Enchanting Spain
The city of San Sebastian is located in the Basque country of Spain. Basque country is culturally different from rest of Spain and has its own language, script, traditions, and cuisine. Located in the shadows of the Pyrenees Mountains and extending to meet the Bay of Biscay, Basque is splendid. There is an enchanting beauty in its thick forests and wild coastline.
San Sebastian, the capital city of province Gipuzkoa, is charming and easy going. The city is exceedingly pretty. Its claim to fame is not only its beautiful beach, but also its love of food and fine dining. San Sebastinians are epicurean – they devote themselves to the admirable pursuit of fine life and fine food. For people from San Sebastian, the love for finer things in life is inextricably tied to its beaches. La Concha beach is one of the best beaches in Europe. It is named after its resemblance to the shape of a conch. This urban beach of San Sebastian is a vacationers’ paradise, with its delightful promenade of Paseo de la concha. There are exquisite street lights along the walk that may clue you in to the delightfully artistic nature of the city. San Sebastian continues its love affair with good life with its wonderful food. It has the highest concentration of Michelin stars in a single area. Arzak, a three Michelin star restaurant in San Sebastian, is one of the best places to eat in Spain. Another famous restaurant in San Sebastian is Zuberoa. Exceedingly innovative and original, this is undoubtedly one of the best restaurants in the world. The chefs of both the restaurants, Juan Mari Arzak, and Hilario Arbelaitz were born in Basque and remain fiercely true to its mandates of fresh produce and exciting flavours.
Seafood is an integral part of the Basque cuisine. Fresh fish are the stars of the dishes in many restaurants but are often, strangely paired with rarefied ingredients like calves’ brains and snouts, forest mushrooms and sea urchins, resulting in a complex dish that is typically Basque.
The true splendour of Basque cuisine is not only in the famous restaurants. Many places in the city serve authentic Basque food. One of the best dishes of San Sebastian is undoubtedly the pintxos. Pintxos are finger foods, like tapas, but are essentially spiked on a toothpick. Like the rest of the country, bar hopping is a popular activity in San Sebastian and following the pintxos trail through different bars, even more so.
Bilbao, San Sebastian’s neighbour is more austere and gaunt. Despite its reputation for being a highly industrialized city, Bilbao finds solace in its many wonderful secrets. The Guggenheim museum, a gigantic structure is the prime attraction in the city. Larger than its counterpart in New York, the Guggenheim museum of Bilbao features works of many artists, like Pablo Picasso the acclaimed Spanish painter, and Andy Warhol, an American artist. The building itself is impressive, full of twists, turns, and gleaming silver. The titanium structure has changed the face of the city.
Near Bilbao is the city of Pamplona. Like many European cities, it is quite developed but retains its quaint, old buildings and structures. The cathedral of Pamplona, a gothic marvel is greatly revered. But the most important event in Pamplona is the San Fermin festival. Held in the month of July, it is full eight days of fun and celebrations.
Bull running during the festival of San Fermin is a tradition that inspires awe and fear. It has been immortalised in literature by Ernest Hemingway, and more recently, in the film, Zindagi na Milegi Dobara (2011). This event is held every day in the morning during the festival, and visitors can also take part in running. But the festival is not only about the bull race. It also features live music at the fairgrounds, bullfights, and a quirky tradition of throwing oneself off the central fountain in the Plaza Consistorial, only to be caught by friends. Traditional sports of Basque region are played in the city square, and a procession featuring ‘giants’ and ‘big heads’ – large figures made of wood, is conducted every day. Nights during the festival are lit up by a display of fireworks at the citadel park. The end of the festival is marked by singing mournful songs and removing the traditional red handkerchiefs worn by the revelers.
Though the crazy celebrations in Pamplona end after a week, there are a few places in Spain where the party never ends. The island of Ibiza is one of these places. An island in the Mediterranean sea, Ibiza hosts the most amazing parties in the world. The nightlife in Ibiza is legendary, with a clubbing scene that is far more diverse than anywhere in the world. No wonder it is called the clubbing capital of the globe!
One of the best clubs in Ibiza is the Blue Marlin. It has its own private pier, Mediterranean restaurant, and features live music day and night. Pacha, another club located in Ibiza is perfect for dancing and music, since it hosts some of the biggest and best names in the music world, like David Guetta and Calvin Harris.
Days at Ibiza can be spent at its pretty beaches, indulging in food and sheer relaxation, while the nights are lived up in the clubs, or music bars, where all kinds of music, like trance, and electronic music is played. The lesser known side of Ibiza – olive groves, dense pine trees and silent fields hold a rural charm that can serve well as a break from the relentless partying in the clubs. Ibiza promises everything – amazing fun, improbable raves, delicious food and quiet sunsets on serene beaches.
From the tranquility of the Concha beach to the parties at Ibiza, Spain will enchant you. The succulent food of Basque will leave you weak in the knees and the Spanish festivities will forever make a place in your hearts. Come with us to the ancient Spanish university, Salamanca and the town of Toledo. Stay tuned with The Wander Girls as we embark on a wine trail in Rioja and follow the ancient pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela.
Image credits: wikimedia commons and http://www.hlondres.com/
