Maybe it was a sign.

That last day of the trip started smoothly: a timely check-out from Olarain, a peaceful bus ride to the airport, and no issues checking our bags and getting through security in Bilbao. Our flight itinerary back to the U.S. was the reverse of the one we’d taken to get here: an 11:55 AM departure from Bilbao to Munich, an hour-long layover, and then the eight hour-long flight back to Boston.

Except, it was already 10:00 AM and we didn’t have a boarding gate yet. This is when some of the unease started to set in. We busied ourselves getting food and walking around the unfamiliar terminal. It took a while to get a gate back in Munch, so we should get one any moment, right? But that’s when the notifications started coming in. One delay after another, until finally:

That 11:55 AM flight to Munich wasn’t expected to depart until fifty minutes later. And given our only hour-long layover, things weren’t looking good.

Our flight wasn’t the only one to be delayed that Saturday. Drones sighted at the Munch airport that morning had been the cause of delays and cancellations for thousands. We just barely made it to MUC before out flight took off. But then we got stuck in the lines for passport control. And the plane left without us.

The next flight out from MUC to BOS was the next day which meant being stranded in Germany for a night. But I could help but wonder, what if I just stayed and went back to San Sebastián?

Usually by the end of a long international trip plagued with delays and travel uncertainty, you want nothing more than to get home, collapse, and sleep for a week straight. But in that moment, something about the Basque Country felt more like home than back in the States.

Feeling out of place.

On my first night in San Sebastián I set out into the city with a handful of the members of our group to find something to eat. Having watched shows such that Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown and Somebody Feed Phil it’d be an understatement to say I was excited for the food. Which is why it felt a little odd that we settled on a Japanese restaurant for our first meal. Don’t get me wrong-I love Japanese food. But we were in the culinary capital of the world and I wasn’t immediately delving head-first into the specialities they had to offer. It felt like I wasn’t ready to understand what it was like to truly experience San Sebastián. However, any doubt subsided when I ordered a Poke bowl and has this placed in front of me:

It only took one bite to know that this wasn’t some cheap approximation. It was good. Really good. Professor Zabalbeascoa had told us it would be good, but not that everything would be this good. Basques don’t compromise on their food, no matter its origin or culture. That’s when I realized that Basque cuisine was an ideology which extends beyond any list of typical dishes or regional cookbooks.

It’s the humblest of moments which will shape your experience.

During your time in San Sebastián you’ll, without a doubt, partake in group activities which will open up parts of the city and culture to you in a way you would’ve never had without them. But I found that the moments which stuck with me the most were the understated ones. The ones which arose when you weren’t looking for them.

Like in the video above where I was sweaty, hungry, and exhausted. I was biking back to where we were staying at Olarain at 9 PM to hopefully take a nap. But looking around as I biked along the beach, I was taken away by the beauty which presented itself. I wasn’t looking for a view, but San Sebastián is in itself is a masterclass in elegance. If I were back home the sky would’ve been dark, but there it was, inviting me to stay out and make more of my time there.

Or when you’re wandering through the city looking for a pharmacy because you forgot to buy sunscreen and are being roasted alive, and you turn around.

And you’re confronted with a scene which combines three distinct architectural modes; all with radically different design languages, but somehow fitting in to make a scene which feels natural.

One design language which remains consistent no matter where you look, however, is the incorporation of nature, life, and the environment into the urban landscape. If you consider yourself a pensive person, you need to spend some time in San Sebastián.

The other moments that will stick with you are those forged with the other people on the trip. It will be those small moments when you’re all just sitting around talking, and you realize that a couple weeks prior you knew none of those people, and now they’re who you look forward to seeing and talking to each day. The air in San Sebastián sows not only awe but also connection.

Maybe I’m not ready to let it go either.

When we were in the Bilbao airport receiving those notifications about the delays, I jokingly said “I guess San Sebastián isn’t ready to let us go just yet,” as a means of making light of the situation. But the more I think about it, that may have been more projection than anything else.

In the two days that’ve followed since returning home I’ve looked up longer study abroad programs, post-baccalaureate opportunities, and language classes on more than one occasion. San Sebastián was the second place I’ve stayed in Spain for any meaningful amount of time, and I’ve already promised myself it will be the third, and maybe fourth, fifth… you see where this is going. I knew before going that I liked Spain, but now I love Spain, or the Basque Country more specifically. I’m usually not huge on international travel, but now I know that this is a place that I need to share with friends and loved ones. Meaning I will be back.

Life in San Sebastián felt like it was built around living; a stark contrast to the hustle culture and constant push to advance back home. You’re encouraged to just pause and and realize that the present has just as much to live for as the future. Maybe the goal you spend all your time thinking about shouldn’t be the one two decades away, but rather simply making it to the end of your day when you can meet up with your friends and share a sobremesa over your meal.

I’m not being hyperbolic when I say that there were moments during the trip where I felt more relaxed and in the moment than I have in over a year.

Farewell to who?

Our farewell lunch on the last full day didn’t feel real. Prof. Zabalbeascoa asked us to share our favorite moments, conversations, and reflections from the prior couple weeks; but it still felt like they were being made. And before that point I’d already promised myself that I’d be back. It just didn’t click why we had a grandiose event structured around leaving a place I knew I’d return to before long… at least until it hit.

This experience was so much more than just the views, food, and pintxo bars. The people, both those in the group and in the city made it the wonderful memory that I left with. During that lunch we weren’t saying goodbye to a city; we were saying goodbye to the unique kaleidoscope of personalities, humor, and connection that we found in each other, fostered by Donostia.

I’ll forever be grateful to Professor Zabalbeascoa and all of the other students on the trip. I wouldn’t have had the confidence to explore so much of the city in as much depth without their support. If it weren’t for them I wouldn’t have secretly been hoping that the mishap with the airline would’ve granted me more time there. If you’re thinking about applying for the trip, here’s my one question for you:

Why haven’t you signed up yet?

To start our day on Thursday, we headed to Lacuzna International School, where we attend our daily Spanish class. Heading to class involves a beautiful bike ride along the shoreline of San Sebastian’s infamous beaches. This has been the highlight of my mornings since we arrived. After school today, we were given a free afternoon. What better way to spend free time in San Sebastian than at the beach? So, that is exactly what we did. After class, we headed to the beach, where it was already packed because the high for the day was 87°F. Although it felt there was pressure to do more with our afternoon since there was only minimal free time during our trip, my friend and I chose to relax on the beach. The beach is, in my opinion, the highlight of the city. All ages, ethnicities, and languages flock to the beach to spend time together, enjoying the beautiful scenery and weather. After almost 2 weeks of Spanish classes, I have been able to understand more and going to the beach gives me a great opportunity to listen to real Spanish conversations. Although I still struggle to understand a lot of Spanish, it is exciting to be able to understand some words and phrases while listening to the people around me. 

After a long afternoon of soaking in the sun, we headed back to the hotel to get ready for the evening. Since it was a Thursday, this meant Pintxos Pote was happening in Gros. This is the San Sebastian version of “happy hour”. You can get a drink and a pintxo for only three euros. This deal brings in all of the locals as well as the travellers who know about it. As our group made our way across town, we were greeted with hundreds of people lining the streets with drinks and pintxos in hand. Every bar was completely packed, which is usual for most of the good bars around town, but this was another level. After finding a bar that had fewer people, we all headed in and grabbed food and drinks. Pintxo Pote is such a great way to get people out of their homes to socialize. Everywhere you turned, there were people crowded having fun, and most importantly, off their cell phones. This is something I have noticed spending time here in Spain. People here are devoted to spending time with each other without the distraction of cell phones. Rarely do we ever see a local with their phone out when having a meal or interacting with their friends. This is something I want to take home with me. I want to be able to go spend time with the people close to me and forget about the burden of my phone. Or really, the addiction we Americans have to our phones. Through this trip, I have learned how to enjoy myself and have my phone nowhere near the excitement. And I can thank San Sebastian for that!

Our final full day in San Sebastián felt different from the beginning. For the first time since we arrived, the weather had completely changed. When I walked outside of Olarain that morning, I immediately went back upstairs to grab my raincoat. The sky was cloudy, La Concha was covered in fog, and the bike ride to Lacunza was damp and colder compared to the weather we had gotten used to during the trip.

I arrived early to class and waited in a nearby plaza before going inside. From 9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. every weekday, we had Spanish classes at Lacunza. At the start of the trip, class felt intimidating, but by the final day, it had become part of our normal routine in San Sebastián. At the end of class, we received certificates of completion from Lacunza. The certificates were meaningful because they marked the end of a daily routine, and showed us that our hard work paid off.

Shortly after class ended, we met at Zurriola Beach for a farewell picnic. Even with the cloudy weather, there were still people on the beach and plenty of surfers in the water. We sat together on the sand eating tortilla and Basque cheesecake while discussing the trip.

Much of the conversation focused on Basque culture and the topics we had studied throughout the program. We talked about the two books we had read before the trip, All That Followed and What We Tried to Bury Grows Here. Both novels helped provide context for many of the places we visited and were the basis for the discussions that we had throughout the program. These conversations naturally connected to discussions about ETA, Spanish politics, and the relationship between Basque and Spanish identity.

One idea that kept coming up during the picnic was the slower pace of life in San Sebastián. Compared to the United States, people here seem much less rushed. Meals are treated as social events rather than quick necessities, and nobody seems eager to move on to the next thing. We were rarely rushed out of restaurants, people spent more time outside, and socializing felt like an important part of everyday life rather than something squeezed into a busy schedule.

That slower pace became one of my favorite parts of being here. Some of my favorite moments during the trip were simply walking or biking through the city. In the United States, most daily activities involve driving somewhere quickly. In San Sebastián, moving through the city on foot or by bike made everything feel more connected and relaxed. Even if a bike ride in San Sebastián took the same amount of time as a car ride back home, it felt much shorter because you were so much more integrated into the city and community.

After we finished eating, we said our goodbyes to Professor Zabalbeascoa before splitting into smaller groups for the rest of the afternoon. After the picnic, I walked through Parte Vieja to buy a few souvenirs before leaving. I bought some Basque salt, which had been recommended during our picnic discussion, along with a San Sebastián magnet before riding my bike back to Olarain.

While riding back, it suddenly occurred to me that it would be my last time biking through San Sebastián. The bikes had become such a normal part of daily life that I had not really thought about the fact that we were leaving the next morning.

Back at the hotel, I started packing, doing laundry, and preparing for the early bus ride the next morning. Once I finished, I decided to go out one last time for dinner. For my final dinner in San Sebastián, I ordered some Basque cod because I wanted to remember the taste of San Sebastián before I left.

The day felt like a fitting end to the program. It combined the routines that had become familiar to us, like biking to class and spending time together as a group, with conversations about everything we had experienced and learned during our time in the Basque Country. While the trip was coming to an end, the final day provided an opportunity to reflect on what we had learned, appreciate the city one last time, and say goodbye to a place that had become familiar in a surprisingly short amount of time.

May 27 2026

Even after being in San Sebastián for over a week now, I still catch myself being surprised by how beautiful everything is. On the way to the port, I biked along La Concha Beach like I’ve been doing every day, and somehow it still looked just as amazing as the first time I saw it. It was such a good day too, so I had to get some ice cream before getting on the ferry.

We took a ferry around La Concha Bay to Santa Klara Island, and honestly even the boat ride was really fun. Instead of going straight there, the ferry kind of circled the coastline and the island first, which gave us an amazing view of everything. Being out on the water let us really take in the coastline, the beach, and the city from a different perspective. One thing I thought was crazy was seeing people actually swimming from La Concha Beach all the way to the island. I saw a couple of people doing it, and it looked like such a long swim. There were also people hanging out on boats, paddleboarding, kayaking, and just enjoying the weather with friends. 

When we got to the island, I thought it was really beautiful right away. It felt peaceful, but at the same time there were a lot of people there enjoying themselves. As the day went on, more groups arrived, and it definitely seemed like a place locals go to relax, swim, and hang out with friends in good weather. We stayed there for about three hours, and during that time we discussed assignments and our creative project ideas by the water.

For the creative project, everybody can choose whatever format they want as long as it represents their experience here in an authentic way. Some ideas included essays, cooking your favorite meal, music videos, photography collections, podcasts, or artwork. It was cool hearing everyone’s ideas because everybody has taken something different away from this trip.

Besides the discussion, we also had time to relax and cool off in the water. We all jumped in, which felt really nice because it was such a hot day. The island also looked like a really good hiking spot, and honestly, I wish I explored more of it before we left it.

After we took the ferry back, I went back to Hotel Olarain and rested for a little before heading back out later to play basketball and get food afterward. We ended up going to Parte Vieja again, which has probably become my favorite area in San Sebastián. The bars there are amazing, and the food is always so good. I had some pintxos before finally calling it a night.

Going to Santa Klara Island with the group was such a fun experience and definitely one of my favorite days here so far. As our time in San Sebastián is starting to come to an end, I’m realizing how much I’ve enjoyed being here. It honestly feels weird knowing the trip is ending soon because this experience has been amazing. I already know I’d love to come back here someday in the future.

May 20, 2026

Starting off the morning, I did not want to wake up. I knew I had a long day ahead of me, and after almost one week in San Sebastián, the early mornings still had not fully grown on me. At the same time, there was something comforting about the routine I had started to settle into. The calm mornings, long walks through the city, and warmer weather had become familiar. San Sebastián no longer felt entirely new or overwhelming. Taking Spanish classes at Lacunza had become just another part of daily life, something expected rather than unfamiliar.

Like most weekdays, the morning started with class. Walking through the city to school, I noticed how much I had begun paying attention to smaller details like people sitting outside cafés drinking coffee, locals walking quickly to work, and the constant mix of Spanish and Basque written on signs throughout the city. What once felt foreign had slowly started to feel normal.

Later in the day, my group went on our pintxos tour through Parte Vieja, the Old Town of San Sebastián. The narrow streets were full of people moving in and out of restaurants, and every bar seemed packed with plates of food lined across the counter. Pintxos culture feels like something deeply tied to the identity of the city. Even being vegetarian, the tour introduced me to more options that I would’ve never known. It is not just about eating, but about community, conversation, and moving from place to place with friends and family. Walking through Parte Vieja, it became clear how food acts as a form of culture and connection here. Every stop felt different, yet tied together by the same atmosphere of energy and tradition.

However, the most meaningful part of my day came later when we met Stuart for our Basque language session. We met him at Parque de Cristina Enea, which turned out to be one of the best locations possible. It had been one of the hotter days of the week, and sitting in the shade under a tree made the class feel relaxed and informal. Instead of being in a classroom, surrounded by walls and desks, we were learning about Basque culture while sitting in a park that felt alive and peaceful.

Before coming to San Sebastián, I knew very little about the Basque language, or Euskara. I had heard that it was unique, but I did not fully understand what made it so important to the region. Learning about it made me realize that Basque is much more than simply another language people speak. It represents history, resilience, and identity.

Euskara is considered one of the oldest languages in Europe and is especially fascinating because it is not linguistically related to any other known language. Unlike Spanish, French, or English, which belong to larger language families, Basque stands alone. In many ways, it feels mysterious. Hearing Stuart explain this made me think about how unusual it is for a language to survive despite centuries of outside influence and political pressure. Even during difficult periods of history, including the dictatorship of Francisco Franco when Basque culture and language were suppressed, Euskara continued to survive through families and communities who refused to let it disappear.

One thing that surprised me most was learning that some English words have roots connected to Basque through French or Portuguese, including words like bizarre, anchovy, and silhouette. It was unexpected to see a connection between a language spoken in northern Spain and words I use without thinking in English. Small facts like that made the language feel less distant and more connected to the wider world.

The class also made me notice something I had been overlooking throughout my time in San Sebastián: Basque culture is always present, even when it is not obvious. It feels as though it is hidden in plain sight, quietly shaping daily life. You see it in street signs written in both Spanish and Euskara, hear it in conversations around the city, and experience it through traditions, food, and regional pride. Even if you do not immediately notice it as a visitor, it is always there beneath the surface.

By the end of the day, I realized that learning Basque was not really about memorizing words or phrases. It was about understanding the people and history of the place I am living in, even if only temporarily. San Sebastián feels different when you begin to understand the culture beneath the surface. What started as just another long day ended up becoming one of the most meaningful experiences I have had so far.

Arrival and Background

On May 26th, 2026, my fellow classmates and I had the privilege to get an inside look at a winery of the name Talai Berri. A bus arrived at Olarain, the residence we are staying at in Donostia, and we drove about twenty minutes towards the countryside right outside of Zarautz. This was my first time ever visiting a winery, so I had no expectations going into it, and I will say it is impossible to put it into words how beautiful it really was. We entered to what seemed like just a modern looking rural house, but the doors were huge and opened up like it was the medieval times. As soon as we got in the lady greeted us instantly and began giving us a background of the winery. One thing I was astonished to learn was the fact that it is a fifth-generation winery and she is looking to pass it down to her family one day, as she has three kids in school at the moment. To confirm to us she was not lying, she pointed towards the wall behind us and showed us pictures of her family since the winery was first established. This was something that truly amazed me because coming from the United States and especially living in Massachusetts, taking on the family business is a dying art. What is the reason? I am not really sure. Maybe it is the fact that people want to pave their own path or find a job that pays higher. One thing for sure is that things are a lot different here in Spain and especially the Basque Country.

Creation and Tasting

After her background of the family business, we had the opportunity to walk downstairs and take an inside look on how the wine is actually made. The area was huge and was filled with these massive metal tanks that stored the wine to keep it cold and fresh, and there was a humungous metal crusher for the grapes. A lot of time and effort goes into making the wine, and the main difference here is that they make it was the upmost quality and effort. After spending about 30-45 minutes learning about the process, we all took a step outside on the balcony and we were blessed with a beautiful view. There was chorizo, cheese, bread, peppers all set up on the table ready to get eaten. It was all beyond tasty and was a pleasant sidekick to the main part… tasting the wine. There was Txakoli a dry white wine produced in the Basque Country, as well as Rose and Vermouth. In that order we began to taste them slowly while we sat along the balcony and talked among ourselves. This is something that Spanish people and especially Basque people are particularly known for. The idea of sitting down for hours either eating or drinking with friends or family without any sort of rush put on your shoulders. An idea that I absolutely love and my friends and I have become well adapted to I believe. The Txakoli was my favorite and was insanely smooth in my opinion. The Rose was also fantastic, just a little more acidic but tasted similar. Lastly the Vermouth was something that I could not get around to. Many of my peers loved it, but for me it had a very strong taste to it, so maybe my pallet has not yet matured! Even after the wine tasting was finished, we sat for more than an hour enjoying our time there while it lasted. The view was amazing and the vineyards all around were windy up and down the hills, and I learned that Spain is actually the 2nd hilliest country in Europe which quite surprised me. I had an absolutely fantastic time and for someone who had never been to a winery, let alone try wine before coming to Spain, it is something everyone should add to their bucket list!

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.

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.

I woke up much later than I normally have this week; around ten o’clock. Normally we have classes, about three hours at Lacunza starting at 9:30 going to 11, then we have a break til 11:30 where me and a few of my friends will get coffee at a cafe right next to Lacunza, and then go back to class until 1. Today was on the weekend though, so I didn’t have to wake up and get ready by any particular time, and was able to catch up on some sleep I had missed throughout the week. I had sort of made it a habit to not get back to the hotel until really late every night because that’s just how the days went–wake up, go to class, get lunch, go to whatever activity was planned, go back to the hotel, and then go to the bars. That last part sounds like an absurd thing to do every day, but the bars in Basque country are very different from other places in the world, being that they are the main places to eat, and instead of drinking being the main focus they are based much more heavily on this. There’s also a huge emphasis on the social aspect at these bars, and even though I wouldn’t say I’m the most talkative person, I still end up chatting with a bunch of strangers every night.

Anyways, after waking up late, my friend and I went out to get something to eat that was close to Lacunza and we ended up going to a Japanese place that I can’t remember the name of. On a side note, it really surprises me how many Japanese restaurants are in San Sebastian, way more than I thought there was going to be. At the restaurant, we tried to read and failed to read the menu because it was as if we were trying to translate Japanese and Spanish at the same time which we weren’t too great at. Luckily we were seated at the bar next to a woman from the area who explained some of the items, gave recommendations and even offered us some of the food she wasn’t going to finish. After going out for food twice a day for a week and meeting a ton of locals, I can definitely say stuff like this isn’t rare at all. The pre-trip readings showed the history and resilience of the Basque people, and the one or two shows I watched gave a snapshot of the place itself, but I really could never have gotten a feel for how hospitable and kind the people are as a whole. We try our best to speak in Spanish, and while I do know some, it is barely enough to order food and hold a conversation, so a lot of time we rely on the patience of the locals or the fact that most just speak English anyways. The food was great, which is the norm for here because it is considered one of the food capitals of the world, having the most Michelin stars per capita out of anywhere in the world.

After leaving the restaurant we met up with a few more of our friends at La Concha beach. We didn’t go in the water, but we did end up playing a bit of soccer and someone who was also visiting San Sebastian joined in. Something about being in the city might just make people more sociable; the slow paced life makes it feel as if there’s not a stress in the world. Even being here for just a week has almost made me fall in love with the lifestyle and city, there’s something about not being rushed in eating, walking, talking, or anything really, that makes you enjoy life that much more. 

After getting sunburnt at the beach, we went to Parte Vieja, which definitely has the best food in our opinion. Combined with that, it seems to have the most bars in a very close area, making it easy to go from one to the next. The reason we go from bar to bar, aside from just changing up the scenery and people, is that most places specialize in one type of pintxo or another, so we’d get a pintxo or two from a bar, a drink, and go on to the next. The night went on like this until we got back at about 12:30, which is pretty good all things considering.

I’m not a morning person. Anyone who knows me will undoubtedly attest to this. My first reaction was to turn off my alarm and return to sleep when it went off at 7:00 a.m. on a cool May morning in San Sebastián. However, I got out of bed, put on my running shoes, and headed out the door thanks to the light streaming through the curtains and the soft buzz of the city outside.

My path was straightforward: I started at our hotel, went to the waterfront, and then walked the entire length of La Concha beach, back and forth. That sounds like a typical morning jog on paper. It was quite different in reality. Green mountains rise dramatically from the water’s edge on both sides of La Concha, which translates to “the shell” in Spanish. It goes along a broad, smooth promenade with elaborate iron railings that, in the early morning, glows in a gentle, gray-gold light that I can only characterize as cinematic. At seven in the morning, San Sebastián doesn’t look genuine. It appears to have been painted.

Yet it wasn’t the scenery that most impressed me. The people were to blame.
When I go for a morning run at home, I wear headphones, look forward, and am essentially alone. Everybody lives in their own universe. This step was not the same as the previous one. The promenade was already busy, but lively, with a cast of people who were all from the area. With their hands clasped behind their backs, elderly men in berets strolled slowly in pairs and conversed with the carefree ease of those who had nothing more important to do. Near one of the benches, a group of elderly women stretched while chuckling over something. With peaceful patience, fishermen dropped their lines into the bay while leaning against the railing at the far end. Compared to runners at home, even the other runners appeared less sealed off. I’m just not used to the nods, quick conversations, and recognition of shared space.

Marti Buckley states in the Basque Country that “conceiving of a relationship or a celebration without food is truly impossible for a Basque,” and that social mealtimes are the focal point of the Basque day, drawing people out of their houses and into communal areas. This got me thinking. That morning, as I was strolling along the promenade, I began to believe that food isn’t the only thing that functions in this way. It’s actually the city. It appears that San Sebastián was built for public life. Because of its width, the promenade encourages lingering. Facing the water are the benches. The bars have early hours. The physical design of the space is predicated on the idea that you will want to spend time outdoors with other people.

Public space is something you go through at home. It is something you live in here. The promenade is a destination rather than a road. The people I went by weren’t using it to travel somewhere else. They were there because it’s just a pleasant way to spend a morning in that light, with the bay in front of them and the mountains behind.

I made a stop at a little, already-open and packed café off the seafront on my way back. Like everyone else, I ordered a café con leche at the bar and stood there sipping it while observing the street. That was €1.20. With the intensity of someone reading a legal document, the man beside me read a newspaper. With the efficiency of someone who has made 10 thousand coffees and doesn’t see the need to make the eleventh, the barista walked behind the counter. There was no one using a phone. No one was in a hurry. Even though it was a typical May morning in San Sebastián, I felt more in the moment after finishing my coffee than I had in months.

What the jog taught me is something that is difficult to understand from a book or video but becomes clear when you are actually walking around a location: that culture is not limited to museums, dining establishments, or historical monuments. It has to do with how quickly individuals move. It depends on whether or not strangers look each other in the eye. It has to do with how a city sets up its public areas and what it allows you to do there. San Sebastián urges you to take a moment to calm down, gaze out at the bay, stand at a bar and sip your coffee, and simply be somewhere.

Throughout the program, we have discussed Basque identity, its connection to language, cuisine, and a lengthy history of oppression and struggle. That background has all been crucial. However, it wasn’t until I was running along La Concha at seven in the morning and saw an elderly man wearing a beret feed bread to pigeons with the gravity of someone carrying out a sacred duty that I truly experienced any of it. Not all that this location has endured has happened by chance. It has endured because its residents determined, generation after generation, that the common joys of everyday existence were worth preserving.
I’ll probably sleep in tomorrow. However, I’m pleased I didn’t today.