Page 93 - WINE DINE AND TRAVEL SUMMER 2019 PORTUGAL

Spectacular San Sebastian

This could be one of our favorite destina-
tions for a three-day escape anywhere in the
world. The beautiful beaches reminded us of
the best of Southern California, Santa
Margherita Ligure in northwest Italy, South-
ern France, the British Virgin Islands, and
Tahiti. The pedestrian-friendly streets are
lined with shops, restaurants, and bars for ev-
ery budget and style, with a delightful array of
contrasts, from old world and casual to higher
energy and modern.
We stayed at Hotel Maria Cristina, in the
heart of the city. It is classic in style, with ele-
gant décor and polished service. The lobby and
bar are great for people watching, ranging
from Generation Z in sandals and shorts to
handsome older couples in designer leisure
wear, perhaps wealthy Spaniards on holiday
from the big cities. The action, background
chatter, and hum in different languages
brought part of our diorama to life with an in-
ternational soundtrack. We didn’t understand
much except a few words in Spanish and

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