9/15/22-10/15/22

Our flat is on a charming narrow street, with 100-year old balconied buildings that have residential flats upstairs and businesses (mostly bars and restaurants) on the ground level. In the U.S. real-estate world they would call this “mixed use development.” Ours is a cobblestoned walk-street that is only about 10 yards wide. The restaurants have high-top tables (no stools), lining the wall along the outside of their establishments. In the evening, the crowds from each spill out and merge and fill the whole street. From lunchtime on there is usually a steady sound of folks chatting, but as things really get going in the evening (primetime is from 9pm-1am) it can get pretty loud, confirming the scientific fact that the more you drink, the louder you talk.

We arrived on a Thursday, and thought “oh it’s just so loud because the weekend is getting started” and we were proved right as Friday and Saturday’s crowds enjoyed themselves louder and later. On Sunday night we said “So much for it quieting down on a Sunday.” Through Monday and Tuesday we figured “Okay, it’s just always like this.” Then, on Wednesday it stopped for one night, and we couldn’t sleep because it was “too quiet!” We’ve adjusted, and come to embrace it as part of the cultural experience – what else can we do, we paid for this apartment for one month! During the first week we’ve enjoyed looking over our balconies at the frolickers at night, listening to a group of singers serenade one afternoon, and – for some unknown adorable reason – a little fife and drum corps marches by every Sunday morning.

Our flat is a small 2-bedroom unit on the second floor (which is actually three floors up, because in Europe they don’t count the ground level.) It is simply furnished and decorated, clean, and has two balconies (one in the living room and one in the main bedroom). The tiny kitchen has no dishwasher or garbage disposal, but it does have a washing machine. You air-dry the clothes afterward on a portable rack.

We are situated in the oldest part of the city, Parte Vieja, – founded in 1180 – and are a two-minute walk to two great beaches, any number of amazing walk/run/bike/hike trails, five giant churches, a port, a couple of castles and an endless number of pinxto bars (Basque tapas). In short, we like it here!