This morning, I wondered if I would get from Bilbao to San Sebastian, at least as planned. It was one of those, if it can go wrong, it will days. The bus was scheduled to depart at 11 am. From the hotel to the bus terminal, the trip is supposed to take about ten minutes.
At 10:15, the front desk clerk called a taxi for me. “It will be here in five minutes,” she told me. Three minutes later torrents of rain began to fall. “Okay,” I told myself, “I’ve got plenty of time.” A few minutes later, a police car with lights flashing, drove up the street in front of the hotel. Behind it was a large group of people demonstrating, about what, I don’t know. Their signs were becoming bedraggled in the wet. That didn’t deter them, they marched on.
Time was slipping away. I asked the desk clerk to call and see if the taxi could meet me at the end of the street away from the demonstrators. “Five minutes,” she told me. I stood on the corner in the rain, no taxi. I finally saw a taxi, not the one I was waiting for, but so what? I hailed it, something that isn’t done here. The driver pulled over, my luggage and I piled in, and we were off. Not so fast—traffic was at a standstill.
We arrived at the bus station at 10:50. As quickly as possible I made my way inside. Dock 12 the departure screen read. There was a long line to board, phew. When it was my turn to show my ticket, I was told my ticket was for a different transport company. Other tourists told me they were waiting for the same bus. At 11:30 we boarded at dock 17.
It turns out, the bus was great–very comfortable, with a TV screen at every seat. It poured almost the entire trip, obliterating the view. As we entered San Sebastian the sky cleared, it was still gray but no longer raining. That was good because there were no taxis in sight. Google maps indicated it was an eleven-minute walk to the apartment I’ll be sharing with other women attending the conference. Eleven minutes turned into about twenty—rolling a suitcase on cobblestones isn’t easy.
April, Lesa, and Lori’s flight from Barcelona was delayed. I found a café with excellent Wi-Fi, got a cappuccino, and answered emails while I waited. The time went quickly. Our host met us at the apartment. It is spacious, modern, and comfortable. The neighborhood is lively, with lots of shops, cafes, and restaurants.
All of us were ready for a meal—we walked to the old part of San Sebastian, about a ten-minute walk. There we found a terrific restaurant, BideBide. Fresh seafood and a huge salad, yum. When we left the restaurant, the sun had come out, a very welcome sight.
It was now late afternoon. The others went to find a grocery store. I made my way back to the apartment, stopping along the way to sit and rest (my back was screaming) and to take photos. San Sebastian is a beautiful city, much of it in the French style due to Queen Maria Cristina who spent her summer here. Her presence attracted French royalty and their magnificent homes (palaces) line the main streets.
Be prepared to see a lot of architectural photos over the next few days.