Rain and Shine (Spring Break Part 2)

So where did I leave off? Oh yeah, time to talk about San Sebastian! Our time there was definitely one of the highlights of our trip, thanks to friends old and new. We ended up staying there for four days, which was two more days than we had originally planned. Even the relentless rain couldn't dampen our spirits (at least not figuratively).

We arrived to San Sebastian by bus, and of course, it started raining about the time that we had to walk to the hotel. But no worries, we made it to our fabulous hotel despite the less-than-reliable weather pattern. The view from our room was gorgeous! This was our 'splurge' place, and it couldn't have had better timing. The rest of the day was spent walking, eating, and drinking, but a few crucial connections and plans were made for the following day: one with my parents' friend Carlos from Gardnerville and one with Pili, a mutual friend of the Lekumberry family in Gardnerville. These two played a vital role in helping us dive into the culture of San Sebastian and of the surrounding area.

One of our best ideas in San Sebastian:
Hotel room snacks break with local cheese!

So the next day we met up with Carlos in the morning, and he took us for a scenic walk around one part of the bay in San Sebastian. Then the real adventure began! We hopped in his car and headed for his hometown, San Esteban. Along the way, we made stops at my mom's old stomping grounds from 30 years ago, which was so interesting for us all to experience. I was awestruck by the beautiful countryside, and I was fascinated by the memories that my mom recounted from the summer she spent there during her teenage years. We finally ended up in San Esteban, and after a little walk and a quick drink, Carlos brought us to one of the local restaurants for lunch. SO DELICIOUS! Following the Spanish and Basque meal traditions, lunch was not just some small bite to eat, it was a full-on event. We ate a tasty fish soup as the first course, and then it was meat-to-your-liking for the second course, all the while drinking red wine and the traditional cider of the Basque Country. And naturally, we finished off with dessert and coffee. Fat and happy, we headed back to San Sebastian. We drove to France first, which sounds cool, but in reality it wasn't far out of our way. Once again, the views were break-taking, and hey, why not drive through part of France if you get the chance?

Carlos and Dad during our little adventure.

But this was not the end of our day, we ended up meeting with Pili, our new best friend, in the afternoon/evening. What a kick she was! So full of life and energy! The communication was difficult at times, but all in all, we hit it off almost instantly. She took us through the Old Town of San Sebastian, we met her daughters, we saw where she lived and where she worked, and most of all, we had an incredibly enjoyable time. It was great to get the tips about eating pinchos (that's the name for tapas in the north of Spain) from an inside source. Plans were made for the following day, and my bed was calling my name after an exhaustingly wonderful day. (SPOILER ALERT: I'm realizing that I pretty much need to devote an entire post to our adventures with Pili, so I think I'll take a break and leave off here for now. But believe me, there are great things to come! I'm going to leave some suspense... Haha.)

In other news, it's starting to feel a little bittersweet that I'll be leaving Spain so soon. Even though I haven't left yet, I'm already trying to figure out when I can come back. I love the Spanish culture, and I don't want my adventure to stop here. So if there is a will, there's a way, and I'm going to make it happen! Today my professor was talking about the Camino de Santiago, so maybe I'll come back to make that pilgrimage someday. Time will tell. But for now, I'm going to take advantage of the time I have left and keep engaging in the Spanish lifestyle. I'm really starting to embrace the life of a Spaniard-- I even went topless on the beach the other day. (Don't worry, my parents already know. Ha.) Time goes so fast, and I don't want to miss out on any experience here!

After our first pincho night with Pili and the girls.