San Sebastian, Spain: 'Greatest Foodie City In The World'

Places I Remember with Lea Lane

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Delightful award-winning guide Eskerne Falcon talks with us from San Sebastian (also called Donostia) in Northern Spain, near the French border. We discuss the best pintxo bars and take a super tour in this beautiful Basque city and environs, between mountains and the Bay of Biscay.

-- Eskerne tells of the city's culture and history, developing from a fishing village early-on to royals favorite, from the 19th century.

-- She focuses on the beaches, one mainly for surfing, one with an island -- when there's a full moon "it seems you can walk there." And the mountains, with museums and a vintage amusement park near the top, with panoramic views.
-- She takes us on a perfect day: a walk around historic areas, including the 19th-century theatre and the Maria Cristina Hotel. And city hall, which used to be a casino.
-- We talk of the San Sebastian Film Festival, and the many international stars who have attended over the years.
-- And then we get to food, in this greatest food city per capita in the world, especially. We talk of pintxos (like tapas), local wine and cider, and the way to pour the cider, and delish local cheesecake.
-- We talk of pintxo bars in the old town, including Anthony Bourdain's favorite.
-- And then we talk of the nearby Basque fishing villages along the coast, all the way past the French border, including Biarritz.
-- Bilbao, with the Guggenheim museum, is less than an hour away. And Rioja wine country is also an easy drive nearby.
-- As we do on all episodes, Eskerne ends with a favorite memory of her beloved area.
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Eskerne Falcon is director of Discover San Sebastion: discoversansebastian, Instagram; Discover San Sebastian, Facebook; www.discoversansebastian.com
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Podcast host Lea Lane has traveled to over 100 countries, written many travel books, including Places I Remember, and has contributed to dozens of guidebooks. She's @lealane on Twitter, Travelea on Instagram, and blogs about travel at forbes.com Contact her at placesirememberlealane.com.
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Please follow Places I Remember with Lea Lane wherever you listen to podcasts, and if you enjoy, leave a 5-star a review on Apple! New travel episodes every Tuesday.

Chapters

1. Favorite dessert (00:00:00)

2. Physical beauty of San Sebastian (00:01:00)

3. Basque culture (00:01:29)

4. History (00:02:08)

5. Mountains and beaches (00:02:26)

6. A perfect day (00:05:50)

7. Vintage theatre, City Hall (00:06:33)

8. San Sebastian Film Festival (00:07:06)

9. Where to stay (00:08:28)

10. Food, including pinxtos (00:09:52)

11. Typical pinxto bars (00:12:15)

12. Typical drinks (00:13:53)

13. Pouring of the cider (00:14:26)

14. Favorite dessert (00:15:42)

15. Anthony Bourdains favorite bar (00:16:23)

16. Nearby fishing villages (00:16:55)

17. Biarritz France, nearby (00:19:15)

18. Bilbao (00:19:41)

19. Rioja wine (00:21:11)

20. Favorite memory (00:21:54)