day 035

// two breakfast sandwiches at the san seb airport. i did not partake as i was still running to the bathroom every ten minutes. let me tell you, i was very worried about taking a long flight on a small plane.



// checked in to our hotel room in brussels as quickly as possible, where i slept the whole day (we arrived in the early afternoon), while aj went out to explore



// he brought back treats!



// and jook for me. my first solids. and we watched gumball rally on tv.

day 034

this was a day of wandering around town ...



// gorgeous stained glass roof at the post office



// stumbled across a sports parade



// stumbled across a wedding



// stumbled across a cute little street market



// stumbled across a food competition (we sampled some)



// then i fell ill with the bug, big time ... i wanted to rest, and i got to, but only after visiting another 3 pinxtos bars and 2 more gelaterias

day 033

// enjoying our walk along the beach towards parte vieja



// a bunch of fancy pinxtos



// a pinxto we actually ordered. it won some award. and it was good.



// fun gelato shop



// a visit to a local cider house ... more here: san sebastian: part 2

day 032

// the breakfast of champions: churros con chocolate



// one-hour drive to asador etxebarri



// those percebes (goose barnacles) we mentioned earlier, still smoky



// you eat them by twisting off the leathery sleeve and biting off the meat



// view of green mountains from our table



// they like their teeny tiny octopi over there



// while walking around the little town, a flock of sheep came charging right by us

day 031

// waiting for our flight to san sebastian



// the view of san seb from our hotel room



// sidra (cider)



// the spread and the crowd at a pintxos (basque tapas) bar ... we hit up at least 3 that first evening

San Sebastian: Part 3

Making our way around Basque country, we noticed a certain style of lettering that was used everywhere. Primarily restaurants and shops, but we even saw it on a large truck and some highway signage. Fun, but we're totally curious about who decided to "brand" the entire region this way. Perhaps there's only one signmaker in town and he just happens to like the look of this lettering?

Actually, there's a little more history to it. Like thousands of years of history. There's more here if you want to read, because I'm not about to get into it. You know me, it's all about the pictures.



















Ok, this last one doesn't match the others, but you get bonus points if you know why we included it.

San Sebastian: Part 2

TXOTX! Luckily, we were in San Seb at the very end of cider season. For just a few months of the year (something like late January through late April), the cider houses open up and let people drink cider straight from the barrel. We couldn't pass up the opportunity to participate in this tradition.

We chose to visit Sidras Zelaia, which is run by one family, father, mother and daughter.



As you enter, you first walk into the main dining hall. But we wondered where everyone else was.



Of course, they were all just a few steps away, in the next room, the barrel room.



We were a little unsure of where to go and what to do, but they showed us to our table and we were free to try as much cider as we wanted. They started us off with some bread and chorizo cooked in cider.



Then it was time to hit the cider room, which we returned to between each course, and sometimes as well as midway through a course.





Next course was a massive cod omelet. Trust me, these hearty portions are necessary for keeping relatively sober. Plus, I don't think they know how to make small portions.



Then we had some cod with peppers.



And finally the main course. Steak cooked over open flames. It's hard to see in the picture, but it was a massive chunk of meat. And when our server brought it, instead of saying something like "enjoy" or "bon appetit," he simply said,"you want more meat, tell me."





We did not ask for seconds, but someone did a pretty good job of cleaning the bone.



And here's a good idea of how the dining hall filled up. It was literally a full house. It's apparently the thing to do in town, with family and/or buddies.



And a look at the little wooden stopper used to keep the cider in the barrels.



We finished up the night with some dessert: cheese, apple jelly, cookies and a basket of whole walnuts.



Yes, we heart San Seb. The cider house was definitely one of the highlights. Best cider ever! (Don't mind the double-chin. It was just a funny angle, I swear.)