We can't stop here, this is Basque Country

I am fully aware that I have overused this phrase to title everything from facebook photo albums to journal entries. But I couldn't help but fall in love with Basque Country. I spent the past weekend in San Sebastian, or, Donostia in Basque, with my comrades Doris, Sima and Amanda. Basque Country is an autonomous region of Spain with its separate culture, language, gastronomy and traditions. It's a bit of an anomaly as Basque has no linguistic connections to any currently existing European language. When my friends and I arrived on Friday, we settled in at the most wonderful lodgings ever--Olga's Place, a hostel right near one of Donostia's three beaches.

This was my first experience in a hostel, so I had few expectations. But the beds turned out to be more comfortable than my own in Burgos, the facilities were fastidiously clean, and Olga herself was delightful. Friday night, some of the people living in the hostel invited us out to go on a pub crawl. I was absolutely game to go, and ultimately I'm so glad I did. Everybody was absolutely great to get along with, but it was amazing to meet a whole group of people who chose to be somewhere all for the same reason: just to be there.

It's a mentality I could get used to. On Saturday, I really saw the appeal of the San Sebastian area when our friend Mikel from school took us to see his pueblo, Hondorribia. A twenty minute bus ride from San Sebastian, it was absolutely gorgeous.
We'd been expecting what loads of people referred to as "the perfect storm"--a force of nature was forecasted to hit our area. At the end of the weekend, over 50 people had died in France and many areas were damaged. Somehow the storm completely passed San Sebastian and Hondorribia and the worst we got was a bit of cloud.

See that on the other side of the river? Oh, that's just France, no big deal.our never less than lovely tourguide, Mikel

After a day with Mikel, we arrived back in Donostia to enjoy the sunset, pictured above, the increase in temperature and some dinner and drinks. Saturday was a quiet night in for all of us, but Sunday began early with a vuelta (turn) around town and a Eurotrash picnic on the beach.Doris and AmandaFrolicking in the sea was very much called for. The weather hit almost 20 degrees Celsius, which in San Sebastian means swimming and surfing. Some of the surfers in these parts go out when it's only 10 degrees out. I myself had no more courage than enough to go knee deep in the water and collect some sea shells, but all the same, you know? Coming from Burgos, where I still need my thick scarf, my peacoat, and boots going to San Seb was like changing climates.

On Monday, our last day, before we got back on the bus to Burgos, we made one last tourist stop. There's not much to see in San Seb, besides a few museums and the Cathedral, but the absolute must-see is the sculpture garden on the cliffs--el Peine de Vientos. Or, the Comb of the Winds.

Damnit, Sima foils my candid!

King of the World. Pretty much how this town makes me feel.

I have a feeling I will be going back to Donostia very very soon. It is la ostia, or, the shit, as the Spanish might say. Donostia es la ostia, as Sima became fond of saying, has a pretty nice ring to it, no? It really makes an impression. If I'm honest, it's one of the few places I've ever missed after leaving.

Palm trees--HELL YEAH!!