Spain
1/3 San Sebastián to Barcelona: Bonfires, Old Town Nights, and a Coastline That Looks Unreal
I leave France and arrive in Spain in the north, starting in San Sebastián. It is my first time here, and I can feel immediately that this is not just Spain. It is the Basque Country. The signs and language feel different. There are messages everywhere about identity, freedom, and belonging.
The city itself is stunning. The beach curves like a crescent moon, with a layer of buildings and then mountains behind them like the world is stacked in perfect rows. Aiden and I walk the old town and bounce between tapas bars, watching the culture move through food and conversation. We hike up to a lookout point and see the whole bay spread out in front of us, and I remember thinking this does not look real.
One night we hear about a summer bonfire party at Zurriola Beach. We go with people from our hostel and find the beach lit with fires and packed with energy. We stay for most of the night, just being teenagers in Spain, surrounded by strangers who feel like friends because that is what travel does.
From there we get an unexpected gift. An older Australian couple offers us a ride from San Sebastián to Barcelona. We say yes, because we need a way and because the trip is teaching us to accept kindness.
Barcelona hits different. The architecture feels fluid, like coral reefs turned into buildings. We explore the city with Mark, visiting famous spots like the Sagrada Familia from the outside, Plaza España, and the city’s waterfront. We go to La Boqueria market and walk through color and noise and food.
And again, politics shows up. There are signs about Catalonia everywhere. It reminds me that Europe is not just old buildings and beaches. It is living identity.
Spain becomes one of those places I feel in my chest, not just in my memory. Heat, language, music in the streets, bonfires on the beach, and the feeling that this trip is turning into something bigger than I ever expected.