Our apartment was easy to find and entry was keyless by app. Even lock boxes have become redundant it seems. We picked up some supplies in a local shop and just stayed in after a long day.

San Sebastián is on the notorious Bay of Biscay but has some very pleasant beaches as well as a fabulous old town. We walked along the banks of the Urumea River towards the sea.

We soon found ourselves in the old town where we partook of some pintxos brunch.

The old town was a typical warren of narrow streets housing many bars & restaurants, as well as the main cathedral.

We soon entered the beach area and went for a stroll along the promenade. There was some fantastic sand art on display.

It was pretty hot but the sea breeze made it very pleasant. There was some nice views out to sea, as well as back inland towards the town.

Another thing very noticeable about San Sebastián was the music. A marching band, a folk group and several talented buskers.

After racing to eat a rapidly melting ice cream, we took the bus to the Estadio Reale Arena, home of Real Sociedad

The modern stadium had extra wide concourses to make things very comfortable. If only English stadia were similar. We had great seats near the front and the party atmosphere was soon building. Sociedad had already qualified for the Champions League for the first time in their history.

The entertaining match was won 2-1 by the home team, adding to the celebratory atmosphere. At the final whistle, the successful season was celebrated, a club stalwart retired to huge acclaim, the manager was given the bumps.

After the match we returned to the old town for seafood paella. Next morning we took the bus to Bilbao Airport. We had arrived at dusk, so could appreciate the beauty of parts of the journey in the bright sunshine.

All in all it was a fabulous short break, which we vowed to do again the following season