Meeting up with Nancy, we take what we thought would be a break from the Camino, retreating by hire car to the popular seaside resort of San Sebastian on the North coast of Spain. Nope. More shell symbols and the relentless daubs of yellow arrows pointing to Santiago along the beachside boulevarde. This is that it an alternate route hugging the coast to Bilboa.
A much pretty promenade than Nice, San Sebastian was popular with the crowned heads of Europe in the late 19th Century and was used by Franco as his summer residence after the conclusion of the Civil War. The enormous columns told both the time and the barometric readings 
Despite the cool weather, scores of youngsters play on the sweeping yellow sand beach and dozens more sail, kayak or do that funny standup paddleboarding. However, far more popular was brisk walking, promenading or cycling the three kilometres between the old town seaport and the ... headland. At the base was one of the few memorials I have seen to the horrors of the Civil War. Over 400 Republicans were executed at a prison there.
Behind the British dominated tennis courts is a century old funicular railway running up the Monte Igluendo which is to a quaint equally old funpark and a 17th century lighthouse converted to a lookout. Nearly everything seemed to have a Coca-Cola ad attached. The cold weather meant that very little was open. Not even the "camas elasticas" trampolines or the "carrera tortagus" ball rolling game. Such places when empty of children's laughter have a certain melancholy
Lighthouse converted to a tourist lookout, a haunted house and the omnipresent Coke ad
Our bébé camino was 5.7km....a long way for Nancy's legs.
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