#spaintra

The next day the fog was still keeping the daylight from being too bright, and it was a big surprise when I awoke to see that it was 1pm! I suppose we were trying to catch up from our long day of travel, but that was a little ridiculous. Thankfully, we had no big plans for the day and we really could take a leisurely start for vacation. Still, it is disorienting starting one’s day in the afternoon.

  We headed out into the rain, which was coming down harder than the previous day. I quickly discovered that although I had thought of everything in terms of packing and preparation, the one pair of shoes that I bought specifically for the trip were not waterproof. They were soaked within minutes. I was walking around with sponges on my feet, uncomfortable and fearing getting sick. Our first order of business was thus to get me a good new pair of shoes. Once I bought my new boots, my entire state of being improved. My poor old shoes would have to wait a few days until they were dry again.

  We walked through San Sebastian in spite of the rain, and enjoyed the shops, the cathedral and the picturesque bridges. It’s a small town, and at this time of year, they don’t have many tourists, and we felt like we were really part of the culture. We were brave enough to try our hand at pinxtos, though back at a place Lourdes had taken us. We didn’t want to eat too much though, because that evening we would be having dinner at a two Michelin star restaurant.

  I had reserved our dinner at Mugaritz, which is slightly afield from San Sebastian, but a short cab ride. In anticipation of the meal, we had watched a few food shows about the chef and the food experience. We didn’t know exactly what to expect, but knew it would be delicious. We arrived in the dark and rainy evening to be greeted by a hostess with umbrellas to protect us and the smell of a wood burning fireplace. We were led to the origin of the fireplace, a small lodge built as a waiting room for diners. We joined another couple sipping champagne, and we followed suit. In a few minutes, we were escorted back through the courtyard and into the restaurant.

  The space inside was also much like a lodge or cabin, but with modern tables and white fabric partitions to give each table privacy. The staff was so gracious and tried their best with English. We ate nearly 25 courses, all beautifully plated if not delicious. I would say that I didn’t care for a few things (fermented rice, fish in slime), but I could still appreciate them. We were invited to view the kitchen and speak with the evening’s chef. He was delightful and proud of his work. With him, we ate a little sandwich made of four fried fish (the whole fish- eyes and all) about the size of a half dollar.

  Next to our table at the meal was an older gentleman who also spoke English. There was no partition between us, and since he spoke our language we politely conversed throughout the meal. His name is Paul and he’s from Australia, but he lives in Idaho now, and since his divorce after 36 years of marriage, he decided to travel the world and eat at every top restaurant. He was friendly and enjoyable and we invited him to join our table for dessert. We had a great time talking about food, politics and the state of the world with him.