I woke up at around 7:30 this morning as the sunlight peaked through the blinds. I woke up and got dressed for Church, before making my way to the Good Shepherd Cathedral in El Centro. As I biked along the beach on the way to Church, I marveled at the scenic city and coastline that lied before me. The beaches were not yet crowded and the gentle ocean breeze provided a pretty atmosphere.
Although I have seen the Good Shepherd Cathedral every day since arriving in San Sebastian, I am still amazed by its grand gothic architecture which stands out against the surrounding buildings with Spanish and French architectural influences. The interior of the cathedral is just as breathtaking as its exterior. The cathedral’s organ towers over the main hall, reverberating the hymns and psalms. The walls are decorated with elaborate mosaics while the main alter has a statue of Jesus surrounded by mosaics of the 12 apostles. The cathedral also had other altars and shrines dedicated to the Holy Family, Saint Francis of Assisi, Saint Anthony, and Saint Mary.
Despite the mass being in a different language, the general procedures were the masses I attended back in the States. I understood about 80 percent of what was happening during the mass although my understanding of their Spanish was around 20 percent.
After mass, I headed towards Gros to try out surfing. I paid for a lesson at a local surf school, Kresala Surf. I was first taught the basic steps in surfing: paddling, catching the wave, popping up, and riding the wave. After the initial introduction on the sand, I made my way into the ocean to practice. With the help of the instructor, I was able to successfully ride the wave on my first attempt. After a couple of successful runs with the instructors assistance, I tried surfing on my own without any success. My main issue was that I could not paddle fast enough to catch a wave without an initial speed boost from the instructor. My improper paddling technique resulted in myself moving too slow and becoming too fatigued. Surfing was an exciting experience that I hope to try again later in the week.
After surfing, I had a hazelnut gelato at Pepperino Gelato to recover my energy. The gelato tasted amazing — the hazelnut flavor had the perfect combination of sweetness and nuttiness — and was better than any gelato that I have had in the States.
Leaving Gros, I embarked on walk along the peninsula near Parte Vieja. Along the peninsula, I stared into the vast turquoise ocean that expanded all the way to the horizon.
As the walk continued, the sun began melting my body and I became desperate for a shady rest spot. Conveniently, just when I need some air conditioning, I stumbled upon the aquarium. When I entered the aquarium, I spotted a sign that offered student discounts — which was when I decided the aquarium would be an ideal spot to retreat from the sunlight for an hour or two.
Inside the first exhibit of the aquarium was an exhibit about the San Sebastián’s history as a port city. I saw miniature models of the city — as it transformed from a small fishing town into a major port. I was also amazed by the elaborate wooden sailboats that the Basque people once used to sail across the Atlantic Ocean.
Afterwards, I headed towards the live exhibits where I was able to watch different marine animals. My favorite exhibit was the large fish tank with a glass tunnel passing through the tank. Walking through the tunnel, I felt like was inside the tank itself. I saw different fishes — and even sharks — swim around me in every direction. Other exhibits that I enjoyed was the axolotl tank, since this was my first time seeing one in person. I also enjoyed the crustacean tank with its unique bowl shaped window — making the crustaceans look much bigger than their actual size.
To finish off the day, I went to Parte Vieja for dinner. While in Parte Vieja, I discovered a large bookstore where I purchased some Spanish manga for myself as both a souvenir and a practice tool for my Spanish.
When exploring Parte Vieja, I noticed how the streets reflect the history of the region. The buildings have both French and Spanish architectural influences. Graffiti covered some buildings with pro-Basque independence declarations — reminding me of the influence by ETA on the Basque Country.
For dinner, I ate at a Michelin recommended bar call Ursola. At the bar, I ordered a steak lintxo and a scallops pintxo. Although both pintxos tasted good, I have tasted better pintxos at different bars and I do not think the bar deserves a Michelin recommendation.
This free day at San Sebastian has given me the opportunity to further explore the city and immerse myself in their culture. Through each activity I did, I understood a little but more about the city and the Basque Country.