Spain Extravaganza – Days 8 & 9, San Sebastian:

San Sebastian is a stylish seaside town in the Basque region of Spain on the Northern coast known for its cutting-edge gastronomy and sandy beaches. A favorite of Queen Maria Cristina, the only five-star hotel in town bears her name. Built in 1912, this belle époque stunner is set in a dramatic location at the end of a quay with the waves crashing from every direction, breaking on huge boulders and mesmerizing to behold. While much of the hotel can be described as flamboyant bordering on fussy, some of the rooms have wrap-around terraces and all have exquisite bathrooms. They are starting renovation of upper level rooms this fall to update and simplify this classic beauty in stages.

This town is graceful, with elegant architecture, happening beaches, a charming old quarter, chic boutiques and best of all, so many little restaurant-bars featuring inexpensive wines by the glass and scrumptious pinxtos, the Basque version of tapas. These bars have a few seats, some areas for standing and the goods out on display. Grab a plate and select some nibbles: grilled octopus, crab in puff pastry, baked Brie and sun dried tomato drizzled with lavender-infused honey on toasty bit… And these are just the traditional options. Many modern takes on pinxtos abound at sleek establishments, taking cue from Adrian Feria at El Bulli, incorporating avant-garde ingredients like savory sorbets and froth. Unafraid to combine seemingly dissimilar textures and flavors, these chefs experiment with dishes like scallops paired with a dollop of avocado foam and tiny scoop of anise gelato. Everything is (nearly) bite-sized and you wander from bar to bar, eating and drinking until satiated. I became addicted to these deep purple sangria slushies, apparently sent straight from heaven. You’re convinced they have no alcohol until after the second, when you’re inexplicably gobbling up anchovies, things with mayonnaise or other less delectable items. We finished off our first night of gourmet ramblings with a bottle of wine on the beach at sunset.

One of the most excellent attributes of San Sebastian is how compact this city is, entirely walkable. Early one morning we walked up Monte Urgull to the fortress complete with an enormous statue of Jesus, antique canons and to-die-for sea views. Plus some exercise to burn off all the pork products and queso we’d been eating for over a week now. Have I mentioned the daily meat menu?

We walked from the Old Quarter along the promenade, past Playa de la Concha, stopping at Mirmar Palace, and then meandering all the way down to Ondarreta beach and to the stirring Eduardo Chillida Wind Combs sculptures as the very end. These massive twisted metal artworks, icons of San Sebastian, dominate the huge boulders and are accentuated by the crashing waves. We spent the rest of the afternoon at the beach; me topless and Andres in his Hugo Boss Euro swim shorts a la Daniel Craig in Casino Royale. Viva España!