I'd like to start up some Throw Back Thursday (TBT) posts from my time in Spain. I've been craving beach side views and San Sebastian, Spain is a great place to get your fill of sand and sea. San Sebastian is located in the Basque Country and is called Donostia in Basque, or Donosti by the locals. I visited the city in July and here are some of my favorite memories and sights.

Santa Maria Church
This beautiful church was just down the street from where I was staying in the Casco Antiguo. Santa Maria church was refurbished and modified in the 17th century, coinciding with the Baroque period of architecture, but was originally a Romanesque church.

City Hall
The City Hall building, referred to as El Ayuntamiento, was built between 1882 and 1887. This breathtaking building once served as a casino and just seems to emanate elegance from its bottom steps to tower pinnacles.

Plaza de la Constitución
The Plaza de la Constitución is the main square where you can find many bars and cafés. After noticing the numbers painted above each window, I was told that they represent special seating boxes where people once watched bull fights. This once bull fighting ring makes for a great meeting place to grab a drink with friends.

Concha Bay Beach
Conch Bay Beach
I could not get enough of this beach and its amazing views! If visiting, I recommend that you go sunbathing and swimming early because the tide comes in pretty high by the late afternoon.

Pintxos
Up North in the Basque region, these appetizers are called pinchos (also spelled pintxos). Most of my meals there consisted of a few different pinchos, rather than a normal balanced meal. The bolas de carne were my FAVORITE! I accompanied most of my tasty treats with Txakolí wine (white wine from the region) and highly recommend it to any visitors.

Taking in the local sights, music and boutiques on this busy street.
San Sebastian is a wonderful summertime escape and as you can see from the photo, it was abuzz with quite a few tourists who agree.

Me showing off delicious, spicy mussels
I couldn't get enough of the mejillones tigres (aka mussels in spicy tomato sauce) from La Mejillonera. The place isn't fancy, but its delicious mussels are worth waiting in a long line for - and I guarantee that you'll love it despite the crowded space.

My partner in crime Norma and me on our way to Hondarribia.
I spent a few hours in neighboring town, Hondarribia. It's fisherman's quarter was lively with colorful flowers and outdoor terraces. Located just across the Bidasoa River from Hendaye, France, this small town was ideal for enjoying a relaxing afternoon with one of my best friends.

Entrance to the walled section of town up to the Plaza de Armas 
Hondarribia's walled old town is full of aristocratic buildings and has been declared a Historic Artistic Site.

I remember feeling a sensation of rest and tranquility after this trip. Just looking upon these photos takes me back to that state of coastal peace.


To read the entry in Spanish, click here.

2 comments

  1. Absolutely lovely post, what wonderful memories! Your photos are great!!!

    ReplyDelete

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