Where in the World is Sharon Daugherty2: San Sebastian (Day two)

Woke to rain and rain. Our guide Thomas, from last night told us we should walk the entire Concha Promenade to the end where we would find a sculpture called "The Wind Comb", and a funicular that would take us to the top of Mount Igeldo with great views of San Sebastián. So rain or not we set off after breakfast. He also told us last night that the way you tell visitors from local Basques is that the Basques always have umbrellas and visitors from Barcelona do not. Ha. (Actually I did bring my umbrella, but You can't carry it and take pictures at the same time, so I opted for the hood on my raincoat).

One of the beautiful buildings along the promenade

La Concha Promenade is unquestionably one of San Sebastián’s most characteristic features. It is a seaside promenade bordering the famous Concha Bay, shell-shaped as indicated by its name in Spanish, with two beaches (Ondarreta and the Concha)

and an island (Santa Clara) in the background. The sculpture is by Eduardo Chillida in homage to Sir Alexander Fleming, inventor of Penicillan.

Ondaretta Beach. Thomas our guide from last night says this is the beach where the locals go because it is higher than Concha and when the tide is in they can still sit on it. Not so much with Concha beach. During high tide there is very little beach left. He says many an unsuspecting tourist has lost a towel or two to the tide on Concha beach. We are headed to the farthest point that meets the sea.

Queen Maria Cristina

“At one end of the Bay in San Sebastian at the foot of Mount Igeldo was where Eduardo Chillida placed his favourite piece of work, the Wind Comb, in 1977, with three spectacular pieces of steel anchored to the rocks and surrounded by the sea.

The Wind Comb could be considered as a combined work between Eduardo Chillida and nature. The sculptor felt fascinated by the waves that crashed against the western end of Donostia's bay. In 1977, he added to the image three steel pieces grasping the rocks.

If we go beyond Ondarreta and walk through the Tenis Promenade, made in granite by the architect Luis Peña Ganchegui, we will get into a space apart with the sea as a backdrop and the union between steel and rock as the main character. When there is a storm, the show is unforgettable.

Thomas told us not to step over these holes or we could get an unexpected surprise. They were originally supposed to be a part of the sculpture (which according to Thomas doesn't work), but they do spout water occasionally and have been known to catch an unsuspecting tourist.

Although wet and rainy today, the sea is not so rough. It is known to crash over the sculptures in quite a show.

The funicular to the top of Mount Igeldo

Ok, well the view is a tad foggy and rainy

but I bet on a sunny day it is spectacular. Ha..

Back down to town, we found a lunch spot and going back to the hotel afterwards, I broke out the umbrella. Welllllll!

After drying out and a rest we headed back out, this time through the front entrance to the hotel and towards the Cathedral.

The original building was erected in 1865. Before becoming a hotel, it accommodated Queen Isabella II who headed for exile from here in September 1868 when the Revolution led by Prim, Serrano and Topete triumphed and overthrew her. During his visit to the city in 1872, King Amadeus I of Savoy lodged in this building already transformed into a palace-hotel.

Used as the Casino Kursaal and occasionally as a hospital during the second Carlist War, the building then became a hotel taking the name of Hotel Inglés. Later, in 1902, it was sold to M. Eduardo Dupouy who transferred the establishment known as Hotel de Londres he owned on Avenida de la Libertad to this site.

The following, among many others, have been guests: Henri Marie de Toulouse-Lautrec, Archduchess Elizabeth of Austria, David Strauss, spy Mata Hari after whom we have named the Hotel's most important suite in recognition of her enigmatic beauty.

Dating back to the late 19th century, San Sebastian's striking Buen Pastor Cathedral features Neo-Gothic style architecture and three spacious naves. With surrounding landscaped gardens and an elaborately decorated spacious interior, the Catedral del Buen Pastor stands opposite the Basilica de Santa Maria del Coro.

The Plaza Nueva of San Sebastián -today called the Plaza de la Constitución-, was constructed on the square built by Hércules Torrelli in 1723, destroyed by fire in 1813. The original numbering of the balconies has been preserved, alluding to their use as boxes for distinguished guests during festive occasions such as bullfights, tickets for which were sold in City Hall.

The Plaza de la Constitución lies deep in the heart of the Old Town. The building that dominates the square was San Sebastián’s City Hall until the 1940s.

Today, however, the Plaza de la Constitución is a square packed with life (well maybe not today), where some of the most important local festivities take place: raising and lowering of the flag on January 20th, San Sebastián Day, the Santo Tomás fair (December 21st), etc.

This work, based on Oteiza’s sketches for the frieze in the Sanctuary of Arantzazu, was made by the sculptor José Ramón Anda under the close supervision of Oteiza himself. The work was hung on the facade of San Vicente Church in 1999 to become the city’s first sculpture by Oteiza.