Sopping but Super San Seb

Today almost ran to plan, but very late. Once we were all up I cooked breakfast and washed up. With people going for showers at different times, we weren't ready to go into town until 6:30pm. We found we were all out of Euros and just had enough for three 1.20 Euro bus fares into town with 38 Euro-cents spare between the three of us.

Obviously, first stop in town was an ATM. The bit of plan about sitting on the beach didn't come off, because the day was grey and cloudy, with frequent showers of varying weight. I did offer Sarah the chance to "top up her tan" but for some reason she declined.

I'd been to San Sebastian once before, maybe 20 years ago, when local friends-of-a-friend showed us around. This time we managed to make our way pretty directly to the old part of town, where there are many crossing alleyways full of bars.

Keith suggested that we do proper Spanish-style tapas. This was new to me. Many of the bars fill their counter with plates holding a huge variety of finger food. One asks for a plate, puts a selection on it and then shows the bartender and orders one's drinks. Unlike the continental bar practice I'm familiar with, one pays then. I guess it makes things simpler and allows one to leave easier when finished.

It was fabulous drifting around such an exciting place, munching tapas like the locals, although with beer rather than the wine most locals were drinking, after our wino excesses of last night.

In a square, a stage and loudspeakers were being set up. There were also people of all ages waiting around, each with a placard showing a picture of someone, their name, a date and a place name. Each was different. At one point, the people formed a hollow square and someone started talking through an amplifier. I'm not sure I'd have been able to make out the words if it'd been English.

I don't know if the pictures were of political prisoners or 'disappeared' people from a foreign regime. I don't know whether it was an orderly protest ahead of whatever was going on on tbe stage later. The people who came onto the stage once the demonstration was over appeared to be children. I imagined them preparing something all term and then a huge downpour robbing them of an audience. We went elsewhere, so I don't know the truth of that either. Maybe I'm not cut out to be a journalist (or travel blogger). I didn't even tell the others that last time I was here I saw a Basque Separatist riot and police using shields and firing rubber bullets.

I don't know how many bars we went in during the evening, but the whole thing was a wonderful experience, and the frequent showers didn't dampen our spirits one bit. So a resounding success with the explore, eat, drink and be merry parts of the plan.

We were all happy to round off early-ish and get a taxi back to the campsite at about 11:30pm. We grabbed maps and had a nightcap in the campsite bar. After the success of our long drive yesterday, we agreed to aim for Córdoba tomorrow night - a trip of 884km (TomTom says). We can spend Sunday there and have a shortish hop to Morocco on Monday. Today must be our earliest bedtime of the trip.

The following day starts wet and gets distinctly drier. I wake in the tent to sustained heavy rain. My theory that there must be a way to pack up the inner of my tent before the flysheet proves fatally flawed, and very very muddy. Keith says he has one similar, but with that critical design flaw solved. I wonder if Tesco's do trade-ins?

The drive doesn't prove too problematic. We each do about 200km and then another 100km each to finish. Very soon after we leave San Sebastian the weather clears, and things keep getting drier until we're in the countryside just north of Madrid, which looks really parched. Honest, we'd have brought yesterday's weather with us if we could.

I said there would be more on the cramped 3-abreast seating in the bus. Keith and Sarah decided rapidly after the first day that they didn't like that, and now somebody has to sit in the back the whole time. We've evolved a rotation: back, front passenger, drive, then relegated again. Travelling in the back isn't as bad as I thought, although Keith and I both have to slump down far enough to see forward. Keith and Sarah both say they like it (but neither volunteers for extra stints) and I haven't felt car-sick yet.

We arrive in Córdoba (I'm writing this on a PDA and getting the ó character is a real faff, so I put these in later.) I choose the Andalucia Hotel from the guidebook almost at random. There are 5 in there not called "hostel" and there's no indication on relative prices. We find a parking spot and go looking for the hotel, which it turns out is mid-refurb and shut.

During our search, I spot the Hotel Selu, which is very well-appointed for a 3-star and near to useful places. We stay there.

Out again for more beers. We don't see any bars with tapas layouts like in San Sebastian, but order from the menu at alleyway tables of a "Cañas Y Tapas" (beer and tapas) place. The menu refers to "ration" and "half-ration". We over-order somewhat, but can easily cope with the shame. Bed before 2am - fairly modest.

*Kit*

Time for some words on equipment.

The star item has been Keith's 5-year-old TomTom satnav. OK, so it tried to kill us on the steps and get us arrested in the pedestrianised area, and it needed resetting every day on average whilst in France, and its slowness to update has made us take the wrong turning several times. Despite this, it's been a whole lot easier than having to map-read for each other, and has got us to places we didn't even have maps for. Life would have been much more complicated without, and will be in Morocco - because there doesn't seem to be any satnav maker with maps of North Africa!

Second prize goes to the torch on a headband I bought on a whim in Black's. I've always thought people wearing them looked like twats. It doesn't matter. The pleasure of having light wherever you turn your head is a winner. Good engineering solution, even if a very poor sartorial one.

Honourable mention goes to the cheapo tent from Tesco's. OK, so you can't put it up or down if it's raining, but while it was up I was dry and snug inside and reluctant to come out. Fair enough.