Let's Travel Europe: The Rain in Spain falls.......

Thursday 11th May

Have I said it's been raining? Well, it still is. Today the plan was to visit San Sebastian - Donostia in Basque language. The bus stop was right out the front of our hotel and took just over an hour, and it rained pretty much all the way. It was an interesting trip. Our village is right in the middle of the mountains, and then the next village is about 5k further along, then the next. Moving away from the main street in any of these villages to either the left or right is all uphill. Lots of stairs in the towns, a lot of ramps, and in some places lifts to get you up and down. I guess if I'd lived here forever I'd cope with it, but unfit as I am and with dodgy knees, these villages are not for me.

We came in to the central bus station in Donostia so we were on top of that for the trip back. Decided we'd do the hop on hop off bus tour so headed off for the bus stop. At this stage the rain was just a light drizzle but no sooner had we got to the bus stop, it became a torrent. Raced across the road to the hotel coffee shop and sat there with a coffee waiting for the bus. While sitting here waiting we saw a group of people obviously in a surf school, wetsuits on, bare feet, surfboard in hand, heading alongside the river to the surf beach right on the edge of the city.

No seats downstairs on the bus so we headed topside where every seat was wet, it was cold, and every time the bus went around a corner the water off the roof poured in the side. But we enjoyed the tour of the city and liked the look and feel of the place.

What else does one do in the rain? Long lunch at a tapas bar. Found a wool shop - sock wool. A chocolate shop where they had free tastings. None of that will make it home. And visited the cathedral in the old town. Most shops close in the afternoon for siesta time and it was nice to wander the streets with less people about.