Around 4:00-5:00 AM, we were intermittently awakened by a local celebration in honor of San Juan. We heard a rooster call out, two blasts from a firecracker cannon, an accordion blare out, and people start singing in Basque. In case you are not familiar with Basque, it is an entirely different language than Spanish, and it was fascinating to see it written everywhere and hear people speaking it. They even have their own name and flag for their region of Spain, which they call Euskera. However, it was not very pleasant to hear Basque being sung bright and early in the morning.
The campsite (with the tent packed): 
Once the celebration ended and we were able to get a little more sleep, we went to the Playa de Ondarreta for the morning. We had a delightful breakfast at a restaurant on the beach. There was a “cheeky” little bird trying to eat our croissants, so we had to be very careful not to turn our heads or he would land directly on the table to dive for our food!
Once the celebration ended and we were able to get a little more sleep, we went to the Playa de Ondarreta for the morning. We had a delightful breakfast at a restaurant on the beach. There was a “cheeky” little bird trying to eat our croissants, so we had to be very careful not to turn our heads or he would land directly on the table to dive for our food!
Since it was still chilly, we decided to walk along the coast for a bit before attempting to get in the water. The walkway was actually a swimming access and abruptly ended in the water and along the rocks:
That did not deter one brave Spanish abuela (grandmother) from hiking up her skirt and wading along the rocks to her destination. This is right before her skirt went around her neck to facilitate travel:
We laid out on the beach for a little while, and I had to get used to the blatant nudity. It did not just consist of topless sunbathers, but of people completely changing clothes in front of you (men and women) with no fear of exposing ALL their “bits” to the world! Also, children under the age of six do not wear bathing suits. They just roll around in the sand with what God gave them! It was also too cold for us to get in the water with our swimsuits on, so I have no idea how they managed!
A nudist-free view of the beach (sorry for those of you who were hoping...):
After sunbathing, we took the bus back to our campsite, checked out, and drove to the top of Monte Igueldo. Commissioned in 1912 by Queen Maria Cristina, an amusement park that has changed very little since the 1950s stands at the top of the mountain. The mountain also offers some wonderful views of San Sebastian.
The amusement park:
Views from the top:
Once we soaked in the lovely vistas, we drove down the mountain and along a highway instead of the Interstate, as recommended by my AAA Driving Spain tour book. The trip to Bilbao took a little longer, but it was definitely worth it to see the alternating views of mountains and coast. We stopped in Orio for a delicious lunch. We ordered the menu del dia, a typical offering at Spanish restaurants and bars where you can select from a preset menu three courses and receive wine and bread from 9 euros to 16 euros on average. Most places will let you share the food, which really helps cut down on travel costs.
We ended our drive at Sopelana, a fairly new beach town, where we camped for the night. We watched the sunset on the beach while eating sandwichs and drinking kalimotxo.
J. Santiago and the beach:
Basque flag:
Surfers on the beach (and one of my favorite pictures!):
View of the sunset:
When we returned to the campsite, we caught the end of the United States’ surprising upset of Spain in the FIFA Confederations Cup. J. Santiago was very shocked and excited about this! After watching the game, we headed back for much-needed rest and J. Santiago had visions of futbol dancing in his head...
After sunbathing, we took the bus back to our campsite, checked out, and drove to the top of Monte Igueldo. Commissioned in 1912 by Queen Maria Cristina, an amusement park that has changed very little since the 1950s stands at the top of the mountain. The mountain also offers some wonderful views of San Sebastian.
The amusement park:
Views from the top:
Once we soaked in the lovely vistas, we drove down the mountain and along a highway instead of the Interstate, as recommended by my AAA Driving Spain tour book. The trip to Bilbao took a little longer, but it was definitely worth it to see the alternating views of mountains and coast. We stopped in Orio for a delicious lunch. We ordered the menu del dia, a typical offering at Spanish restaurants and bars where you can select from a preset menu three courses and receive wine and bread from 9 euros to 16 euros on average. Most places will let you share the food, which really helps cut down on travel costs.
We ended our drive at Sopelana, a fairly new beach town, where we camped for the night. We watched the sunset on the beach while eating sandwichs and drinking kalimotxo.
J. Santiago and the beach:
Basque flag:
Surfers on the beach (and one of my favorite pictures!):
View of the sunset:
When we returned to the campsite, we caught the end of the United States’ surprising upset of Spain in the FIFA Confederations Cup. J. Santiago was very shocked and excited about this! After watching the game, we headed back for much-needed rest and J. Santiago had visions of futbol dancing in his head...
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