Day 11 – Pintxos, Funniculars, Beaches and More!

Day 11 – by Lilly Humphries and AJ Ward

In the morning, we all got a late start. Today was our first day in a while without early morning plans, so we took advantage of that and got some much needed rest. Once we got moving, we went to hike Urgull Mota, a large hill that is home to an old fortress nestled between the two major beaches in San Sebastián. Hiking up the mountain took some time but the views were amazing we got to see la concha, the scallop shaped bay, from above. Urgull Mota was home to Castillo de la Mota, a medieval fortress. We found a museum about the fortress, and learned that the the Castillo de la Mota fortress was first built in 1080, and was conquered over the following years by rival kings of Castile and Aragon.

The hike down was no less beautiful than the hike up. We came down the other side of the mountain into the Bay of Biscay. After taking in the breathtaking views, we stopped in a pinxto bar for a bite to eat. Pintxos are small, 1- or 2- bite appetizers, often on bread. You can choose to eat just one as a snack or get a variety of different kinds to make a meal. The majority of bars and restaurants in and around San Sebastián have these small foods available. We learned that pinxtos originate in the basque region, the autonomous community in the northeast of Spain where San Sebastián is located.

After lunch, our ramble group walked along the iconic scallop-shaped bay, la playa concha. It was a rainy day and few people were on the beach, making for a beautiful picture. There were plans to go kayaking in the bay, but because the weather went sour, the kayak rental places were all closed. We purchased tickets for the Iguelda funicular, a railway to the top of Monte Igeldo dating back to 1912, and made the journey to the peak. You could see Santa Clara island clearly from the peak.

After a long day of hiking, our ramble group headed back to the hotel to get ready for dinner and a night out. Due to the rainy weather, after we had another round of pinxtos, we headed back to the hotel and ended up meeting up with the other ramble groups in the hotel piano bar. Dr. Byrd and Mary Kathryn played the piano as everyone exchanged PIE stories and reflected on our trip as the last day approached.

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