After a nice breakfast with Nicole and Emmanuel, I left around 8 o'clock, which was later than usual. Nicole had already left since she works in the technical department of the hospital in Cambo-les-Bains. Her daughter is doing an internship there during the holidays and left with her. Emmanuel works from home; he is an IT specialist and mainly helps elderly people solve their IT problems, which he does quite well.
Espelette
I immediately set off from their place to one of the most well-known Basque villages, Espelette, famous for its Espelette spice, made from red peppers. In the fields, small red peppers (up to 10 cm long) were growing in the sun. They are later hung on strings to dry in the sun. Once well-dried, they are ground into powder. You can buy both stronger and milder varieties. I find it very tasty in soups, ratatouille, and even on chicken or other meats. Many houses in the village have garlands of these red peppers hanging on their facades; most houses are beautifully decorated. The village thrives on the peppers, sheep's cheese, and various dried sausages and meats. I saw a woman dragging beautiful cheeses into her shop. She told me that they would all be sold by the end of the day.I
Espelette and surroundings
Afterward, I got back on my bike and rode further to St. Jean de Luz, which is located by the sea, near the border with Spain. It’s a beautiful fishing port, and the fish shops are filled with fresh fish. The fishermen were busy repairing their nets for the next departure. It was very crowded because it was market day, and I had to lead my bike through the crowd. I secured it by the Église St. Jean Baptiste and went inside. The exterior of this church is not particularly special, but the interior has something unique that I had never seen before. At the back and sides of the church, several balconies are attached to the walls, one above the other, to provide more seating for people. There used to be a Romanesque church on this site, followed by another one, but all these churches suffered greatly during the wars between France and Spain and during the religious wars. In the 17th century, the church was expanded, and Louis XIV married Maria Theresa of Spain here on June 9, 1660, to strengthen peace with Spain. The church's interior is very Spanish, with a large 17th-century altarpiece of John the Baptist.
St Jean de Luz with the fishing boats and the church of John the Baptist with balconies and altarpiece
After my visit to the church and obtaining a pilgrim stamp on my credencial, I looked around the market a bit more. I came across a shop selling Jambon de Bayonne and tables full of delicacies. A young man was trying to sell his ham, but there was little interest. I told him I didn’t want a whole ham but 200 grams for my French bread for lunch. No problem, and I even got a few pieces to taste—really delicious. Then, around 1 p.m., I crossed the bridge via Hendaye and reached the border, which you can no longer see nowadays. It was quite busy, and I tried to use the secondary roads, but there were also many holidaymakers there. I even had to ride a section along the busy national road to Spain.
Yves in San Sebastian with Elias who guided him to his hostel and my bunk bed for the night
Soon I approached San Sebastian, and it became even busier around this large city. An old man told me there was a bike path further ahead that runs all the way to the old town of San Sebastian. He walked a bit with me to show me the red bike path. "Just follow the red path," he emphasized, and so I gradually reached the old town of a city that stretches along a bay on the coast for kilometers. The suburbs are quite industrial and not so pleasant.
I decided to have a picnic in a park, where the red bike path runs through, and there I discovered that I no longer had internet, so no contact with Magda at all. After my lunch, I spoke to a young man of about 25 years old with light brown skin. He was from Algeria but lives illegally in Spain. His name was Elias, and he became my umpteenth guardian angel (besides Rientje, who is always with me!). He placed his phone next to mine as a hotspot, so I could contact Magda, who gave me the name and address of the Koisi hostel. Elias suggested accompanying me to his house. He grabbed his bike, and I followed him to the other side of San Sebastian, through small alleys and along beautiful promenades, where we saw many sunbathers basking in the sun. After a good half-hour, we reached the hostel where I had reserved a bed (for 54 euros!), in a sort of alcove in a room with 8 such alcoves.
Impressions of San Sebastian
I thanked him warmly and offered him 20 euros for his trouble. He refused the money, but I insisted because he lives off odd jobs. He said he was happy to help me because many people had helped him when he arrived here. Hotel rooms in coastal cities in northern Spain are insanely expensive in the summer. A simple room costs at least 150 to 200 euros. I found it an extremely busy city with a beautiful beach, although I didn’t go there, and a stunning view. Otherwise, I found it terribly crowded. Coming here on vacation? NEVER.
It wasn’t my best night, as the room was full of young people who were quite noisy and, like me, had a lot of belongings. Luckily, I could still communicate with Magda thanks to the hostel's internet connection. I went for a walk, ate something, worked a bit, and then went to the busy room, where I eventually fell asleep. I tried not to fall out of my bed since I slept in the top bunk, a number that was randomly assigned to me. Climbing out of bed at night to go down is tricky, especially without light. But I survived, although I have no interest in experiencing this again...
Emmanuel, Nicole and their daughters who warmly welcomed me in Cambo-les-Bains
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