The old walls
Inside the church
Simply beautiful (Loved the symmetry)
After the tour we all ate a real Basque meal at a restaurant. There was super good bread of course, salad and chicken with lots of peppers and vegetables and fries. The fries here are different- they almost seem healthy! Then for dessert we had a wonderful creamy basque cake! So good! After that we had to try the chocolate since Bayonne is famous for having amazing chocolate. They had flavors that included Earl Gray Tea and other different, but good combinations. Then we went shopping in the town.
At the end of our shopping spree we came across a stringed instrument repair shop. My friend Courtney has been trying to find a cello to rent since we arrived and she ended up renting their only cello! She signed a contract in French! The owner let me play a guitar for a little bit too which made me very happy!
Next stop was Saint Sebastian Spain! My first time in that country, it was very neat! It was an odd feeling because France was beginning to feel comfortable, like I was settled there. Then I came to a new country and it was like being a foreigner all over again- only worse with a smaller grasp of the language. Luckily I was with someone who knew Spanish, so I wasn't completely stuck! We also ran into some USAC students who were studying in Saint Sebastian and they gave us some tips!
The schedule in Spain is so different from what I'm used to. They eat tapas at 7:30 which is where they have the food lined up at the bar and you chose what you want to eat based on what looks good. What you see is what you get! It's basically a bar of appetizers. They expect you to eat a couple and then move on to another place to eat more.
Diner begins at 10 and people don't even start going to bars until 11 or later. Once the bars close at 3 in the morning, then the clubs open! Needless to say, the Spanish sleep in later than the French. I can't imagine living that lifestyle!
San Sebastian is right on the ocean shore! It was so beautiful! I miss living on the water.
While we were there, there was a film festival taking place. They had a sort of "white" carpet set up with paparazzi and everything. Juliet Roberts and Gusti Ayu Puspawati were supposed to be there, but I never saw anyone famous.
The next morning, my group went to an aquarium, which was pretty fun. It had a tunnel where one was completely surrounded by water. And of course, they had nemo and all of his friends!
On the hill above Saint Sebastian there is a statue of Jesus which overlooks all of the stores, restaurants and bars, we climbed to the top! Everyone keep saying, "Remember, Jesus is watching you." It was a bit of a hike, but the view was good and it kind of felt like a pilgrimage to find Jesus :)
For lunch that day, I ordered a basque desert since I had had a big breakfast. It was super super super delicious. Even just ordering that in Spanish was difficult. haha
Another thing that I loved about Spain was the live music that they had in certain squares. The main square was originally used for bull fights and one could rent the little balconies surrounding it to watch. Now there is music and markets in the square.
Back on the bus to our last stop which was Saint Jean de Luz. Another basque town on the ocean where all the roofs were red!
We visited the church where King Louis the 14th married his Spanish princess. Very ornate.
The town was famous for their macaroons, so of course we had to try them! So worth it!
Overall a very successful excursion! I loved it very much!
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