Santa Clara Island

The day began at good old Lacunza. We practiced our Spanish, grabbed lunch and headed straight to the beach! 

It was a little cloudy, but not rainy. An absolutely lovely beach day. When evening eventually rolled around, we met up with Julian and his friend Ander, who used to be  representative of the Basque Country in North America. We boarded our boat and we were off to the island!

There’s a small island in the bay of La Concha Beach. It has a tiny beach that disappears with the tide, and some gorgeous views. People paddle board, kayak and even swim out to it every day. Just another amazing thing San Sebastián has to offer!

View of the island from the beach

After hiking up a little ways, we sat in a patch of grass with a view of the ocean. We discussed the differences between life here and back in America with Ander. 

We talked about how the work-life balance is much better here in the Basque Country. It is easier to get time off here if it is difficult for you to work for any reason. Maternity AND paternity leave are both 18 weeks. And everyone takes a break in the afternoon for a “siesta,” which means nap. The life expectancy is much longer here because people are way less stressed out. 

After our talk, we walked back down to the ferry. It was a beautiful evening and a very enjoyable ride back. 

After the boat ride, we had hake in green sauce for dinner, which is a very popular dish around here. Then we spent the rest of the night walking around the city! Just another perfect day in San Sebastián 🙂