Spain College Visit!

.We left O'Hare on a 5:55 PM flight to Brussels, connecting to Bilbao, the nearest international airport to San Sebastián. We took a comfy bus to San Sebastián for $12 each, which was an hour and 15 minutes. Arriving at the bus terminal, it was just a 5-minute walk to our riverside townhome, "La Dolce Vita," rented through Feel Free on VRBO. Our daughter was waiting for us, and we were thrilled to see her! We then walked to the lovely "Old Town" for a delicious dinner of pintxos, beer, and rosé.

We woke up late and headed to Café Botanika, the cute café next to our rental. We enjoyed cappuccinos and their moist orange bread—definitely a must-try! Paul had eggs, and I stole a delicious potato from his plate. The fresh-squeezed juices were fantastic, and Paul loved his plain orange juice.

We had to move tables when our kids arrived for lunch, as they missed breakfast and enjoyed their egg casseroles. Afterward, Paul and I explored the town while the kids rested. We later met our daughter after her classes and took the Santa Clara group out for dinner at La Madame. Best service here!! Great food and so much fun to treat these kids. I followed them to their bar in historic Old Town, Iguana Bar, post-dinner, and had a BLAST!!!

Another lazy sleep-in day! We had so much fun last night, and after a nice walk to Old Town for breakfast at Maiatza, we settled into a cozy spot filled with cappuccinos, fresh smoothies, and creative juice concoctions. Apparently, you won't find bottled juices in San Sebastian, and I suspect the same is true for many places in Spain, Italy, and beyond. LOVED THIS SPOT! A+ for kind waitstaff.

Old Town, a ten-minute walk from our townhome, made it a perfect location – close to shopping and offering beautiful views of the river on the other side. We visited the super special aquarium in the old town by the ocean; a lovely, small, zen-like museum where we could have spent all day!! Don't miss!!

Back to Old Town for a sushi dinner. The rolls were great, though basic, served by a sarcastic sushi chef in a charming little spot right in the heart of Old Town.

Breakfast at Botanika… again! We can’t tell if the staff is happy to see us, but I’m starting to appreciate the waitress’s aloof style. I think I spotted a smile today! The scrambled eggs are the best I’ve ever had, and don't miss the “orange” bread with fresh-squeezed juices.

After breakfast, we shopped and took a stroll to the beach, where we enjoyed Aperol Spritz and club sandwiches at La Concha, situated in a beautiful old structure. For dinner, we kept it simple with tortas and delicious dipped ice cream bars.

Since our daughter was busy with "Friendsgiving" plans, we wanted something casual. We accidentally found an Argentinian pub called 1985. I wasn’t very hungry, but the rest of the group ordered fried chicken sandwiches. My husband regretted his choice when he saw the sizzling meats being served to soccer fans. The exceptional service made for a fun, rowdy experience!

Thanksgiving Day began with breakfast at our favorite spot, marking our last day here. We enjoyed the delicious offerings at Botanika, then met our daughter and explored the Gross neighborhood of San Sebastian, which had a unique charm. Francesca took us to her favorite surf shop boutique, where we found some great items.

For lunch, we loved our meal at Lasai Maitia, then hiked up to the Jesus statue and admired the beautiful church in Old Town. Most delicious juice smoothies, and the burgers/veggie burgers were excellent. We had Thanksgiving dinner at the Italian restaurant Raviolinas. The food was excellent, and our waiter was wonderfully kind; he had to leave early, we almost hugged him. He was so great. As a long-time waitress, I'm aware of how to behave in a restaurant. We were nothing but kind and patient. But we experienced some rudeness from other staff who ignored us and wouldn't deliver our check while they sat and chatted. After two requests, and wouldn't look our way or say goodbye. It was disappointing and left a strange impression. Overall, we enjoyed our experience until then.

We set off for St. Jean De Luz and Biarritz. St. Jean De Luz was such a charming village, a beautiful little town filled with delightful boutiques. The pollarded "plane" trees were a lovely sight. I was thrilled to discover a gorgeous perfumery with rare boutique brands—there wasn't a single perfume I had ever heard of before. And Alisa the owner!!! WORTH A DRIVE. There were also wonderful men's boutiques, and Cole struck gold again!

Then we headed to Biarritz, which was more stately and equally stunning. Outdoor lunch on the square at Hotel de Le'Ocean. Wonderful and friendly staff. The drive along the coast was breathtaking. We enjoyed a nice lunch in the square, did a bit of shopping, and returned as the sunset. I could not get over the kind, elegant warmth of every personal encounter in the Basque country of France.

Last Day! We had breakfast near "Small World" park, where Jeannie was thrilled to find chai lattes and Italian doughnuts nearby. We rented surfboards and wetsuits in Gros at Surf Garage. The surf was small and perfect, and while Jeannie and Fran got up on their boards, I mostly waded around, riding some waves on my belly. It was a blast!

After we enjoyed a long lunch in a square, wine in hand, people-watching, I went shopping a bit on my own, and the family met me for the Christmas drone show over the beach, which captivated the entire population of San Sebastiá–a moving moment. Unfortunately, with everyone out looking for food afterward, we regretted not reserving a table at the Michelin restaurant we had contemplated.

Eventually, we found a restaurant back in Gros. We ended up in the quirky "Red Lips" room. The food was odd, with runny eggs, but the wine was excellent!

After dinner, we packed up and said goodbye to our daughter, as we arranged for a car to the airport for our 4:30 AM flight. Goodbye, San Sebastian!