Continental buffet breakfast in the American Diner at our hotel before packing up and heading off for first day of driving. It takes a while to become
comfortable with the car, the roads, other vehicles... not to mention the GPS ..and the tolls! We seemed no longer on a motorway and we were paying the first of five tolls for the day and we only drove about 220kms in total! Needless to say we probably weren’t always in the correct lane...credit card didn’t always work... tension rose a tad...but all sorted.
Countryside ranged from flat farming areas to forests then rolling green hills as we approached our first stop in Biarritz. Wow! Certainly a picturesque seaside tourist town with its quaint almost Chalet-like architecture. Firstly wandered around the lighthouse area with spectacular views across to the town area and beach as well as the coastline back towards Bayonne. Enjoyed walking around the cobbled streets and out to the Madonna on the rock. Due to frothy pollution, the ocean did not seem appealing but did not seem to deter the few swimmers and abundance of surfers. Plenty of cafes, restaurants and tourist shops. Found ourselves a pleasant spot for a salad before heading off to San Sebastián.
Back on the motorway and less than an hour driving through hilly countryside before arriving to our Airbnb with our delightful host, Pat, greeting us. Quaint and comfy apartment with parking across the road. Roey found a supermarket a few minutes away for some supplies. Once washing done we headed off for the 15 minutes or so walk into the township. At the first tourist information centre near the river I booked a walking tour for us all for tomorrow morning of an area of the old town. Then we strolled across the impressive Cristina bridge and meandered across to the Playa de la Concha beach. Omg! We were all gobsmacked by the wide expanse of beach cram packed with people, plus the abundance of people out and about. And the buildings.... such incredibly unique architecture....balconies, turrets, colours, flowers... so picturesque! In the Boulevard area we had a local beer (Keler) in a bar... entertained by some
Uruguayan drummers celebrating their defeat of Saudi Arabia in the soccer!
Down one of the cobbled alleyways we found a fabulous bar/restaurant called Bartolo where Roey introduced us to our first Pintxos experience! So good! You fill a plate at the bar with a selection of absolutely small delicious morsels and pay accordingly! Washed down with a jug of Sangria... I think I’m in heaven!
We departed before the soccer match between Spain and Iran kicked off ...
Once closer to our apartment stopped at another bar to watch the first half... then back to the apartment for the second half. So far San Sebastián has more than lived up to expectations!