Hola from San Sebastian!
Today marked our second full day in San Sebastian, and was a day where I made sure to bring an umbrella. Yesterday, our first full day, was full of some terrible rain, soaking most of our group!
The day began similarly to yesterday: Breakfast at the Hotel, renting a bike from the local kiosks, and cycling to Lacunza (our language school). Unlike yesterday though, my girlfriend and I made sure to get to the bikes quite a bit earlier. Despite having mostly beautiful bike paths all over the city, we unfortunately found out the day prior that some of the roads do not allow for bikes. Google maps was not very aware of this, and led to us being 10 minutes late to our first class!
The path to the school is quite beautiful, as you get to ride right up along a beautiful beach. This beach is none other than La Concha, ranked as the #1 most beautiful city beach by some. It surely lives up to its name too, something you’d have to see to understand. Descriptions couldn’t quite do it justice.
Today’s class was pretty interesting, focusing on integral parts of the Spanish language. This included things like different verb types, conjugations, and proper grammar for typical sentence structures. I was never one to enjoy Spanish class in High School, but coming back to it whilst being in Spain was a very different experience. Still, the best part of attending Lacunza was surely the experience of meeting new people and making friends. The school has students from all around the world with vastly different backgrounds. In just my class alone we have students from Germany, Canada, Switzerland, China, and of course the United States. The thought that all of my peers from different countries are attending an English based class to learn Spanish is very interesting to me (and honestly a bit mind boggling). I couldn’t imagine learning one language using another I am not fully confident in, yet my peers manage to make the job look easy!
After class we met with Dr. Zabalbeascoa, our trip advisor. He brought us to a Funicular, which was basically a rickety old train that brought us up Monte Igueldo. At the top of this mountain was a very beautiful view that overlooked the entire city. Besides being able to see all 3 of San Sebastian’s beaches, you were also able to see some of Paris off in the distance! I especially liked seeing all the little sail boats parked in various parts of the water, looking like little toys in the distance.
To my surprise, there was apparently an amusement park up there as well! Here our group got to ride Western Europe’s oldest roller coaster, one that was operated by hand crank! It was only 3 euros to ride, and was definitely worth it! It was super cool to be on something like that. Apparently it was not the first roller coaster built, but instead one of the few that survived WW2!
I also tried my luck (or maybe skill) at one of the game booths. This one required me to hit moving targets with a pellet rifle. I asked the attendant how many shots I needed to hit for a prize, and was told something along the lines of “we will see what happens”. I shrugged it off and took my shots. I was actually quite proud of myself too, as I hit 10 of my 12 shots! Excited to win a prize, I asked the attendant how many I needed for the big Spongebob stuffed animal. I was heartbroken to find out it was 35. Having paid around 10 Euros for those shots, I was pretty upset. 30 Euros for the chance to win something worth probably half that was not very fair. I have a feeling that number is adjusted depending on one’s skill level. I do not recommend playing those games!
Our tour with Dr. Zabalbeascoa ended with the sculpture Peine del viento, or Comb of the Wind. This sculpture featured 3 Iron structures. From where we were able to stand, one was behind us, one was close to us, and one was far in the distance. One interpretation of the artwork says that you’re able to stand in the present, having the past behind you and the future ahead. It’s a pretty important thing to remember too, as I often find myself getting stuck in the past or over worrying about the future. It was also quite interesting to learn the origin of the sculpture’s name. The wind blows from the water, past the statues, and into San Sebastian. Hence the statues are able to comb the wind before it ever enters the city!
Today was definitely a very fun day, and there were many more parts I wish I could list! I can’t wait to see what each other day brings!