Foodie heaven
Still full.
We ate ourselves through San Sebastián, deeply routed in Basque culture in this gastronomic capital of well, the world.
This rugged part of northern Spain, a stone’s throw from France, but they are generally ignored other than the array of pastries sat in bakery windows.
We loved it. The Old Town with many hundreds of pintxos restaurants, the beaches where elegant families sunbathe in front of an urban oasis and then there’s the romance of the Centro region and its architecture. All wrapped around by lush green coastal mountains.
We walked and walked but that was far outdone by eating, including a 15 course meal yesterday where I thought I’d died and gone to foodie heaven.
I did manage to get my belt on this morning and now we are Seville.
40,000 orange trees line Seville’s beautiful streets, plazas, and historic courtyards. Yet they don’t taste good, which is just as well as I need to work up an appetite.
Oh you lucky thing, my partner hails from San Sebastian and has shown me around. It is one of my favourite places to go in Spain. When you say near to France, you of course mean the other part of the Basque country 😉 The local football team is Real Sociedad.
My very favourite city in Spain is where you are now, Seville has an atmosphere that has to be experienced, almost Parisian but, more sophisticated. Parque de María Luisa, is well worth a visit. I stayed near the Bull Ring, Salón de Carteles de la Real Maestranza de Caballería de Sevilla, although it is nicer if you cross the river from there.
I was lucky enough to spend the month of September 1971 in Seville on a course at the university . Franco was still in charge and Andalusia was still suffering from his persecution over 30 years after the end of the Spanish Civil War. The majority of its inhabitants were poor but they were very spirited nevertheless, a tough, resilient people that knew how to enjoy itself through dance, song and football. I was a student living in cheap accommodation and spent most of my spare time In the bars that the locals frequented. Everyone wanted to talk to me about Bobby Charlton, but I also told those who would listen about our Charlton! A great city then and now.
Enjoy yourself, CA!