Throughout this short week, I have been in San Sebastián I have been able to explore many of the amazing things that the city has to offer. On July 14th, my classmates and I were able to explore some new parts of the city. The first sight we visited on our journey to the top of the mountain was The Combs of the Wind sculptures. The Combs of the Wind is three sculptures created by Eduardo Chillida. These sculptures were embedded into the natural rock in the area and were made with solid steel, weighing about ten tons each. These works of art were finished in 1976 and are located at the western end of La Concha Bay. The Combs of the Wind essentially symbolize the past, present, and future. The way these works of art were integrated into the surrounding nature shows that these sculptures are meant to be changed by nature itself. This is similar to the past, present, and future because everything that has, is, or will happen is determined by all of the things life throws at you. For example, a storm hitting those sculptures over and over or the sun constantly shining on them changes the physical being as time goes on. The same way a person can change with the experiences they go through with their own personal “storms” and “sunny days.” Everyone goes through different events in their life that change a person in one way or another, similar to the meaning of The Combs of the Wind sculptures.

The next activity we set out to do was head on up to the top of Monte Igueldo. My expectation was to just take a ride up to the top of a mountain and admire the beautiful scenery of the city. Once we got to the top I was very pleased to see that there was more than just a view to look at. There was a whole collection of different activities to enjoy. This place is very different compared to most other places with these types of activities. Monte Igueldo is a very popular tourist attraction and of course, I am a tourist so how could I not visit this place. There are a total of 20 different attractions for people of all ages. With all the different attractions on Monte Igueldo, there are a bunch of different people circulating in and out to experience the amazing culture of San Sebastián. One of my favorite attractions was the small roller coaster that went around the top of the mountain. Being able to experience the thrill of a roller coaster pared with the thrill of seeing the beautiful surrounding scenery is something anyone would want to see. The more places I see such as Monte Igueldo, the more I want to explore the rest of San Sebastián and so many more countries. If one small part of San Sebastián such as Monte Igueldo can bring so many people and cultures together in one place to have a great time, imagine what other places in the world could do as well.  

After enjoying a couple of hours on Mount Igueldo, my friends and I headed over to the beach. The weather that day was 80 degrees and sunny, which in my opinion is perfect beach weather. The beach is my favorite place so far because of the many different cultures and types of people you encounter while being there. The beaches are very different in Europe for they allow women to be topless. As you can imagine, the first time I was seeing this was a little shocking. I am not saying the word shocking in a bad way, but that it was something I had never encountered before. At this point in my travels, I have been to the beach many times where this is now normal and I understand that different people have different cultures and this is normal for them. La Concha beach is now my favorite beach for two reasons. San Sebastián is a popular place where people from all over the world come for vacation, family, school, etc. Being at the beach here in this city, you are able to experience many different cultures all in one place and try to see the world from other individuals point of view. Many countries in Europe see the human body as beautiful artwork created by God, that is meant to be nurtured. Experiencing this minor part of a different culture has opened my eyes and shown me that there is much more than what’s on the surface. I can’t wait to continue exploring the city and what it has to offer!