Highlights of San Sebastián

A rest day today, and time to further explore the town, starting with a walk along La Concha beach. The sea was a lot calmer under the morning sun and Santa Clara island was clearly visible.  

The Peine del Viento (Wind Comb) sculptures were located where the city ends and the sea begins, at the base of Mount Igeido.  Created by Eduardo Chillida, the sculptures appeared to emerge from the rocks and were anchored so that the wind blows through them into La Concha Bay. 

We could make out the 12 metre high Sagrado Corazon (Sacred Heart) statue on top of Mount Urgull which we planned to visit later in the day.  Next stop was the funicular which takes you to the top of Mount Igeido.  However, we were put off by the long queues and estimated the wait would be an hour. The path was closed, so the road was the only alternative to reach the top.  We decided to have a coffee instead accompanied by a Pastel Vasco, a Basque cake.  

With time to spare, we found a nice-looking restaurant with good reviews of the menu del dia and walked for 20 minutes through the San Sebastián suburbs to Aldaba Jatetxea. It was a good decision and we enjoyed a lovely lunch on the sunny terrace with basque cheesecake for dessert. Our route back to the apartment took us over more hills and we descended past escalators and moving walkways. 

The temperature had dropped when we ventured out a couple of hours later to walk up to Mount Urgull.  The skies were becoming more ominous, though the sun still made an appearance as we climbed. The views were stunning and we could see snow over the distant mountains. The thick stone walls were reminders of the military fortress that had defended the town from the 12th century onwards and we enjoyed wandering through the old structure.  We made a quick stop at the supermarket on the way home for supplies of bread, jambon and local cheese for a quiet night in with a bottle of local Rioja.

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