Despedidas

Saying goodbye to San Sebastian and the friends I made there was really difficult. There are literally thousands of miles separating the majority of us. And, let's face it...I'll NEVER live anywhere that beautiful again.

My final exams were finised at 1 pm on June 15th (a Friday). This was one of the happiest days of my life. Final exams in Spain were absolutely excrutiating, especially the last one that I had.

Originally, I had wanted to travel some more in the 2 weeks I had left before I would go back to the States, but I decided that I didn't want to be anywhere else but right there in San Sebastian saying my goodbyes to the city and my friends.

To summarize, I tried in that time, to make up for all the fun I hadn't had during school and I made up for all the time I had spent traveling Europe instead of exploring the city I was living in. I went to the beach a lot too.

Saying goodbye to my roommates was tough too. But, I know we'll see eachother again. Luckily, we did get to spend extra time together after exams.

My study abroad semester finally concluded on June 26th in the early morning when I left San Sebastian for an undefined period of time. Ironically, the weather was cold and stormy...very much unlike what it was when I got there...

Agurrrr Donosti...voy a regresar algun dia.

My Parents Visit Donosti!

So this is an update to cover my parents visit to San Sebastian. They were actually in Italy for a few weeks and flew to visit me in Spain. It was very exciting to have them with me, event though it was in the middle of final exams!

They took a Ryanair flight from Rome Ciampino to Santander, Cantabria, Spain (which is a couple of hours by bus to San Sebastian.) It was a little hectic getting them situated with bus tickets that I bought for them in San Sebastian, which then they had to pick up in Santander. Luckily, they made it on time!

When they arrived it was a very stormy day and I waited for them at San Sebastian's small bus station. They got checked into the Amara Plaza hotel (next to the bus station) and we proceeded to find food...this was not so easy on a Friday night because dinner starts near 10pm and we were all starving.

I took them to my more than humble-hole in the wall-Basque armpit of an apartment and fed them Spanish tortilla, horchata, and brie with crackers. Then I took them for pintxos. Generally, one eats pintxos standing at the bar...so this is no family style dinner...but, that is just how it goes.

The following day, the rain was gone thankfully and I was able to walk them from their hotel down the river, through the shopping area, the basilica, to all 3 beaches, and I took them up Monte Igueldo. We got some great pictures on Sunday because the weather was awesome!

Unfortunately, Monday morning I had a final exam for my Marketing class so I didn't get to eat breakfast with them. After my exam we went to the grocery store and I made them lunch and we sat in the little park by my apartment overlooking La Contxa beach. Of course, to accompany my healthy lunch we had to get a Juantxo bocadillo de tortilla bacalao...had to. We rested the remainder of the day. And finally they left and I had to say farewell until June 26th.