On my solo voyage around Europe in 2019, I stopped in San Sebastián, Spain. I had never heard of this town and I had no idea what the Basque Country was or even that Basque was a language ! I really just wanted to go to the Guggenheim museum in Bilbao. Before going, I researched what to do in Bilbao. The first blog I found (yes, I too use blogs for travel research) told me to stop in San Sebastián. A quick Google search told me I had to stop there. Since I was traveling alone, I only had to ask myself. So off I went to San Sebastián.
I stayed in a hostel, I shared a room with 4 other travelers (male and female). Mixed rooms do not bother me, I usually bring my clothes in the bathroom and get dressed after my shower. And if you're worried, people tend to stay to themselves and not bother you. This may not be your experience in hostels, but it was mine. It was clean and there was a shower. And it was cheap. So, I recommend staying in hostels, it is a great way to meet new people from all over the world. The hostel where I stayed in San Sebastián unfortunately no longer exists, or I would recommend it to you.
I had no idea what to do in San Sebastián, so I walked around. When I stopped to eat, I used the Wifi at the restaurant and, again, searched for a blog to tell me what to do in this town.
I wish I remembered the blog so I could give them credit, but it told me to go to La Viña and try their cheesecake. So that's what I did and the rest is history !
This is the history :
That night, I went to La Viña, ordered a glass of wine and a slice of cheesecake. Unfortunately, they were out of cheesecake. I must have looked lost after that, because a man at the bar asked if I needed help. I told him I came for the cheesecake and a glass of wine but they were out of cheesecake and didn't bring me my wine. Being a proud local (I later find out that the Basques are a proud people) he ordered wine for me.
We got to talking, I told him I was in Europe as an archaeologist recovering human remains from a WWII plane crash. He told me he loves all those things. I thought he was just trying to flirt with me. When he started talking about the subjects, I realized he wasn't. That he was truly passionate about WWII, planes, and archaeology.
We both thought this was the start of a beautiful friendship. But, it ended up being more.
We are happily married and live in Paris.
I know in one of my blogs on being a solo female traveler, I said not to go home with that guy you met at the bar. I don't always follow my own rules. I believe it was my mom who said "Do as I say, not as I do"
In the years since then, I have been back to San Sebastián many times, both with my husband and alone. I still love traveling alone and my husband respects that. I have never felt unsafe here. It is a great place to go for solo female travelers. I even go to the beach alone. There are lifeguards and I ask people next to me if they can keep an eye on my stuff while I go for a swim.
I love being by myself. I go for walks alone while here, I climb Mount Urgull to watch the sunset alone here. You really can't go wrong visiting this town as a solo female traveler.
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