Ciao Roma, Hola Espana!

Our last Friday in Europe started early with a jaunt over to the airport via the metro and an airport bus. We decided early on during the planning stage of the trip that we would fly and not train the leg from Roma to Spain. We would have had to endure another night train and it was good thinking we decided to skip this. Instead we boarded a RyanAir flight in Roma´s Ciampiano airport-very small and crowded; clausterphobic people be ware! It was sheer craziness in there. The only screens that had any information were right above the check-in counters and to view the details we had to push through the sea of people who thought we were cutting in front of them. I can curse like a Spaniard if I have to so we were left alone after I whipped out their lingo. We found our line and were on our way to being checked in. All the lines and craziness in the airport ate up our 2 hours of anticipated travel and check-in time so it was a good thing we left early. The flight was extremely nice as both Beth and I scored exit row seats at the very front of the plane and we didn´t have anyone sitting in the seat next to ours. The rest of our travels that day were equally as smooth... ahhh, being in a country where I can speak the language is beautiful. We found the bus to take us to the bus station, bought tickets from Santander to San Sebastian and we were one leg closer to the beach. It was a 4 hour ride in a comfy coach bus and we got to see amazing coastal scenery as well as the tail end of the Pyranee Mountains. We located our hostel-Pension San Juan-with the help of a cheap taxi ride (neither one of us had a map or directions) and settled into the cozy bed and breakfast like place. The owner is very nice and warm and takes pride in his pension. He immediately made us feel at home offering us maps, beach towels and directions to nearby bars and the beach. The Summer Soltice celebration was going on that evening and we caught the tail end of the celebration in the main plaza. There were tons of people in the plaza watching a troop of traditional basque dancers do their thing and many others walking the pedestrian streets drinking beer and eating tapas (there are plates of various bite sized delicacies all along the bar. the bar attendant gives you a plate, you choose what you like and then you pay. you can enjoy however many you want). We hit the beach where a very older woman offered to take our picture... window shopping followed and we ended the night with some tapas and beer at a bar close to our hostel. we had arrived in paradise-beach, friendly and fun people and lots of good shopping and food!