Where the Rich Live or Visit - Donostia & Biarritz - Basque Country

 The best teachers are those who show you where to look,

but don’t tell you what to see.

Alexandra K. Trenfor

Donostia or San Sebastián 
Started as a military stronghold in 1180
Now a place for the rich and famous

Although a beautiful place, I never seem to connect with locations that are very touristic or catering to the rich and famous.  Donostia was no different.  Great food, nice place but without soul or anything that pulled at my heartstrings.  I only spent half a day here and that was sufficient.

San Sebastián (Donostia)

Donostia is considered the pearl of the Basque Coast.  It exudes elegance and charm, has three beaches, with one of them shaped like a shell, appropriately called La Concha, filled with fine golden sand and azure waters.  Donostia displays a seamless interplay between timeless appeal and modern charm and has long been a well-known tourist destination.

It was named the European Capital of Culture in 2016.  Their motto being: Waves of People’s Energy and it could be said there is definitely a lot of vivacity running through the veins of this city.  Donostia is successful at using culture as a vehicle for social transformation.

Voted the best city in Europe in 2023 by Conde Nast, with more Michelin star restaurants per square foot than any city on the planet.  Renowned for its Basque cuisine it has the second most Michelin stars per capita in the world after Kyoto, Japan.  Two of the top ten restaurants in the world are found here. 

Considered a place of luxury for the elite, the city has enchanted royalty and aristocracy across the ages.  It became a fashionable resort for Spanish royalty and gentry in the 16^th century.  Today, the city has become a popular destination for the Spanish Royal Family. 

The city was chosen by the Spanish monarchy as a summer retreat following the French example of nearby Biarritz, and Spanish nobility and the diplomatic corps opened residences in the town. As the popularity of its beaches were in conflict with nearby shipbuilding activity, the shipyards relocated to another nearby bay.

On the downside, San Sebastián is one of the most expensive cities in Spain. It was previously named as THE most expensive city in Spain, ahead of Barcelona and Madrid, and 30% more expensive than the average Spanish city.

Despite its very long history (traces of prehistoric, knapped stones from 24,000-22,000 BCE – found here), what you see today was mostly built starting in the early 1800’s.  Previous diseases, wars and conquests destroyed anything else.  For example, Napoleon’s forces captured it in 1808, British and Portuguese troops took their turn in 1813 despite the strongest fortifications they had ever encountered.

In 1863, the defensive walls were demolished, allowing the city to expand with the influx of so many newcomers. 

After much debate in the city over whether to pursue an economy based on tourism or manufacturing, Donostia developed into a fully-fledged seaside resort. Following the outbreak of World War I, San Sebastián became a destination for renowned international figures of culture and politics, including Mata Hari, Leon Trotsky, Maurice Ravel, and Romanones.

In 1943, in order to regain some of their own culture and pride, the first Basque language schools were established. In 1947, the Grand Casino was converted into the City Hall. In 1953, city businessmen organized the first San Sebastián International Film Festival to stimulate the economic life and profile of the city.

Crescent shape - La Concha (shell) Beach & Promenade

Downtown garden and yes they have palm trees
Plaza Gipuzkoa, designed by French landscape artist Pierre Ducasse, 1877

Victoria Eugenia Antzokia's Theater, 1912
Full of bullet holes from Civil War of 1936-1939 (also found in City Hall's walls)
I know you can't see them in this picture, but I can attest they are there

View of Biarritz - which we didn't visit
Enough over-tourism with Donostia

Txokos

A Basque culinary secret, the Txoko (meaning nook or cozy corner) began in Donostia around 1870.  Unmarked doors signal the entrance to a unique culinary experience, the Txoko, a members-only-club of friends and relatives who gather and cook together.  These ‘secret’ non-profit gastronomic societies were formerly men-only clubs.  Meant mostly for entertainment, political or religious debates as well as gambling were prohibited.

Txokos are one of the most genuine expressions of Basque culture.  These gastronomic corners are the scene of social gatherings that go beyond the simple tasting of food: they are temples of friendship, tradition and culinary pleasure. 

Txokos were born as clandestine associations during the era of industrialization, they offered a private space for men to meet and find respite from the harsh reality of work. 

'The society (txoko) allows for a sort of group therapy that provides relief from daily pressures.’

Rafael Aguirre author of Sociedades Populares.

While many are privately run and owned in equal shares by the members, some are subsidized by the city council in smaller towns.  Every drink and meal is sold for a song compared to restaurant dining and the txoko uses the honor system, mark what you use or consume in a book (or computer nowadays) and you will be billed at the end of the month. 

Each txoko is a little different.  For example, the txoko I attended was in a small village and everyone paid for what they consumed at the end of that evening.  Members are allowed to bring guests as long as they let the group know in advance.  I helped cook some talo (equivalent to Mexican corn tortillas but thicker) and worked to clean the kitchen with many others just before dinner was served.  It was definitely a communal experience that is now, thankfully, also open to women (in various ways), since 1978.

Txokos are a great way to preserve, keep alive, and perfect traditional Basque culinary techniques, and experiment with new flavors.  In the land of pintxo bars and Michelin-starred restaurants, the txoko is an affordable solution to eating well and away from the tourists.  Some txokos agree on a base fee for each meal, ensuring that everyone can afford it.  Many men learn to cook at txokos.

Txokos are also a great way to mingle with people you may not normally encounter in your day to day life.  Shopkeeper, surgeon, fisherman, carpenter, lawyer, engineer, teacher, retiree, financial broker, all sharing stories over a great meal while enhancing social cohesion.  Over time, these people become a source of support for whatever life may throw at you while hierarchy and social differences are set aside, with camaraderie and mutual respect prevailing.  In a txoko, everyone is equal, the human connection is based on democracy and mutual trust.  Social classes simply disappeared inside a txoko. 

‘These organizations were important to the capital city, since they made a significant contribution 
to democratizing San Sebastián society by breaking down barriers between classes.’  

Rafael Aguirre

Today, gastronomic societies exist outside the Basque Country, you can find them in Barcelona, Madrid, Uruguay and Argentina.  

Pintxos at Casa Vergara 1948
Cod, Sea Food, Sundried tomatoes and cheese

Of note: 

The roof of the train station in Donostia was designed by Eiffel.

Light drizzle

The Basque Country is one of the rainiest regions in Spain; it differs a lot from the sunny Mediterranean. Locals make jokes about Basque weather and use special words to describe light drizzle, rain and storms.

Some weather phenomena are very tricky. Don't be surprised if you get wet even under an umbrella. This means you were caught by sirimiri: sprinkle-like rain that consists of small drops that are more likely to float than fall, creating an effect of horizontal rain. Locals complain about sirimiri and yet, are inspired by it in such a way that they even give its name to bars and perfumes.

Winter waves

The beautiful and peaceful Cantabrian Sea in winter can turn into a true beast that literary bites the shore and destroys nearby constructions. Although it is not recommend that anyone comes too close to this wild creature, it is quite impressive to watch from a protected area. A lot of tourists come to San Sebastian during the winter storm season to enjoy the powerful and immense waves that can reach up to 100 feet (30m) high.

Ernest Hemingway

The prolific social life of San Sebastian has always attracted prominent people to the city, who came to enjoy local culture and entertainment. So did American writer Ernest Hemingway. Once he visited the place, he fell in love with its genuine nature, cuisine and traditions. He was charmed by the holiday of San Fermin, celebrated every summer in Pamplona. The special attraction for him was a famous running of the bulls (Encierro), when hundreds of young men ran in front of the furious bulls, trying to touch their peaked horns and tempting their fate. The writer described this very experience in his book Death in the Afternoon. His other work Fiesta about the trip of higher society members to the resorts of the Basque Country was written in San Sebastian, where he once lived.