My First Thoughts

Today is my fourth day in San Sebastián, and all I got to say is wow. I am truly amazed by how beautiful this city is. From the churches to nature, each aspect of San Sebastián has captured my eye. My favorite part so far has to be biking to class. The ocean view is so refreshing and calming for me before I start my day. San Sebastián doesn’t fall short of its breathtaking views. Taking Spanish class at Lacunza has also been something I’ve been enjoying. My class is challenging yet manageable for me to understand. I still have over two weeks left in San Sebastián and I can’t wait to experience more things here.  

On the Way

Today, I had the opportunity to visit a winery in Zarautz, a town in the Gipuzkoa province of the Basque Country. I got to go with session one, since this week session one and two overlap. This was so exciting because I got to meet more people outside of my group. As we drove to the winery, we came across beautiful landscapes in Zarautz. Every time I looked out the window, I would see a new hill, a body of water, or older-style buildings. The pictures that I took didn’t even capture half of its beauty. (I truly wish I could capture it to show everyone because it’s a sight that is unlike any other.). As we approached the winery, Professor Z pointed out Raton de Getaria, a mountain that got that nickname because it is shaped like a mouse. The real name is San Anto.

Winery Tour

Talai Berri Txakolina was the winery that I got to visit. The first part of the tour starts at the entrance where one of the sisters tells us their history. It started five generations ago, where the family originally made txakoli for their family and friends in their own home. It wasn’t until the 3rd generation that started making the txakoli to be sold. Currently, Talai Berri is owned by two sisters (5th gen).

Next we went downstairs to see the actual process of the txakoli production. Txakoli is a young wine, which takes less than 3 months to make. The Hondarrabi Zuri grapes are harvested in September and the wine is ready by December. The winery uses an automatic grape crusher, but what’s interesting is that for txakoli, the grapes aren’t crushed all the way to ensure that the wine maintains its fresh and vibrant character. Other txakolis are made with other varieties of grapes like the Hondarrbi Beltza grape. Then the grape juice moves down a pipe and into the fermentation room. Here, the juice is fermented in steel tanks at 17 degrees Celsius. Again, the wine itself is only fermented for a short period of time. Txakoli can only be consumed within a year or two after its production because over time, the contents of the txakoli (like the bubbles) will go away. After the fermentation is done, the txakoli is bottled, and then the bottles will be dried naturally before they get labeled. This ensures the labels stay on. The process is very simple but these small details ensure the best txakoli results. There are three types of txakoli, one from each of the three regions from the Basque Country: Gipuzkoa, Bizkaia, and Araba.

Tasting the Txakoli

Finally, the taste test-what I’ve been waiting for since learning about its process. We all went up to the terrace where everything was set up perfectly. The views were even better up there. I could see even more of the hills stretching into the horizon. Occasionally, there are people who are on their “pilgrimage,” where they are just walking along the path under the hills.

The txakoli was brought out first. At first glance, it had a very light color. With my first sip, I got a slight bubbly feel in my mouth. It was crisp and refreshing, with a slight acidic and fruity taste. To accompany the wine, we had bread, cheese, chorizo, and tuna. I am not the biggest fan of cheese or tuna, so I didn’t reach for those. Next, we got to try some rosé, another white wine, and red wine (or as they call it black wine). I didn’t like the other wines as much, but I like the rosé more since it has a fruiter taste. We also got to try a grape vinegar with the bread, which was so good that I purchased it to bring back to share with my family! I had so much at the winery today, and again I can’t wait to do more activities in Spain! 

Beginning

I was very excited to visit San Sebastián with the university. I’ve heard about this program for four years now and even had the great fortune of studying abroad in Madrid with the Honors College in 2023. I’ve seen so many beautiful pictures of this city and so many videos of the Basque culture and its world-class food. My three goals for this trip were to 1. Try new food, 2. Improve my Spanish, and 3. Live like a local in the city and learn more about Basque life. As someone who will be (hopefully) graduating next May, I wanted to give myself a challenge and a unique adventure for this final free summer.

As of the time of this post, my classmates from session 2 and I have experienced 4 full days in this city. I could write you a book about all the things we did so far (beaches, hiking, exploring the city, pintxos, wine tasting, nightlife, etc) but I will condense this post into the main points (this post is still going to be long) that should hopefully make any reader want to book a flight here immediately, or at least want to learn more about the Basque way of life.

Lacunza

On our first full day in San Sebastián, all of us UML students either walked or took the bus to the Lacunza school in the neighborhood of El Centro (you can also bike, but rentals were not made available to us yet). We all took an oral exam and received an orientation before being placed into our respective class levels. I ended up in an intermediate course (probably at a B1 but we are not told which exactly by the school) with other students from session 1 and with people of all ages from across Europe. I have been there for 3 days now with approximately 12 hours of class time. We are primarily speaking and collaborating together to learn the grammar and grow as speakers. It is difficult and I have stumbled many times but ultimately, that is part of the challenge of language learning. I am incredibly grateful to seize this opportunity. In just 4 days I have had the chance to practice Spanish speaking with students, people in bars/restaurants, and even in conversations with people on the street. 

Walking Tour

After the first day of classes, the session 2 students went on a walking tour of the city with Professor Zabalbeascoa. We began in the neighborhood of El Centro by a famous bar called “Casa Valles” (allegedly home of the first pintxos, but this claim has likely been debunked by Marti Buckley). We walked through the city while Professor Z told us about the history. We visited the “Cathedral of the Good Shepard”, the city’s coastline, and even ventured into the Old Town. 

The site we visited that best summarizes Basque culture in this blog entry is “August 31st street” in the old town, named for the same day in 1813 where Napoleon’s French army destroyed most of the city in an unsuccessful fight for territory against the Basques. When the dust settled, only this street remained untouched. When you visit San Sebastián, you will be met with a deluge of Basque flags and Basque pride in their language of Euskara and their food. They are a group of people who have been persecuted for centuries by grand empires and dictatorships like Franco’s in the mid-20th century. Even through all their tribulations, the Basque people thrive. Today, as I walk through the city, I see their culture through the colorful dishes in the windows of bars, through the road signage in the city primarily written in Euskara, and in the ocean where you see sailboats and rowers on the Bay of Biscay (the Basque were known throughout the world to be expert whalers and fishermen for centuries).

Basque “Euskara” Lesson

All of us in sessions 1 and 2 were treated to a Basque lesson by Professor Z’s friend Stuart. He’s a Scottish man who has lived in San Sebastián for over 30 years, and has picked up some Euskara along the way. It was really helpful to see these words written and hear their pronunciation. I have tried to use some of these words as much during conversations at stores and restaurants. Here are a few words which in my opinion will help you integrate better with Basque life:

Kaixo (Kai-show) = Hello

Egun On (Eh-goon-On) = Good morning

Eskerrik Asko (Eh-scare-reek-casko) = Thank you

Mesedez (Meh-sed-dez) = Please

Agur (Ah-gurr) = Goodbye

Food

The last thing I will write about is food. It’s no secret if you are enrolled in this study abroad or learning about San Sebastián and its surrounding neighborhoods that food is an incredibly important part of the culture. San Sebastián has the most Michelin star restaurants per capital. They pride themselves on creating extravagant dishes with fresh ingredients. They are home to the pintxo, which are little bites of food served at bars/restaurants (as the Professor says, every bar in San Sebastián is a restaurant and every restaurant is a bar). Food eating is a very social activity throughout San Sebastián and the rest of Spain. Locals and tourists alike who flock to the city’s center are encouraged to hop from bar to bar to try new dishes and chat amongst one another. Local Basques even have exclusive societies where they cook and chat together amongst friends. The first pintxo I got to try was at a famous bar called “La Espiga” near the Lacunza school (shoutout Paige from session 1 for being my tour guide). We got some “Gildas” and the “Delicias” which were incredible. The flavors were unlike anything I’ve tried before and I can probably say the Delicias were one of the most delicious things I’ve ever tasted. I came on this study abroad hoping to expand my palate and I am happy I have gotten the chance to do so thus far.

End

If you made it through my essay (sorry) I will briefly wrap up here by saying that life in San Sebastián is much different to life in Massachusetts. There is a greater sense of togetherness and relaxedness throughout the city that does not exist here in the United States unfortunately. I look forward to the weeks ahead and all the challenges and triumphs it will bring. I do not travel much nor do I claim to have any wisdom but having had the incredible fortune to do two study abroad’s at UML, I would encourage anybody reading this to travel on your own or sign up for a program. While some students on this trip have some proficiency with Spanish, many came here knowing nothing at all. Even so, everyone is having a great time so far and no one has regretted anything (except not having more time to stay). There will be moments where you are challenged, or miss home, or are unsure of what to do next, but those moments are miniscule in the grand scheme of things. The positives of living in a new place with an open-mind far outweigh the negatives, and you have the camaraderie with other students to lean on. Don’t be intimidated and just do it if you have the means to. I am looking forward to the next 2.5 weeks here in the city!

I’m no stranger to study abroad programs at UMass Lowell, this being my second time exploring a Latinx country, and once again, I found myself incredibly grateful for the opportunity to dive into a new culture. Despite feeling a little jet lagged, my second day in San Sebastián kicked off with a breakfast tray full of goodness: boiled eggs, fresh bread, juicy watermelon, and a glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice that honestly tasted like heaven. I sat down with some of the other students in the program, getting to know one another as we looked over our itinerary and got excited about the day ahead.

After breakfast, we headed out to the bus station, which was just a five-minute walk away. Our goal? Make it to class at Lacunza on time. Navigating public transportation was a bit of a learning curve for me. I’m used to driving everywhere but I appreciated how connected I felt to the city through it. I tried using Apple Pay, like I had the day before, but for some reason it didn’t work on the bus this time. (Weird, since it worked perfectly fine when I paid for food and even a bus ride the previous day.) From then on, I stuck to my debit card for the bus but always kept my phone ready just in case.

We rode through the streets of San Sebastián on our way to Lacunza, the Spanish language school, soaking in the city’s vibrant energy and beautiful diversity. Once we got off at our stop, we walked another five minutes before arriving at the school. When we got there, we all split into our assigned class levels for Spanish lessons, which ran from 9:30 AM to 1:15 PM. Midway through, we had a break around 11:15 AM where Lacunza offered snacks and refreshments. That break was more than just a snack stop; it was a chance to meet fellow students from around the world. I had conversations with people from places like Congo, the Netherlands, and Germany, learning about their backgrounds and what brought them to Lacunza. It was one of those moments that reminded me how global and interconnected this experience really was.

After class wrapped up, I regrouped with some of my study abroad friends, and we hit the streets in search of lunch before our planned hike. We stumbled upon this vibrant little spot called Taqueria El Cabrón, where I ordered a burrito loaded with extra guacamole. It was so good, I’m still thinking about it.

With our bellies full, we made our way to the meeting point at Zurriola Pasealekua for our two-hour hike.

Everything felt smooth at first… until we hit a long flight of stairs. I almost gave up halfway through, but with a bit of encouragement from the group, I made it. The climb was worth it. As we walked, we were surrounded by lush greenery, clear blue skies, and waves crashing against the coast. It was the kind of scenery that stops you in your tracks. I probably took over 100 pictures between my phone and camera trying to capture it all.

That said, the hike wasn’t without its challenges. With about 25 of us in the group, things got a little tricky on the rocky paths. A few slips, lots of breaks, and some serious determination later, we finally reached the top. And the view? Absolutely breathtaking. It made every step, every break, every moment of self-doubt totally worth it. Like they say, “good things don’t come easy.”

After reaching the top, we continued on to Albaola Itsas Kultur Faktoria, a museum dedicated to traditional Basque boat-building. They’re working on reconstructing a 16th-century Basque whaling ship identical to the one that sank in Red Bay, Newfoundland.

On our way down to the shore, I noticed some graffiti on the walls, some of it was really artistic and powerful, while other messages caught me off guard. One read, “tourist go home,” which was a reminder that tourism can be a complicated topic, even in the most beautiful places.

We ended that part of the day with a short five-minute boat ride to the other side of the island. There, we got to relax with a drink. I tried Tinto de Verano, a refreshing wine-based beverage made with red wine, soda, and a slice of lemon. It was the perfect way to wind down.

Our group headed back to Donostia by bus, officially wrapping up the day’s scheduled activities. But for a few of us, the adventure wasn’t over just yet.

After the hike, a couple of the girls and I decided to grab dinner at a cozy ramen spot called Kyoto Ramen. The atmosphere was warm, the staff welcoming, and the post-hike hunger was real. As we waited for our food, we chatted and laughed about the day, already turning our hike into a core memory.

When our ramen arrived, the aroma alone was enough to make me drool. I ordered the pollo (chicken) ramen, and it was exactly what I needed after a long, active day. Warm, comforting, and absolutely delicious.

We all cleaned our bowls and made our way back to the hotel, tired but fulfilled.

All in all, it was a day full of new experiences, cultural exchange, and physical challenges, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Would I do another hike like that again? Maybe. But one thing’s for sure: the fresh air, the views, and the memories made it unforgettable.

Follow students as they take learning outside the classroom and are exposed to structured situations and experiences through a Humanities lens in San Sebastian, Spain.

Chosen as the 2016 European Capital of Culture, San Sebastian offers students the best of both worlds: a modern Europe-an city with an Old Quarter that preserves its rich legacy of history and culture.

Students will be immersed in the culture of San Sebastian through field trips and excursions, on-site lectures, an examination of Basque and Spanish history, politics, culture, geography, cuisine, literature, cinema, sport, and art.

Looking for more information? Please feel free to contact us.

Please email: Julian_Zabalbeascoa@uml.edu.

For information about UMass Lowell’s Study Abroad program, please visit the International Experiences and Study Abroad website or contact Fern MacKinnon by email: Fern_MacKinnon@uml.edu.