A Beautiful Part Of Spain: The Northern Coast

Travel article

Travel adventures are always a good distraction from the travails of the world. Spain is definitely a place to get away from it all.

Just a few miles from the French border is the north coastal town of San Sebastian. We decided to visit the city, and we weren't disappointed. It is a really gorgeous place! This was the last point before going to the Spanish Pyrenees, which span the French-Spanish border.

There are two principal beaches; one is the main beach beside the Urumea River, which flows into the Bay Of Biscayne, and the other is called Concha Beach, which is on the other side of a narrow peninsula. A hill about 500 feet high sits on the peninsula between these two beaches. Both beaches are stunning, large, crescent-shaped, with real sand, not stones, as was so prevalent in other parts of Europe.

We decided in the short time there, besides having lunch, that we would walk around the city by the sea where not only the setting is excellent, but the architecture is as well, and is in a French provincial style (it is only 20 kilometres from the French border) that is very attractive.

We also decided to climb up the hill between the two beaches. We were treated to absolutely incredible views of the beaches and surrounding area. The surprising thing to us was the number of people on the beach and in the water, as the temperature was only about 22 degrees Celsius, quite cool by our standards.

After our short visit, we decided that this was definitely a city we would return to and spend more time in.

From San Sebastián, it's a short trip inland to the city of Pamplona. This was our last stop before entering the Pyrenees. Folks in Pamplona are fanatical about their bulls and the Run Of The Bulls. In fact, they have a clock counting down the next, running down to the second. Though we weren't there for the run, a friend of my daughter's showed us where his cousin was gored by a bull. The Bull Run ultimately finishes at the bull ring; sometimes, they leave a path of devastation on their way there.

We briefly visited the church where Saint Fermin, the patron saint, is commemorated. His statue is taken out each year for the Running of the Bulls, initially in his honour and meant to instil good fortune in those deranged enough to try such a "sport."

We also saw the fountain, where Australians have made a tradition of jumping off and hopefully being caught by their friends. It apparently started as a dare, no doubt by some Australians who had had one too many. 

We finished off with a visit to a pub owned by the provincial government, where Ernest Hemingway used to enjoy his grog.

All in all, we really enjoyed our brief stay, and this whole area is part of Spain's magic.