Outdoor Adventures: Los Torreones de Jaizkibel

Our second excursion this month was a hike among the Torreones de Jaizkibel (12 September). A torreón is a tower or turret. Monte Jaizkibel sits between San Sebastian and the French border and is the last peak of the Pyrenees, although it is only 545 meters high. Carlos selected this hike for its relative ease, beautiful views, and historical towers.

During the third and last Carlist War (1872-1876), six fortified towers were built along the summit of Jaizkibel to help warn and defend the local cities from attack. Five of the six towers remain, although the years have not been kind to them. Still, it was fun to imagine what it might have been like to stand guard from the highest point in the area. The concept of a string of towers reminded us of that remarkable scene in “The Return of the King” where the beacon at Minas Tirith is lit, setting off a chain reaction of beacons being lit across the mountains of Gondor all the way to Rohan.

The trail was scenic, green and lush. Due to Covid, trail maintenance has not been a priority for the local government and nature has certainly taken advantage. Still, it was easy to follow the path and it was great to be out without our masks for once. Because we were out early, we avoided the heat of the day and most of the other outdoor enthusiasts who had the same brilliant idea to get out of the city and enjoy the local trails.

Here are a few photos from our morning hike, including one of the towers, the view towards San Sebastian, and the view towards France:

It was a particularly good day.

Hasta luego,

Shana & Jeff

Outdoor Adventures: Revisiting Chillida Leku

Over the past few weeks, we had a chance to enjoy a pair of fun adventures outside. The first was a visit to the outdoor sculpture museum Chillida Leku (4 September). We had been there once before for a special concert event last summer, but we wanted to return and experience the museum at our own pace.

The museum is a bit out of town and, while it can be accessed via train and bus, the most convenient way is by car. This time we went with our friends Ploy and Carlos who drove there. Neither had been before, so it was fun to experience the museum from new perspectives; especially because Carlos, as a local, grew up knowing the Chillida name, and Ploy, who is Thai, knew very little about the artist.

The museum grounds are a large open space sprinkled with sculptures, providing the opportunity to enjoy the art as the artist intended:

Chillida created large scale abstract pieces that focused on the theory of space and how it is perceived and conveyed. It was a beautiful day and we had the place practically to ourselves, which made for some fun photo opportunities:

We enjoyed walking around, the fresh air and sun, and the overall peaceful environment of the museum. Afterwards, we enjoyed lunch at a local golf club. It was good to be out and about taking advantage of the good weather and a covid-safe activity.

Stay safe and healthy,

Shana & Jeff