Our Spanish students visit San Sebastian

Spanish courses at Instituto Hemingway entail much more than just classes and textbooks. Every day, the Instituto puts on free cultural activities for its students, in order that they might deepen their understanding of Spanish culture and discover the beautiful places around Bilbao.

Last Sunday, 11th December (the third Sunday in advent) we spent a sunny day at the charming seaside town of San Sebastian, also known as Donostia. San Sebastian is located on the Bay of Biscay, just an hour away from Bilbao and about 20km to the west of the French border. The landscape of the Concha Bay has been almost unchanged since the 19th century. The beauty of the city and its great atmosphere make it a perfect place to while away the day practicing Spanish in good company.

We met up at 10am at the San Mamés bus station, and from there started our journey northwards. Some of the students took advantage of the cosy bus to take a nap, to make sure that they were in as good shape as possible for the day’s adventures! We started our tour with a wander along the river into the city centre, towards Zurriola beach. There, we explored the famous Kursaal building, a conference centre located right on the seafront. Along the Concha bay, we were impressed by the powerful waves and the skill of the multitude of surfers riding them.

Next, we climbed Mount Urgull and explored the medieval fortress and giant Jesus statue that grace its summit. Our lofty position commanded fabulous panoramic views of the city and its surrounding mountains. Hungry from our climb, we headed back down to the city in search of the famous San Sebastian pintxos, and quickly found a couple of delightful bars which offered great variety.

Although by now the weather had turned chilly, everyone bought a big ice cream for dessert and we enjoyed a pleasant walk along the beach, admiring the sea and the surfers, and finally after a long, brilliant day in San Sebastian we returned to Bilbao tired but happy.

We hope that our students enjoyed the day as much as we did, and we can’t wait for next time!