6th December: Arrived in San sebastian.
Been raining fairly constantly since we left Toulouse. Couldn't even
see the Pyrenees on the way down. Crossing into Spain was a fairly
innocuous occasion - a Toll gate no less!! In fact 3 toll gates within
10km!

Doesn't look too promising on the way in -
concrete hi rises dominate the landscape. It all looks a bit industrial
and urban. Not long before things change however. Suburban streets give
way to tree lined boulevards. Tall nondescript apartment blocks give way
to stylish hotels and commercial buildings (contemporary mixed in with
classical). And lets not forget the European favourite - roundabouts.
Dozens of them. And crosswalks, they sure love their crosswalks! Gotta
keep an eye out: Spanish pedestrians have a habit of using the crosswalk
on the assumption that cars will stop, no matter how quickly they step
out onto the road!!

Here we have to mention the Spanish drivers/traffic. Hard to believe we are still in Europe. It's
almost civilized. It's orderly. None of the chaotic mayhem of Italy and
France. The streets seem to conform to a more traditional grid pattern,
instead of the twisting turning style of French cities. It is almost
relaxing to drive here.

Settled into the hotel (check out the view) and then followed the directions given to us by the
receptionist (most helpful she was too) to walk into the central area of
the city. About a 30 minute walk along a seafront promenade. easy to
see why this place becomes a mecca for summer vacationers. Long wide
sandy beaches, good surf for the more adventurous, Restaurants and cafes
to relax in. a most enjoyable stroll.

The city center and old quarter are absolutely wonderful. Cobbled streets, old
buildings, and bars. There are tapas bars everywhere. All overflowing
with people eating and drinking. The term bar snacks take on a whole new
meaning here. As well as serving drinks and coffee, the bar tops are
filled with plates of food of all sorts. Cold meats, savoury pastes,
cheeses, smoked fish swimming in rich tomato sauce. As far as we can
tell, you pay 5 euro for a plate, and then fill it up with a selection
of different dishes. what a brilliant concept!!

7th December:
Had enough of exploring the city, so we're doing a coastal drive
further south. Looks fairly easy to get onto the coastal road which will
take us along the coast through what looks like some small fishing
villages (N-634 according to Google maps). First place is Zarautz, nice enough, but a bit overdeveloped for our liking so we moved on. We finally came to Mutriku.
This proved to be a real find. Seems to be a genuine fishing village
still trying to cling to its heritage and way of life (although the
crane on the skyline would suggest its a losing battle). Still there's
enough of the old harbour and town to see it for what it was, and still
trying to be.

We've both been smitten with Spain and the Spanish people. A place we are sure to come back to if we have the chance.