El apartamento

The 11th was our first big day in SS. I was more than ready to get rid of my luggage that I had been living out of, and digging through for the past two to three days. I can’t stand digging; it takes the life out of me. It is one of my pet peeves; and those who have traveled with me know what I mean. We visited the campus of la Universidad del País Vasco (UPV) in the morning, which is located near our hotel and it turns out, about forty minutes walking from my apartment. We finally got to meet the face behind the name Dr. Patricia O’Connor, who is the head honcho of the USAC Program here in San Sebastián.

After taking placement exams and hearing about all of the wonderful opportunities that await us, we got to return to the Hotel Codina and finally move into our new homes. Maggie, who speaks no Spanish, and I thought we hit a little bump when the cab driver took one look at our baggage and told us that it would not fit in one taxi. After some convincing (and realizing that there were thirty other students that needed a taxi), he bent the rules for us American gals, and put some of the suitcases in the backseat. Apparently we discovered the first law that is different from home. At least we got the vasco who was willing to break it J.

We pulled away from the hotel, and drove along the Playa de la Concha (beach), lined with trees, a paved walking path, and a paved bicycle path and into el Centro. Clothing stores such as Mango, Zara, United Colors of Benettion lined the street Fuenterrabía, where the cab driver stopped and I wondered why he was stopping. Sure enough, there was door #7, right next to Zara, which lead to our apartment. After squeezing the big suitcases into the tiny elevator, Maggie and I trekked the rest of the way up with our smaller bags, and knocked on the only door on floor #2, which we assumed was ours. To greet us were two españolas, Ana and Adriana, who are madrilenas (de Madrid). Immediately, I felt the warmth radiating from these two ladies, as the four of us sat in the hallway chatting for about fifteen minutes. Adri told us that she didn’t just want us to be roommates, but they wanted to be our friends. This comforting feeling was just what I was looking for, and yes, Tito was right, they were “cool.”

Entering the apartment, in both directions is a long cooridor hallway, with tall ceilings and wood floor in cuadros. To the right, Maggie found her room, with two beds (she’s awaiting the arrival of another roommate), across from her is Adri’s room, and in between is Ana’s. From their rooms, walking toward the opposite end, is a storage room on the right, and then an extra room with a couch, and then a bathroom. On the left, is a small living room, and then a bigger one with a television. Across from the living room is the kitchen, and in between the two is my room. The apartment is much larger than I had expected; and although old, it has a charm about it. The apartment, with the warm welcome, a room filled with new Ikea furniture, and wireless Internet (J) was exactly what I had been hoping for. And, apparently Internet is not common in many apartments, but luckily it’s in ours.

After settling in, Maggie and I took off exploring and hoping to find a grocery store. Not finding a grocery store, we settled on a restaurant about a block from our apartment. It was not a typical Basque tapas bar, but rather an outdoor café in a little shopping center. I ordered the Arzak special salad, because I have heard that the restaurant “Arzak” in San Sebastian is world famous, thanks to Anthony Bourdain’s adventures on the travel channel. The “Arzak special” included shrimp, bacon, and a whiteish vinegar dressing that satisfied my need to eat for the first time all day. It was also great getting to know Maggie, a recently turned 21 year old from Iowa, who was traveling alone for the first time. We enjoyed our meal, and then continued walking around el Centro before deciding to dive in for a tapa at a local restaurant. As we sat waiting at the table for the bartender to serve us, or at least acknowledge us, we recognized another USAC girl with who appeared to be her host family. As we talked with her, her Señora’s boyfriend bought us a drink, and befriended us in the typical Spanish style. We were taken aback by their graciousness, and then after inviting us to walk around the Parte Vieja, we went into a typical Basque bar, where he ordered us some calamari and a tinto. This experience for me captivates the dynamic, and people oriented culture of the Spanish people-strangers meeting as strangers, and leaving as friends-all because of shared food and drink.