Arriving in dampened moods and feelings of homesickness after separating apart from our 40 compatriots on Contiki, we were in need of something to boost our spirits; and San Sebastián was the perfect cure. An awesome, yet small coastal town in the north of Spain. Staying in a relaxed family-owned apartment hostel situated on the world-famous Zurriola beach and 5 minutes walk from the old town & La Concha beach, it gave us all a chance to relax after the whirlwind 3 weeks we had just endured. It was a relief to not have wake up alarms, visit sightseeing destinations nor a need to walk miles and listen to tour guides each day. Rather the days were spent with the occasional beach run, swimming in crystal clear water with the odd wave or two, and a chance to lay on the sand and absorb the Spanish sun. The beach was stunning and barred a resemblance to many Australian beaches, in particular Coolangatta's Greenmount beach in many aspects. This familiarity helped us waiver our feeling of homesickness and the city, in addition to the surprise arrival of 2 of our Contiki mates, had boosted our spirits and we were back on our feet.

San Sebastián did however, prove to be the first of many things on our trip to date. The first time we'd seen the ocean, the first time we'd come across tapas and sangria (which was soon to become a daily diet) but also the first time we'd experienced a language barrier. Being on Contiki and travelling through mainstream, populated tourist destinations with the assistance of a tour guide, we had not yet encountered the gap in languages. Thankfully, Louis & Joe knew a decent amount of Spanish from study and previous travels that we managed to get by, if not for them, the rest of us were doomed. The only word I knew how to say in Spanish by the end of the 5 days was 'Cinco Cervezas', which translates in English to '5 beers'. Hardly helpful, I know. It did enough to get by when ordering a round of drinks at the bar but not particularly beneficial as a conversationalist.

Whilst our time in San Sebastián was expected by all of us to be down-time and possibly a detox for our bodies to relax and catch up on sleep, we did want to venture into the city and experience the Spanish culture by night. The hostel had employed a German bloke, Lennart, to organise events each night to allow the hostel occupants to mingle and head out on the town, with new things to do each night. Activities included a 3-course meal at a cider house one night, a tapas and beer pub crawl another, as well as visiting a few of the bars and nightclubs in the famous old town. This was all very fun and manageable, however, little did we know that a week-long International Firework festival was beginning in the town during the middle of our stay there; just our luck huh. The event drew massive crowds (our friend even spotted Xabi Alonso for a picture) and the streets and beach was filled with stages, live music and DJs, pop up bars and cafes, and new firework displays each night. This, in addition to meeting two of our Sydney mates Nosti & Carrett, made the final two nights in San Sebastián a tad more upbeat. The highlight being attending a Spanish concert with some great tunes and entertainment provided by the DJ, before realising we were the oldest people at the event by about 7 years. The final night saw Joe & I climbing the Jesus statue at night to view the fireworks from a great vantage point. However, vodka and navigation skills don't necessarily work well together, getting lost drunk on the mountain for hours in the dark falling down cliffs and sliding down hills in an attempt to get back to the town (Joe still has the scratch marks and ripped jeans to show for it).

Not particularly the quiet nights we had imagined, but relaxing days and beautiful laid-back beaches, and lifestyle in general, made us all fall in love with this picturesque Spanish town, which i'd highly recommend to anyone travelling Europe to include it in their itinerary. Next stop is a slight change of pace, flying in to the party island of the world; Ibiza!