I have just one photo worth posting from Bilbao -- Bilbao is not exactly a picturesque city, and though I did find a few postcards that captured it in a very flattering light, I didn't feel right putting postcards on my "photo" page, so here you go.

The rest of these pictures are from Donostia-San Sebastian, perhaps my favorite city in the world. (Why? I couldn't exactly tell you. One day I'll have an essay up explaining my love of the Basques but for now you'll just have to use the same key that's gotten you through the rest of my web page: that I am a strange creature.)

Below you'll see a view from the top of Monte Igeldo, looking out over the town of San Sebastian and the Bahia de la Concha (Bay of the Shell). That's Isla Santa Clara in the bay there.

And here is Monte Urgull, another of San Sebastian's mountains. This one is a park, with the overgrown ruins of a castle on its top, as well as a cemetery for the English soldiers who fought here to expel Napoleon's army from Spain in the early 1800s.

And this is a turret on said castle:

Here's a lighthouse (I love lighthouses) on Monte Igeldo. You can look out from Paseo Nuevo and see the string of lighthouses all along the Basque coast when it's twilight and the evening is clear ...

Now we're looking out along the beach, la Playa de la Concha.

Here are two photos of the sculpture "Peine de los Vientos," or "Winds' Comb," by Eduardo Chillida. The first was taken at high tide one Sunday morning; the second, months later, at low tide, a Saturday evening.

And this is the sunset, seen from Paseo Nuevo around monte Urgull.

I hope you've enjoyed this little trip through one of my favorite places in the world. Keep coming back -- you know my page is always growing! (Just like a fungus!) In the meantime head on back to the index, or go your merry way. And wherever the cold winds of cyberspace may blow your path, I wish you success and peace!