Road Trip, Days 1-4: From Home to San Sebastián, Spain via Biarritz

Our dog and house sitters arrived safely from Australia [we used TrustedHousesitters.com again], we prepped them as well as possible, introducing them to a few friends (just in case) and finally hit the road on Wednesday. We drove through intermittent rain to Biarritz, but it was dry and windy when we arrived. Got a beautiful room with a stunning ocean view. It was interesting to see them work the beach sand with heavy equipment at low tide to make it beautiful for morning.

We laughed at ourselves as we strolled around town, amongst all the “beautiful people,” and I made a comment on Theo’s now 20-year-old coat, which was a beautiful Façionable when he got it. But it had lived it’s life and was looking very tired. We don’t get out of our casual little town much, so it never really registered how shabby we looked. Well, Theo is very sensitive about these things—and so the hunt for a new jacket ensued. The weather was very pleasant in Biarritz, so we enjoyed a nice stroll around town and along the ocean before heading for San Sebastián just over the Spanish border.

After weaving through San Sebastián, and despite the fact that we were hissed at by locals while unloading our luggage at the Pension we had booked, we fell in love with San Sebastián, as everyone suggested we would. (Parking on the street is for local residents only, and they do not take kindly to pulling into ‘their’ place, if even for just a few minutes!) The video below shows how popular scooters are in Old Town.

Heading out to savour the infamous Pintxos (tapas/small plates) of San Sebastián, we found the bars were mostly full, so we continued until we found a place we could sit down. Enjoyed many glasses of rioja with all kinds of different nibbles. Marvelous. And can’t wait to do it again tomorrow! Being in the thick of the shopping district, Theo finally found a coat he liked (for those of you who I know are going to ask…)

We realized, after arriving, that January 20 is San Sebastián’s Patron Saint’s Day with the Tamborrada drum parade. How lucky we felt, to be a part of this amazing event!!! During the festival the city becomes a defeaning place for 24 hours as it comes alive with hundreds of thousands of beating drums that play throughout the streets.

It kicked off at midnight and we braved our way to the plaza, despite warnings that it was ‘crazy!’ Well, it did not disappoint. We arrived shortly after the opening ceremony, when many people were trying to get out and more people were trying to get in. Held in the Plaza of the Constitution, an old bullring, the space was limited and it was wall-to-wall bodies—rubbing, pushing, singing, leaning, squeezing, in one huge breathing mass. We were afraid at times that we would get hurt, because if you went down, there’s no telling if anyone would step aside so you could actually get up! Pretty horrifying, actually, but now we’ve done it, and don’t need to do it again!!!

For the next twenty-four hours, the city bubbled with town pride, city flags were hung everywhere and most barkeepers were dressed in the city colors of blue and white. At noon, we attended the children’s parade. The streets were lined with parents, grandparents, residents, and visitors to watch the uniformed groups proudly play their drums. With every school represented and thousands of children, the event was an absolute delight.

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Throughout the rest of the day you could find adult drum brigades every couple of blocks. They would give a performance, go to the bar and slam down some cocktails, then reassemble for another show on a different corner! So lively and fun, despite there being only about 3 or 4 different songs being played. By the end of it all, you’re humming the damned songs in your head, with the drum beats still banging in your soul! Theo felt like he was in the middle of Karneval!

The uniforms worn by participants resembled either a military uniform, banging on traditional drums, or that of a cook, using a barrel as a drum. Story goes, that the tradition originated in 1720, when a baker began singing while filling barrels at a fountain. Some girls passed by and joined in on the fun by banging on some barrels and soon a crowd had formed and an impromptu jam session began, which evolved into the Tamborrada festival!

So, just in case you didn’t get the song memorized before, here it is one more time, or for those of you who just can’t get enough!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Throughout the rest of the day you could find adult drum brigades every couple of blocks. They would give a performance, go to the bar and slam down some cocktails, then reassemble for another show on a different corner! So lively and fun, despite there being only about 3 or 4 different songs being played. By the end of it all, you’re humming the damned songs in your head, with the drum beats still banging in your soul!

The uniforms worn by participants resembled either a military uniform, banging on traditional drums, or that of a cook, using a barrel as a drum. Story goes, that the tradition originated in 1720, when a baker began singing while filling barrels at a fountain. Some girls passed by and joined in on the fun by banging on some barrels and soon a crowd had formed and an impromptu jam session began, which evolved into the Tamborrada festival!