We departed Dublin and flew into Bordeaux where we picked up our hire car. (I will do a another blogpost about our hire car experiences in Ireland and Europe) and then drove to San Sebastian in the North-Eastern corner of Spain.

We actually stayed about 20 minutes out of the centre of San Sebastian, in a small residential area. We were able to find a comfortable two bedroom apartment within our budget and it was interesting to experience a residential neighbour - the area had a number of great playgrounds.

We travelled into San Sebastian on the two full days we had there and unfortunately, the weather was a little cloudy and rainy on both days. Definitely not the cosmopolitan European summer vibes we had been envisioning after being in Ireland for so long. But we still had a great time exploring the city.

The girls loved splashing in the water and playing in the sand, regardless of the cloudy weather. Both days we went to La Concha Beach which is the beach that is most central to the town.

We also found two great playgrounds in the city centre. One outside the San Telmo Museoa (Museum of Basque Enthography and History) and the other in front of the San Sebastian City Hall, along the waterfront next to the Carousel.

We also enjoyed walking around the Old Town area, with it’s narrow streets, impressive churches and stunning Plaza de la Constitution. Our walk continued around marina and out past the aquarium.

While it would have been amazing to have seen it on a sunny day but San Sebastian still left an impression on us. I see it more as a honeymoon sort of destination but in saying that, I wouldn’t tell people not to bring their kids. The beach was great for kids and the city was really flat and easy to walk around, while the surrounding area is full of beautiful lush green mountains. San Sebastien has the feel of a large city, with restaurants, museums and shopping district, while having a beautiful beach in an incredibly central location.