San Sebastian and Hondarribia
In Basque country, nothing stirs before noon…
…except roosters obligated to crow at the crack of dawn. Carrying fresh-pressed coffee to the porch, we shared a view of the rising sun with an ambivalent horse. Soft golden light filtered through remnants of autumn leaves. Boats bobbed in the harbor below and the dawn inched across empty beaches. It would be hours before the rest of Hondarribia stirred. We got an early start from our tiny mountain-top lodge and headed to San Sebastian for a day hike to Jesus perched atop Monte Urgull.
We visited in late Fall, after La Concha bay has cooled and the beach lovers have all returned home. As early risers, we literally had the place to ourselves for most of the morning. In the evening, we had first dibs on the spread of pinxos and a glass of clear, bubbly txakolí.
