Category Archives: Spain

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

In 2009, I have travelled extensively. For 2 1/2 month, I studied Spanish in Spain. During that time, I also visited Morocco. After coming home, we (my parents, brother, I, and our dog) had a big road-trip and visited several western states. Along the way, we visited New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, as Wyoming. Although YellowStone N.P. was quite famous, as for me, the Garden of Gods in Boulder and Vail, Colorado, and the Arch National Park were the top scenic locations. Then, I decided to refresh my French knowledge. Where else to learn a language than physically present in that country. It was October and November, I studied French in Bordeaux and Nice. Right after my course, my parents came to visit France. Together, we rented a car and visited Mont St. Michel and castles in the Loire Valley. Yes, having some rudimentary French really helped us during the travel, e.g. booking hotels, ordering meals in the restaurant, … And, it definitely aided me in understanding the French history and culture.

With Christmas coming soon, I decided to pull my photos together and create a greeting card for my friends. So, here it is. There are 2 versions. One with my western-state trip. And, the one does not.

Hondarribia, Spain

The next day, I visited Hondarribia, a small village near San Sebastian. In this village, there is a beautiful bay with lots of personal sailing boats. The sun was shining bright in the sky. And, the gentle ocean breeze brought me a sense of calmness. I strolled along the promenade by the bay, admired the beautiful scenery and watched people who were enjoying their vacations.

San Sebastian Aquarium & Night Life

After coming down the hill, I visited the small Aquarium next to the harbor.

San Sebastian, Spain

This weekend, I visited San Sebastian, a beautiful seaside resort town in Spain, in the Pais Vasco country. The city became famous after the Queen Isabel II of Spain in 1845 took her physician’s advice and treated her skin problem by bathing in the sea.

The city’s main beach is called Playa de Conchas (Beach of the Seashell). The bay is laid out in the shape of a crescent moon. On the two tips, there are two mountains.

I climbed the Monte Urgull on foot. It was a steep climb. Yet, when I reached the top, the view was breathtaking and well worth the effort. On the top of the mountain, there was a statue of Christ and a museum showcasing the history of the city.

After descending the hill, I visited the Aquarium, which had an interesting of ship models. The small display of sea-lives was also interesting. I took several good photos of starfishes and crabs in the display.

Like all Spanish cities, the town became filled with people after 9 P.M. People were either strolling in the street or visiting many of the reasonably price restaurants.