, so we took a small taxi boat across the canal to one called Ziaboga.
Here we indulged in an ice cold beer, blistered shishito peppers, a plate of jamon, and the freshest fish that has ever hit my palette topped with blackened garlic. Swoon. Afterwards, we took the city bus back to San Sebastian.
Instructions on how to find the trail from San Sebastian to Pasaia can be found here.
Pintxo Hopping in Parte Vieja
I wrote a post about the best pintxo bars we hit in San Sebastian. Pintxo is the Basque word for a tapa, or a small plate. There are over 1,000 authentic, local and unique pintxo bars in San Sebastian. Hopping to a few every day for lunch and/or dinner is a must-do in this city, especially in the hidden alleyways of Parte Vieja (Old Town). It was one of the most memorable experiences of our time there.
This activity embraces the local, gastronomic culture that San Sebastian is so proud of. It’s also a great way to explore, eat and drink your way through this magical city. Parte Vieja is a perfect place to start your pintxo hopping. Getting lost in the walk-able, ancient streets and wandering into cathedrals and shops is an incredible experience too.
Running in San Sebastian
Another way we like to discover new cities is by [literally] running through them. San Sebastian has beautiful, large paths that line the river and the coast from one side of the city to the other.
These paths are used for walking, running, biking, strolling – you name it. In the mornings, when the air was still cool and crisp, we would run these paths for a few miles. They led to various sites worth seeing: Peine del Viento (wind combs) on the cliffs at the edge of town, the stunning La Concha beach, Miramar Palace overlooking La Concha beach and Sagrado Corozon (the Jesus sculpture on top of Mount Urgull) in the center of the city.
Biarritz
San Sebastian sits pretty right next to France – about 12 miles away from the border. Biarritz is a small French beach town about an hour bus ride away. Since we were in San Sebastian during the final game of the World Cup, and since France was in it, we had no other choice than to bus to Biarritz to watch the game. Rough life.
We spent the day at the beach, ate lunch on the sand, and found our way into a giant outdoor bar to watch the game. France won and it was the largest celebration I have ever been a part of.
Our two weeks in paradise
We loved this city, and we’ll be back for more, someday.
