On May 25th, our study abroad group had one of the most memorable days of the trip so far. That morning, everyone was wondering how our afternoon walking up Monte Urgull was going to go due to it being the hottest day yet. We started our day with our usual morning Spanish class at Lacunza from 9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. One thing I have noticed about this program is how different it feels from normal classes back home. Instead of sitting in lecture halls all day, we actually experience the places connected to what we are learning. It makes everything feel more real and interesting. At this point in the trip, the classes have started to feel more natural. During the first few days, speaking Spanish every morning felt forced because I was constantly second-guessing myself. Now I still make mistakes all the time, but I feel much more comfortable participating and understanding conversations. It is cool being able to notice even small improvements after using the language every day.
After class, a few friends and I grabbed lunch at a small taco shop near the school.The weather was perfect, so we sat outside and took our time eating. One thing I have really noticed in San Sebastián is how much slower and more social everyday life feels compared to home. People spend hours sitting outside talking, eating, and enjoying the city instead of rushing everywhere. Even walking through the streets after lunch felt relaxing. The beaches were crowded, people were shopping in the old town, and cafés were packed with locals and tourists.
Later in the afternoon, we met as a group and started the walk up Mount Urgull. At first, it honestly just felt like a scenic hike. We walked through the old part of the city before gradually climbing uphill along shaded paths surrounded by trees and old stone walls. The higher we climbed, the better the views became. Every few minutes someone would stop to take pictures because the scenery was incredible. From different points on the mountain, we could see La Concha Beach, the harbor, and almost the entire city below us.
As we kept walking, our professor started connecting the setting around us to the novels All That Followed and What We Tried to Bury Grows Here. The mountain itself carries a lot of history. Along the paths were old military structures, cannons, and defensive walls that reminded us this city has experienced centuries of conflict and political tension.
When we reached the summit near Castillo de la Mota, we stopped for our seminar-style discussion overlooking the city. Sitting there while talking about Basque identity, nationalism, and political violence made the discussion feel much more meaningful than it would have inside a classroom as we could actually see the history we were talking about. One of the biggest ideas we discussed was how the trauma that still exists because of these conflicts. Before preparing to come on this trip, I honestly knew almost nothing about ETA or the history of the Basque conflict.
In All That Followed, Gabriel Urza focuses less on politics directly and more on how violence shapes family relationships, grief, and identity. During the discussion, we talked about how San Sebastián’s geography almost becomes part of the story itself. Streets, neighborhoods, and public spaces carry memories for the characters. Standing above the city while discussing that idea made it easier to understand because the city suddenly felt much more layered with history instead of just looking like a tourist destination.
The second novel, What We Tried to Bury Grows Here, connected these themes back to the Spanish Civil War and the Franco dictatorship. We also connected both novels to ideas from Basque Country, especially topics like Franco’s suppression of Basque culture and the rise of ETA.
After the discussion ended, we spent some time at the summit just taking in the view before walking back down together. The mood on the way down felt quieter because I think everyone was still thinking about the discussion and everything we had learned. At the same time, there were still lighter moments too. People joked around, took more pictures, and even climbed parts of the castle. Many of us then immediately went to the beach because of how nice the weather was. We played games like volleyball and soccer, sat in the sun, and spent a lot of time in the water. After Spanish class, our hike, and going to the beach, many of us were exhausted and went back to the hotel to rest earlier than most nights and prepare for our next adventure at the Talai Berri Winery.
Overall, it was a great day that not only gave us many fun and memorable moments, but also a new respect and appreciation for the history of San Sebastian and the Basque Country.