If a little windy...
That afternoon we walked along the sands and then along the beach road round to the funicular railway to take us up to the top of the headland.
The carriages were a little rickety with slatted wooden benches but the views got progressively better as we rose up the hill to the top.
I've never been to the Caribbean but la Bahía de la Concha or "Shell Bay" really reminded me of pictures I've seen of Caribbean islands. The intense greens and blues with the misty mountains in the background looked beautiful from so high up and there's even a mini Corcovado mountain with its very own "Christ the Redeemer" statue!
After a siesta in our hostel room we headed out that evening to sample the other thing that puts San Sebastián on the tourist map - pintxos! These tiny bite size portions of loveliness are the Basque version of tapas and I have to say I think I prefer them. As the gourmet capital of Europe, San Sebastián is home to the most Michelin starred restaurants per inhabitant of any city in the world bar Kyoto, Japan and it shows. You can hardly order a salad without it being exquisitely presented on its snowy white plate and drizzled with some jus, foam, "reduction" or coulis.
If you're interested in trying the famous pintxos head to the old part of town along the bay and just pop into any bar that takes your fancy. What they have to offer will be laid out along the counter ready to be enjoyed. It's best to ask for the ones you'd like as some are whisked away to be heated up and it also helps the bar staff know how much you've had.
Each little mouthful is perfectly crafted with a mix of flavours and textures. There were tiny skewers of roasted pork with juicy green peppers, sweet garlic prawns drizzled in lemon juice, spider crab tartlets, sundried tomatoes and goat's cheese tostadas, delicate smoked salmon swirls and many, many more. Most of the time you're hardly sure what you're eating but that's part of the fun!
The region is also famous for its cider which comes in bottles like wine and is poured from a great height into the glasses to aerate it and release the dry fruity flavour.
On Saturday morning we got up late and went to find a breakfast pastry in the city. The architecture is very different to anywhere I've been before with what looks like some Eastern European/French influences
We found a small park on the way complete with swans:
We then headed round the bay in the other direction on a quest to climb the opposite headland and get closer to Jesus (hehe). The sea was absolutely beautiful; deep blue and dotted with little sailing boats.
The bay was full of boats, paddle boarders and windsurfers.
There were several near misses as they tacked across each other and out to sea:
After quite a steep walk with a scramble up a small slope and a secret entrance we eventually got to the summit and Jesus.
That evening we watched the first hour of Eurovision in our room with several magdalena cakes snaffled from the table in the corridor, then headed out to enjoy more pintxos. The next day dawned a bit dull and grey so we spent the morning in the impressive Museo San Telmo which is full of Basque culture throughout history. Our coach back to Madrid left at 5pm and deposited us at Avendida de América bus station. I had a great time with some great friends and would throughly recommend San Sebastian to anyone. Whether surfing, hiking, history or food is your thing you'll find something to keep you interested and, with the weather of Cornwall and the bar culture of Spain, a better long weekend away would be hard to find.
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