Exploring Gipuzkoa with Ander

Right next to Donostia-San Sebastián the beautiful area of Igeldo is located. We were lucky to spend several days with my friend Ander and his family. For those who don't remember: Ander was my flatmate in Finland. He took us to some hidden idyllic spots next to the sea and we hiked on top of Hernio, a popular summit in the heart of the region Gipuzkoa. In the town of Usurbil we experienced the annual traditional cider festival. Each stall offered different types of cider from the region and the trick was to pour the cider into the glass from the greatest possible height. :-D Very tasty the cider, by the way.

The other day Ander organized kayaks and we paddled to the rocky island in the middle of San Sebastián Bay. The view towards the city was amazing and luckily no one else was there. A big highlight for Alina and me was the possibility to watch the first football match for us in a stadium. Fighting for the qualification for the Champions League, Real Sociedad San Sebastián won 1:0 against UD Almeria. The atmosphere with 31,000 celebrating fans in the stadium was great.

As a small thank you, we invited Ander's family to a typical German dish: Kartoffelbrei, Frikadellen mit gedünsteten Äpfeln und Salat. As desert: Rote Grütze mit Vanillesoße. (By the way, we had to adjust the meal planning several times because not all ingredients were available.) Thanks a lot to Ander and his family! We enjoyed our stop in Basque country very much!Read more