San Sebastian

We left Bilbao and ventured beyond the green mountains that surround the city as we made our way to San Sebastian, the sea-side city known for offering the best cuisine in the Basque region. Upon arriving in San Sebastian, we walked along the Paseo de la Concha which overlooks San Sebastian’s Playa de la Concha (Concha Beach). The beach and the sea-salt smell were a refreshing break considering we spend most of our time living in and traveling to cities. It was amusing to watch the thunderous waves bounce so hard against the threatening rocks that water would drench whole groups of pedestrians walking along the Paso.

Past the Ayuntamiento, we lunched at celebrated chef Martin B.’s Bodegon Alejandro in Parte Vieja, the culinary centre of San Sebastian. Bodegon Alejandro offers innovative French-focused cuisine, innovating traditional French specialties. We had potato and leek aperitifs to start before moving onto crab ravioli soaked in a mushroom sauce and a seafood salad with shrimp and smoked salmon. For our mains we dined on lamb so tenderly cooked it fell apart on my fork with a side of pureed sweet potato and squid cooked in a beef-flavored sauce. To finish off our meals, M had the warm, hazelnut soufflé and I the “French toast,” a thick, syrup-glazed delicacy that nowhere near resembles the popular American breakfast item offered at IHOP.

After lunch at Bodegon Alejandro, it was essential we engage in some form of exercise (M could feel his “cholesterol level rising”) to combat the hardening of arteries. We walked along the Puerto El Muelle before walking around central San Sebastian on the Paseo del Muelle. The peace that prevailed along the Paseo del Muelle was the ironic consequence of the non-gentle yet rhythmic beating of waves against stone.