G's Day of Birth

The main reason GC and I had ventured to San Sebastian was the firmly established tradition of GC refusing to spend a single one of her birthday’s in the UK. I can’t say I find the idea a bad one (although that endorsement means very little coming from me since I’ll use the anniversary of eating a dorito chip as a reason to travel). Anyway, today was that day, and GC had decided to, without any form of wandering, turn off all forms of alarms. We ended up sleeping in far far longer than I would have liked to: I’m a “have-to-do-everything-see-everything-eat-everything” kind of travelling companion, and although I do try and dilute this a little when travelling with calmer friends, it still niggles me to waste the day away. However, it was GC’s birthday, and so today was about making sure she was happy. First on the list? I had looked up a brunch place called Cafe Alabama. Bowls of coconut yoghurt topped with fruit and sprinkled with chia seeds and all other sorts of things I vaguely know exist but never really eat. Guys, it sounds so pretentious, but it is definitely not. It’s two absolutely down-to-earth guys running the place, and the cafe itself is unassuming, very quaint, and pleasant to sit at. They had an absolutely incredible breakfast deal which, once again, made me question the business plans of the food industry in the area, and it was quality that far, far, exceeded what we paid. I had four or five other breakfast spots listed on my phone for the rest of our stay. We did not go to a single other breakfast place, and I do not hesitate to knight Cafe Alabama my one-and-only breakfast spot for whenever I might be back in San Sebastian.

We then followed onto one of the recommendations we’d got from our friendly local guides: Pasaia. A little town which was very local, quieter and less touristy - and only took a half hour walk to get to. I have to say… We were underwhelmed. The town was very, very quiet. The streets were empty, shops and restaurants shut, and, to be perfectly honest, I did not feel we were welcome at all. We picked up our pace a little, and got to a little dock-area, with beautiful views across the sea and a breeze to go with them. Here is where it got good: I saw what looked like a little coastal path, and (immediately) decided it had to be done. A group of tourists who were walking down it told us cheerfully that it was an easy hour or so walk which took you along the coastal cliffs all the way back to San Sebastian - it could not have been more perfect. A look in my eyes which I assume GC found impossible to say no to had us making our way up the mountain stone-steps and onto an absolute stunner of a walk. I would do this walk over and over again if the weather was right, and with the sun blazing and blue-steeped skies above us it was an absolute dream.

Taking endless photographs along the way as GC powered on ahead (on what mission, I do not know) I was surprised when she suddenly jerked to a stop. She turned to me, panic all over her face, and gestured at me to run.

“Why?”
“Just do it!!”

Being well versed in all horror, thriller and action-tropes, I was not about to get into a debate about whether or not I should run only to be interrupted mid-sassy-sentence by a rabid werewolf/crazy axe-person/murderous spirit. So, as GC sprinted off ahead, I tucked my camera under my arm and sprinted on behind her.

Once a safe distance from the threat, GC stopped, gasping for breath because she is horribly unfit, and me, also gasping for breath because I absolutely hate running of any kind.

“What was that?!”
GC looked at me, serious.

“There were two naked men. I have no idea what they were doing, but it looked super dodgy.”

I looked at her quizzically, because two men banging is by no means something to be afraid of. If they were taken up with overwhelming passion after the beautiful coastal walk, heck, go for it, have a fab time. GC, however, shook her head, and implied there was a ritualistic murder occurring, with bodies that she hadn’t seen but knew were there, and that we could have been the next victims. I shrugged. Maybe. I was still very much of the belief that those two men were very much just enjoying each other, and when nothing appeared in the papers (or should I say my google searches) for the rest of the week I made sure GC knew she was absolutely mental.

We were having dinner in the eastern part of Don Ostia, and a little pre-dinner explore revealed a quieter part of town. Our chosen restaurant that night, Tedone, was another win. A sustainable, eco-orientated, vegan-friendly restaurant: small, cosy, with a modest seasonal menu to match its sustainability ethics. It felt very pleasant to be sat comfortably on an outside table without feeling like we were swimming in and out of a thousand and one conversations, so if you want a bit of peace and quiet away from the hustle and bustle, come here. And if not, come here anyway, because it’s amazing. I had a fish that was absolutely out of this world (I don’t know if I’ve been starved of fresh sea-food so I’m just revelling in it all, but boy oh boy). It flaked like butter, was coated in the freshest olive-oil I have had in a while, and I would have had it twice over had I not known it would make me sick. Still, I considered it. For desert we had a date elsewhere: La Viña, which boasted the best cheesecake in all of San Sebastian. Content and with full bellies we shuffled off to try it out.

If Tedone was a peaceful water-lily pond, La Viña was a NYC stock-market floor. It was rammed, so it you want to visit, be prepared. Bar-service was speedy and friendly though, so GC and I soon had cheesecake in hand. It was good, but it felt more like a cheesecake-flan fusion rather than the NY-cheesecake that’s so popular in London. Still worth a try though, and despite it being so busy, the atmosphere, as ever in Sab Seb, was happy, friendly and absolutely comfortable to be amongst.Read more