Last week my friend from St. Andrew's, Hal Flowers, visited me here in Pamplona. Hal is a junior at Rhodes College in Memphis and has been studying in Sevilla in southern Spain this semester. I was really glad to see a familiar face and hang out with an old friend in another country. We checked out Pamplona and on Wednesday went to San Sebastian, the famous and magical beach city on the Bay of Biscay, about an hour from Pamplona. It is famous for being one of the best beaches in Europe, and I believe it. A lovely laid back Spanish city nestled between the beach and the mountains; you can't ask for much more. We strolled around the old part of the city, "Casco Viejo," and then walked along the sea to the base of one of two mountains to take a cable car up to the top. The view from the top was really spectacular. The picture included in this post is from the top of Monte Igueldo. I later found out there's a hotel at the top on this mountain with rooms with this view. Definitely good to know for when I return. Our hostel didn't come with quite as nice of a view, but it was really nice as far as hostels go and each room had a balcony, which later allowed us to shout at revelers celebrating the Barcelona victory over Manchester United. (That's futbol/soccer talk for those who don't follow sports). We did a pintxo (Basque word for tapas) crawl, since San Sebastian is also the gastronomy capitol of Basque country. We met some Australians and other Americans in one bar and ended up going out together that night. The next day we ate a MUCH needed Kebap (those who've lived abroad know what I'm talking about...some days are just Doner Kebap days) and headed back to Pamplona. From there Hal headed on the rest of his Spanish tour before his return to America. Friday night I went to the going away dinner my friends hosted for me at the Sidreria, or Cider house. Sidra, or sider, is a traditional Basque drink and, as the other patrons of the restaurant warned us, it is a sly and potent beverage. The pressurized cider shoots out of massive barrels and you have to more or less catch it with your glass. We all had a great time and dined on delicious traditional Basque fare such as tortilla de bacalao (a frittada/omelette dish filled with cod) and choriza a la cidra (chorizo-spanish sausage-slow cooked in cider). Later I met up with some of the Ole Miss students who are studying here and introduced them to a club here in Pamplona. As for this week, I am studying for my final exam and packing. Everything is packed except my bedding, toiletries, my laptop, and clothes for one week. I can't believe how quickly time has gone by, and I will be sad to leave this place that has been a benevolent home for the past 4 months. I wish I could stay longer; while at the same time, I am happy I am going home. I miss all of you and can't wait to see you...but promise me we can come back :) Thanks for reading my blog and keeping up with me. See you all soon!
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