Today we took full advantage of the sunny weather in Spain, visiting a flea market in Bilbao before heading over to San Sebastián for the rest of the day. The journey to San Sebastián was quick,and provided us with amazing views of the Spanish countryside on the ride there. We began our visit with an enthusiastic tour guide who explained how San Sebastián began as a fishing town in 1180, and since it is so close to the French border, a wall was built around the city to protect it. We actually saw the remains of this wall, which were found around the perimeters of the old, historical part of the city. Around 1840, the Spanish queen at the time, Isabella II, had gotten sick and decided to bathe in La Concha, a San Sebastián beach, in order to recover. Ever since the Spanish royalty took an interest in the small beach town, San Sebastián transformed: it expanded closer to the bay, building several casinos and hotels that had a seaside view. The current state of the city reflects this shift, as even prominent buildings, like the current city halls were once casinos. Although interested in its history, my friends and I were eager to explore San Sebastián intimately, a city known for its pintxos in addition to its amazing views. 

We began  our tour of the city by hiking up Monte Urgull, a hill that promised us a stunning, panoramic view of the bay once we reached the top. The trek was difficult; as we had to walk up several flights of stairs before hiking up a long, winding ramp. However, our 20 minute trek was worth it- Monte Urgil was littered with history in addition to the breathtaking scenery. It contained several former military fortresses and a chapel. It was fascinating to get a glimpse into the city’s medieval defense mechanism, and how they relied on the geography of the attack. After descending from Monte Urgull, we tried some of the city’s renowned pintxos. I loved how San Sebastián had a larger variety of pintxos than Bilbao, in addition to the standard croquette and archive dishes, it had several more exotic dishes. I even had a quail egg and truffle mushroom pintxo for lunch! However, dishes here were more expensive, with pintxos costing 3-4 euros instead of the 1.50- 2 euros that they were in Bilbao.  Overall, I had a great time in San Sebastián, and would love to visit again  to  take advantage of its beautiful beaches.