I'm hoping you know what came after lunch. No? Oh come on; what do they do in Spain in the afternoon right after lunch?! Of course, siesta! Rosie and I were totally beat after last night's philandering so we were definitely up for an hour-long nap. Erin had really wanted a siesta too but she decided to walk down to the beach for a little bit instead. She spends a lot of time by herself so I think we were cramping her style a bit; she probably just needed a little alone time. I felt oh so refreshed after my nap and was ready for the evening. Roshanna, on the other hand, hadn't worn good shoes for our walk earlier so her feet were killing her. She wasn't up for going out at all before dinner time. So it was just Erin and I for a little shopping and the short uphill trek to the big statue of Jesus. I bought a really sassy redish-brown purse for 10 euros and got some San Sebastián postcards from some shops near the hostel. On our way to the path that takes you up to Jesus, we saw a parade of people dressed in traditional Basque gypsy costumes singing and banging on instruments. It got us really excited because we had heard about a Basque festival happening somewhere in the city... that evening!
After watching the parade for a few minutes we walked back out to the walkway around the bay and went in the other direction from this morning to head up to Jesus. He sits in the center of a château-type building/fortress overlooking the city and it just so happens that the sun was setting as we made our way up to the top. I feel very certain that He or He and God together painted the sunset just for us because it was too perfect to be mere coincidence. I found the whole experience of hiking up a steep path, climbing up a lot of stairs, and having to look straight up to look at the statue extraordinarily powerful and moving. The whole thing is very symbolic of one's relationship with Jesus, Biblically and literally. The upward direction to get to Him and the looking up to see Him- it all moved me. I was blown away by the statue too- it is so huge! And He is so high up that when you look up at His face, you notice that there is NOTHING but the sky around Him; like the statue is literally in the sky- another very symbolic thing. And if that isn't enough to touch you, while you're staring at Jesus' face, you realize that He is not looking at you but is looking past you. When you finally wonder, "what is He looking at?" and turn around, the view of the city, the sea, and the sunset nearly knock you off of your feet. It was something beyond my imagination; I'm sorry the pictures don't do this experience justice. I encourage all of you to do this very same thing one day, if only just to know what I am talking about.
On our way up!
There He is
His view
See what I mean about this being created just for us?
The other side:
If I wasn't thoroughly in awe of San Sebastián and the beauty that exists in our world from our walk earlier today, I certainly was after my experience up on the hill. My heart was light and my spirit was soaring. It almost wasn't fair to think that I had nothing to do for the rest of the evening but to go eat more incredible food and have more unforgettable cultural experiences- like seeing a Basque festival! We decided not to sit down to a full meal for dinner tonight, but instead we went truly Spanish and had tapas: small plates of one or two snacks that usually come free or included in the price of a drink from a bar. When Erin studied in Spain last semester, she used to go out for tapas with her friends multiple times a week. We were all so excited for this because tapas allow you to try 5 or 6 different things before you are truly full. We picked up Roshanna at the hostel and then headed to our first place for the evening where got a round of beers and our first two or three tapas. I had a bocadillo that was simply a tiny baguette with a Spanish bacon inside; Roshanna had a small round of bread topped with a pepper, small piece of egg, and sausage and another round of bread topped with a sweet and savory crab salad; Erin had two fried "meatballs." I put that in quotes because it was more like a meat sauce, it was so soft! Roshanna and I also split two pieces of one of the most amazing fried foods I have ever tasted: croquettes! This epic snack is nothing more than an insanely thick mixture of cream, creamed potatoes, melty cheese, and small bits of ham. It's so crispy on the outside that you are surprised when you go to cut it and the whole thing collapses in a melting, creamy, potato Heaven. I have to stop there; I'm going crazy thinking about them!
My bocadillo and beer, and Roshanna's two tapas
The round things are Erin's meat balls, and the things that look like mozzarella sticks? Croquettes :)
This was certainly not a terribly way to start the evening. We headed to another bar soon after enjoying this delicious dinner-time snack to have more. We got another round of beers there and another round of tapas. Believe it or not, I was actually getting pretty full at this point- those croquettes are dense! I decided to go with another croquette (because it was THAT good) and a slice of baguette topped with marinated peppers and onions, a small piece of smoked salmon, and a to-die-for piece of thick, creamy Spanish cheese. The whole thing was drizzled with a little vinegar. I may have shed a tear or two when I realized I didn't have room for another one.
Mine and Erin's baguette, pepper, cheese bliss and Roshanna's baguette with a creamy, tangy veggie salad
The bar of tapas
Sorry, I think I may have mislead you. I was getting full of tapas at this point, but I still had plenty of room for dessert! We found a crêperie nearby where an English, French, and Spanish speaking Canadian guy was happy to talk to us in English- a first in Spain! I ordered a warm and melty Nutella and banana crêpe. I think there is no need for me to say anything more. :)
To complete this incredible Saturday in San Sebastián, Spain we found the Basque festival. It wasn't hard really, we just followed the music! I think we are three very lucky girls to have been here while this festival was happening because it was quite simply a celebration of being Basque. When and where else am I ever going to see something like that? The celebration was held in a big square that was surrounded on all sides by apartment buildings. There was a band up on the stage, a group of probably 200 singers/dancers/performers standing in front of the stage, and all were dressed in the Basque gypsy garb. They played traditional Basque music and for most of it, the entire audience- I'm talking thousands of people- were singing along, celebrating their heritage. I think there were at least 50 people who came out of their apartments to watch from above too. It was an amazing thing to see and it made me proud of my heritage as well.
One of many videos from this night. I have more on my
online gallery: gallery.me.com/ranthy
We walked around a little after the festival, sort of following the band as they marched up and down streets singing and banging away at their make shift instruments. We got a couple of pictures with the Basque mascots too- two giant figures (one and old man, the other an old woman) that were both open on the bottom for someone to go underneath, pick them up, and walk around with them. It was rather entertaining to see a huge figure moving down the street on comparably tiny legs.
Me, after the festival
Rosie and I with the Basque mascots. Kinda creepy huh?
We were pretty tired after this long and magical day, but I agreed to go out for an hour or so with Erin since it was saturday and we were in Spain and all (Roshanna just wasn't up for it). However, "going out" tonight meant the two of us standing against the wall in a crowded bar talking, yawning, and not bothering to order any drinks. Needless to say, we came back to the hostel after 45 minutes or so of that- too tired to carry on. haha Erin probably could have hung out longer but I wasn't cut out for it. I don't have the stamina built up like she does! This was an absolutely miraculous day: I don't think I will ever forget that walk around the bay and my trip up to see Jesus. There was so much about this day that touched my heart and made my spirit soar. I would love to bring everyone I care about to that promenade along the water some day. :)
Goodnight!
