another solo trip? do you even have friends?

Yes. I do have friends. However, another solo trip was in order, since my friends had already planned the puente (long weekend) and were going to Morocco or Istanbul (what LOSERS), or they had no money for traveling. Waiting to the last minute sometimes is not the best strategy, but for me, it works, kind of. Anyway, to escape from Madrid for a few days, I hopped on a bus and rode seven hours, through wind and rain, and arrived to a dark and gloomy San Sebastián. Dark, gloomy, and wonderfully mysterious. One note: In Madrid, it never rains. The wind doesn't gust so much as sandblast. And there is never, never water thrown in your face, unless you get hit by a bucketful from someone's window. San Sebastián is next to the Atlantic Ocean, about 30 miles from France. Weather-wise, it's everything Madrid is not, which is exactly what I needed. I arrived at around 10:30, and it was already dark and rainy. After checking into my hostel, which was surprisingly cozy and thankfully dry, I wandered into the street to get something to eat. Spaniards talk about the good eats in the Basque country (not officially a seperate country, but don't tell them that), and they can back it up. They've got some tapas (really, they're called pintxos) that are insane in the membrane. It needed to be said. I ate so much, yet I have no pictures of food (what was I thinking??). Foie gras, cod with cauliflower purée, ham croquettes, goat cheese toast, a perfectly cooked steak filet (Remember that time I was vegetarian for like seven years? What was that about?)...I can't even remember what else. Deliciousness. And I walked. Up the beach, down the beach, up a hill. I didn't mind the wind, the rain, the deliciously expensive food. It knocked some sense into my dried out brain. And on the last day, I saw the end of a marathon. You heard me. Spanish people. Running. Without the threat of being gored by a bull. The Basque country really is different.