Hiking

I realized that I didn’t set up my voicemail on my French line, so I dialed 888 to set it up. I didn't understand any of the prompts that came up, but luckily, Gabe was there to help me out. When I was asked to say my name, for the outgoing voicemail, I did it in a French accent. Gabe and I couldn't stop laughing. There was a funny moment when we were sitting at a café, playing Couillon. Gabe and I formed a team, while Luke and Charlie paired up. Initially, Charlie wasn't thrilled about having Luke as a partner. However, after winning a few hands, Charlie said to Luke, “Okay you’re not that bad of a teammate. You may be grumpy but you are good.” We had a great time in San Sebastian with the Nelson family over the past few days. Our activities mainly involved going to the Concha beach for swimming, strolling around the Parte Vieja while eating pintxos, playing card games, and even going on a 6km hike with Asier and his two kids - Violetta and Oihan. 

Today's hike took us up the mountain, providing us a panoramic view of San Sebastian. Although the ascent was challenging with its steep uphill path, the most difficult aspect was the scorching heat. We simply aren't accustomed to the humidity! The forest was so lush and full. The wild growth of hydrangeas all around was a surprise. The most unexpected aspect of our time in San Sabe was that we were still at the beach at 8pm, with the beach full of people. Full!  Another aspect that Asier explained to me is ins and outs of the tide. It's not just the regular ebb and flow we're familiar with; the extremes are completely different! The low tide is incredibly shallow, and then, later on, the high tide becomes unbelievably high! Picking the right spot on the beach is crucial; otherwise, you'll find yourself constantly shifting your belongings further up the beach! Another thing I noticed is that people change from regular clothes to their bathing suit or the other way around on the beach. I witnessed a group of young girls changing from their bathing suits into regular clothes right in front of everyone. They used towels, like surfers do, but they also had some clever techniques for putting on their underwear while wearing shorts and putting on their bras while revealing their boobs (which is normal to be topless at the beach). It's as if there's an unspoken rule that you shouldn't leave the beach in your beach attire. So when it came time for me to leave the beach, I followed suit and did the same thing!

A thought while we were driving back to Capbreton last night:

While traveling, it is strange how certain things can make me feel at home or provide a sense of security. For example, having our own car and a long-term rental offer that familiar and comforting feeling. However, despite these, everything else feels upside down and unknown. This is a good thing of course - but it makes me appreciate having those things consistently in my life. Ever since our car test drives, we've become completely fixated on the different sizes of cars ... The cars that appear small in the US are actually enormous here. It's mind-boggling how drivers manage to park their A6 or Q3 anywhere, especially in a parking garage. Everyone reverses into parking spaces. It's a constant concern to navigate between cars on each side and avoid hitting a sturdy cement pillar. Even a comparatively compact X1 seems surprisingly large! On a few occasions, we've witnessed Volvo SUVs and, believe it or not, even a suburban ... which is just crazy. Even the tiniest cars retract their side mirrors whenever they park. Sidenote: Gabe’s parking skills (driving too) are an impressive A+!