It Mainly Rained In Spain, But It Was Not A Pain

In the middle of trying to keep on top of all of the tasks we have to get done in Philly,

we up and went to Spain.

It seemed a good idea three months ago when we signed up.  Back then we had lots of time.

It was an international meeting for autism researchers, 

and Terisa's dissertation was accepted as a poster. 

So we went: Terisa to work,

Me to play.

The location was San Sebastian, which is the Spanish name for Donostia, which is the Basque name for the place we went. To.

I had learned my obligatory words and phrases (Donde esta el bano?  Muy verde, s'il vous plait!) in Spanish, but everything is also written in Basque. In fact many things are only written in Basque.  Here is an example:  the letters tx make the sound "ch."

See what they did there? I know!

Anyway, Donostia is on the northern coast of Spain, on the Bay of Biscay.
So there was water.


And water sports.


We thought the surfers were a bit crazy, since temps hovered in the 40s and 50s most of the rainy week.  But there they were, in the water.  Hangin' ten.


As an overview, Donostia is built near an incredibly picturesque bay.

Now here is a picture without that fat old man who photobombs so many of my pictures.


The bay is guarded by a mountain on each side, and a little island right in the middle.  When I say guarded, I mean militarily...


...and spiritually. 
This is a Jesus statue that looks down sternly onto the beach, where everyone could get into all sorts of wardrobe trouble in warm weather.


Fortunately, it was not warm weather. 
Spring rains dominated most of the week.

Donostia is equal parts quaint European town...


...and modern European city.


We managed to squeeze in some ocean-watching (looking out on the main bay),

...some geology (yep, these rocks are really all twisted),

...some culture (Eduardo Chillida's"Comb of the Wind"),

...and some architecture.


One good thing about the cooler weather is that it gave us an excuse for chocolate-dipped churros.  That mug in front of Terisa is filled with melted chocolate.  When we ran out of churros, we just ate the chocolate straight.  Very decadent.

There are lots of pretty plazas and parks. This little path was on the same hill as the cannons,

...and it overlooked the marina,

...and the only building Wellington's army didn't burn to the ground in the 19th century- a cathedral.

There was wildlife,

...which made us think of Todd's pet store.  Here is a Donostia pet store, that is really only as wide as that door you see, and only about as deep. Fish and birds.

Anyway, everyone had dogs.

There were more parks,

...museums (these are traditional Basque headstones or stellae),

...and dining. 
We're not quite sure what that carved woman was doing on the ceiling beam.

Mostly we enjoyed being with other people, including friends old and new.

Like at our favorite bar,

...talking shop,

with a man named Pip, from Bath. 

Also Katie, and Mark, and Ilse, who was from Ireland, not Bath.

And wandering the streets of the old city with everyone else.

 

On the last day we happened, by chance, on a smallish plaza crowded with a local choir singing Basque anthems, accompanied by a full band.

And this high school group dancing something traditional. 

It had a lot of jumping. And drums.

It's one of our favorite memories.

So we overcame our apprehensions, went to a new place and lived to tell about it. And rekindled a desire to do it again. 

Travel always has that effect.