Spain: San Sebastián City & Pinxtos

CITY HIGHLIGHTS

Today we spent part of the day with Kai, a young guide who traveled and lived in other countries and worked in the hospitality industry before becoming a guide.  A native of San Sebastián, he loves his home city and presents it well.  With him, we went from the east side of town, close to our hotel, to the opposite side on the west. 

On the east end, we learned about an activist group, ETA or Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (Basque Homeland and Liberty), that agitated for an independent Basque state across the Basque territories in northern Spain and southwestern France.  It came into existence in the 1970’s during the Franco period when the Basque language and culture were being suppressed. The group was violent for a period resulting in many deaths, but in 2011, it ceased most activity and then dissolved in 2018.

This iron sculpture of a white pigeon or Dove of Peace with its wings spread was meant to be a symbol of San Sebastian’s commitment to peace and nonviolence during a turbulent time.  It was constructed of metal to withstand the ocean winds.

On the west side, a series of three metal sculpture are anchored into the coastal rocks. Intended to catch the action of the waves and entitled “Wind Comb,” they were designed by Eduardo Chillida Jantegui (1924-2002), a renowned San Sebastián sculptor. They were installed in 1977. The day was calm, so no wave or wind action.

These sculptures and the surrounding stone formations are stunning.

We also stopped at a lookout point and an historic amusement park for some marvelous views overlooking the bay.

PINXTOS TOUR

Catalonia (Barcelona and environs) is famous for its tapas; in Basque Country, it is pinxtos.  Go into almost any bar or restaurant in San Sebastian’s old quarter, and you will see an array of cold pinxtos on the counter, handheld treats looking appetizingly good.  Our guide Kai told us that these were fine, but that he thought the hot pinxtos and other ones ordered from the menu were better. 

Pinxtos are usually small bites, often on a slice of bread, or held together with a toothpick. The name, “pinxto” comes from the Spanish verb, “pinchar” which means to skewer or pierce.

We were on the early side for our tasting tour, starting at 1:00 pm, and so, we got a table in every restaurant but the last one. There, except for a few tables with chairs, it was only standing up at the bar itself or at lower tables, which we did like the women above.

With Kai as our knowledgeable local foodie, we shared pinxtos and tried local wines at four restaurants/bars. We then went on to a bakery to buy pastry to have with coffee at an outdoor cafe.

In addition and not pictured, we had a lovely scallop on a shell in a green curry sauce. We also sampled dishes I would never have ordered including rooster crest that was crispy and a base for tidbits of chicken in a creamy sauce. The gazpacho had pickle slices on it and was drizzled with fragrant basil oil.

It was a delicious and fun experience to sample this wide variety of small bites at Kai’s favorite places. Overall, a most memorable outing! Do any of these treats tempt you?

Note: All photos ©JWFarrington (some rights reserved.)