Update on the cider place

Well the visit to the sideria was really interesting, and fun. They make cider In a very traditional way, with no artificial additives or preservatives - the final product is very cloudy, strong and with a more acidic taste than we are used to,  however it's a taste I could easily get used to.  

Dinner was unique .... they bring out platters to share knives and forks, no plates to use as you just eat communally from the same platter. Double dipping, what's that ? Crumbs all over the table, who cares ? It started off with tortilla with bacalao, salted cod, then a white fish and pimientos dish with fired onions, both of these were really good. However then they brought out what must have been 1kg of rare beef, on a platter, sliced thickly, for each two people ! Possibly the best beef I have ever tasted, we nearly finished ours but couldn't quite manage it. Followed by cheese, quince paste, biscotti and fresh chestnuts to crack and eat, somewhat full at the end. 

However the most interesting, and enjoyable, aspect to the meal is that it was help yourself to cider, straight from the barrel, as much as you want. In what other country could you do that and not have people passed out under the table ? No-one was drunk, lots of merriment but nothing messy. With a wide cross section of nationalities at the table, we were all amazed. 

It was a late night, so this morning was that typical Spanish breakfast, strong coffee and a large, fresh, chocolate croissant ;-)

OK enough about food, I do more than just eat here, although it is one of the pleasant aspects about San Sebastián ! Attached a few photographs from today's hike up Monte Igelda, to the castle and amusement park at the top. 

A great sculpture park

The view from near the top of the hill

Beach tents for hire, and the drama of soccer 

A few musings

Ok this really is turning into a diary, I find I enjoy capturing the highlights and lowlights of the day, in just a few moments before sleeping/ siesta/ going out. 

Talking of going out, this place makes you do crazy things - 10 pm last night and I was just about to go to bed after a pretty intense day of Spanish then a walk along the beach. Then I got a text form Angela, an American lady, asking if I wanted to go out for a glass of wine .... immediate reaction was "oh no I can't, it's way too late" rapidly followed by "why not ? It's an invitation and an opportunity". So there I was at 10:30 heading out for a glass of wine, which of course turned into 2 glasses of wine, lots of gossip with a pleasant companion, and I got home 12:30am. Spain is un poco loco, a little bit crazy !

Good thing school starts at 9:30am and getting up at 8am leaves me heaps of time. 

One thing I am really enjoying is having minimal stuff i.e. only that which I could fit in my backpack. Getting dressed in the morning is really simple when there's limited choice, even more limited by what's clean at the time. I have to be honest, I am struggling with not shopping, but pass everything through the filter of " carry it on the Camino or post to Australia" which does limit what I'm prepared to buy. One of my favourite shops, Desigual, is having a sale but I am being strong, I think I'll content myself with a very groovy IPhone case :-)

Tomorrow is a visit to a sideria, a cider-farm, out in the country, followed by dinner, so I have say that I don't think there will be any (sensible) updates until Saturday at the earliest. 

Photographs from yesterday's hike

Noticing the heat, but loving the coastal breeze

Rugged coastline

The walk down to San Juan de Pasajes

The square where we had dinner, and a very good rose wine

A great walk, and good dinner, and conversation in three languages, Spanish, English and German ! My brain gets confused easily. 

Spanish school

Not sure quite how to explain Spanish school, it's one of the hardest things I've done since university. It's non-stop concentration for 4 hours a day, 3 hours in a small class where you have to speak a lot and intensive grammar practise, with the teacher speaking only in Spanish then a 3/4 hour lesson one-to-one, which I know will do me a lot of good, but my God intensive is not the right word. Talk about nowhere to hide. I am continually challenged by how little Spanish I actually can speak. 

The a good few hours on an organised walk (along part of the Camino ) conversing in Spanglish with Japanese, Austrians, Germans, Spanish and English people ... Strange that there are people who speak really good English but with whom I have only ever spoken in Spanish. And yes, I've been asked again about Scottish independence. 

The walk was beautiful, photos tomorrow as they are on my camera but I'm way too tired to download them. A bit further than most people had expected, but a really good training session for me and spectacular scenery, very lush and green and a wild coastline. Followed by a fantastic seafood meal in a restuarant by a harbour with the expected fat, prowling cat looking for scraps of fish. He didn't go hungry. 

Shame we missed the last bus home but the pleasant result was realising it's a 10 euro taxi fare home, split between four - de nada. Mira from Germany paid me back with a nice ice cream, bargain for both of us I reckon. 

Second day in San Sebastián

It's been an interesting day. 

I managed to get the key stuck in the door of the apartment, and it took me ages to work out that I'd made a stupid mistake. Meanwhile, I panicked and imagined all sorts of scenarios, and had worked out the Spanish I needed to call a locksmith. When I finally worked out the error of my ways, it was such a relief I had to go drink a glass of wine and eat some tapas for my very belated lunch. Lesson learned ... think the situation through and don't panic. It always works out well in the end. 

Then I went for a lovely walk up Monte Urgull, see the photographs below, a bit of a climb but well worth it for the view and a great little museum in the old castle. Puts a different perspective on various wars, as it was the English pounding San Sebastián during a few conflicts. Looking at the hills in the background makes me a little nervous about the Camino. 

Finally I met Maria Eugenia, she's very friendly.  While she speaks excellent English, she believes in the immersion method of learning Spanish, so I got the odd explanation in English but that's all. Part of my panic this morning was Maria's absense, I should have known she was just with her family and boyfriend. 

This photograph shows the Basque flag, I have been asked a few times about Scottiah independence and the referendum, the Basque are watching the developments and will await the outcome with keen interest. It's a link I had not considered, they see that a successful outcome would pave the way for expressions of Basque independence from Spain. I do plan to work out my opinion and arguments in Spanish, as I am sure the questions will come again. 

San Sebastián, first impressions

My god, San Sebastián is beautiful. It's a lovely town, with an old quarter, a newer ( well, late 18th century, modelled on Paris) quarter, nestled between two headlands, a peninsula and with mountains behind it. I'm trying not to think what the rugged coastline and mountains mean for my upcoming Camino ! 

It's a busy, somewhat chaotic, touristy Spanish town, but manages to be far more Spanish than tourist. There's English spoken, and English menus, but the menus are under the counter and everyone speaks to you in Spanish. It's only when you clearly need the English menu they bring it out. 

Yesterday I did a walking tour of the city, then just wandered and sampled the pintxo ( Basque for tapas), and bought some food for the week to come. If I eat out every night, I'll be waddling along the Camino. The food is amazing, one little place did some of the best crispy skin pork rib, and mushroom risotto, I have ever had. Along with a beer, the perfect end to the walking tour I'd just completed, with the two Kiwi girls from the tour. 

The bar below is likely to become my favourite place, it's two minutes from the flat, and does great coffee, strong enough to put hairs on your chest. You know you're in Spain when there's two dogs in the bar, collapsed by their owners who are Spanish ladies drinking coffee, and the croissant delivery guy downed a glass of wine ( served in a pint glass, only 1/4 filled) , the world is only just waking up, and it's 1030am. Lisa & Andy, they have 6 varieties of crianza( decent Spanish wine) and all a max of 2 euros a glass. 

As for the Spanish, well it's a bit challenging, I need Spanish school badly. They all talk so fast, and my vocabulary is very lacking. Grammar, what's that ?!

On the way

Grubby, grumpy, but in Paris waiting for my final flight. Spain, and San Sebastián, finally seem within reach. The journey has been fine, just long. Reaching Paris to realise I'd forgotten to set up global roaming, doh ...thanks to Skype and free wifi it should be sorted by the time I get to my digs for the next two weeks. 

As a great outcome, I'm being picked up by the lady with whom I'll be living for the the next two weeks, just hope she isn't too scared by the incoherent shambling wreck she'll be picking up :-) not sure how much Spanish I'll be able to muster at that point !

Update; the flight is delayed. Not what I would like right now.