Part three...i left my heart in san sebastian

There's a reason Olga's hostel has a high rating on hostelworld...it's home away from home. Big balconies, amazing location and most importantly, the company, made our stay most enjoyable!

The rooms are big, came with safes and were located one street beach from the big surf beach (waves not included)...unfortunately our room was located next to the bathroom which had extremely loud slamming doors...not a good match with a drunken backpacker...also a certain receptionist could learn to crack a smile once in a while...

Overall 8 out of 10

Being united with your fellow travellers over a giant pan of paella and sangria is really one of the best ways to bring people together...it took 13 hungry mouths and a little bit of sweet talking to get Olga's friend to keep his restaurant open for us into the late hours of the evening...and as paella was a must do for me, i can most definitely tick it off my list!

We ended off our night at an underground jazz bar and were highly amused when the bar staff handed instruments over to some of the patrons...one being possibly the most tone-deaf woman in Spain!

A thumbs up also goes to our new Swedish friends who drunk us under the table three-fold on our last night out...those 1 euro beers really were a killer!

San Seb 2- leather of another hide

If you're into sand, surf and sun then San Sebastian is your saviour! We were lucky enough to roll up to this seaside oasis on the first nice day they had apparently had in a while...and we, along with the rest of the town, made the most of it

Liberal is an understatement when it comes to the way some of the sun-loving Spaniards showcased themselves on the beach...topless is definitely the look de jour, for women of all ages and sizes...

We were lucky enough to encounter a group of leather ladies everyday during our own tanning exploits...remember Magda from 'There's something about Mary?'...well this was her four times over

Our lovely Scottish mate was most tempted to proposition the women for their hides for a new briefcase!
Note: actual images not included to protect the eyes of the reader

Between the beach, the architecture and the magnificent views, San Sebastian is a feast for the eyes and hearts.

Divine Donostia

So I think it's going to take me a few posts to convey my love of san sebastian across, theres just so much that is good about it...

Ill start with the first food i encountered on our arrival...after meeting a lovely American guy on the train who had a superb knowledge of the town, he took us to his favourite tapas (or pintxos in basque) bar...

These were our selections...

On his recommendation i ordered the crab with sheeps cheese, mint and cranberry taffee...it was....interesting
The combination was definitely something id never had before, and not being a raw fish fan the taste was quite foreign...
Wasn't revolting but i dont know if i'd have it again

Jonno on the other hand ordered a mini burger with banana chips...much more sane and very cute!

Buon Biarritz

(Our hostel)

Well my blog title has certainly lived up to its name upon arrival to Biarritz, on the south west coast of France, with Jonno and I getting ourselves suitably lost on our way to our hostel...

Thinking we would be economical (and because the lady at the airport said it was only 2kms away) we decided to walk to our hostel...only by using the bus route map...which proceeded to lead us in the wrong direction...

One and a half hours and about 4kms later, we had finally located the Alberge de Jeunese, our accommodation for the next 3 nights, and boy was it impressive!

Located a little out of town, but next to an amazing lake, the hostel was clean, had a good breakfast, was well organised and had a great setup. Definite point on for the table tennis tables! The photos really speak for themselves...as do the ones of Biarritz itself.

Points off only for distance to town and the fact that you can’t check in until 6pm...they were also quite strict with alcohol and food... 8.5/10

(crazy French soccer supporter)

Walking into town was somewhat confusing (yes we got lost again), but it was definitely not to our detriment- what an impressive coastline! Its mix of French chalet-style buildings with castle-like mansions had us constantly gasping in awe as we made our way into the centre of town.

Biarritz is very much a summer town, with most activities centring on the beach or eating- surfing is very popular, along with kayaking and bike riding. And while things could get expensive here, if you’re happy just relaxing and soaking in the sun (and buying food from the supermarket) it doesn’t have to cost you an arm and a leg. Pastries here get an A+ and are a super cheap indulgence.

I can just imagine the crowds here come peak summer season...nuts!!

Have had a great time pretending to be French (wearing my stripy tee of course)...though I felt much more like an outsider when a group of school-aged girls rocked up at hostel and proceeded to smoke pack after pack of cigarettes... with their teachers! How very liberal French! Guess i’ll just have to work on my croissant eating skills ;)