Twice in the past few months funny little stories that highlight a little nugget about life in San Sebastian have appeared in The New York Times – well, funny to us at least. How is it that our small corner of the world has had such odd luck? Is it coincidence? Random circumstance? Or perhaps something more? Before attempting to answer, let me tell you about the stories.
The first story, published in December, featured “Basque Burnt Cheesecake” from La Viña, a beloved restaurant/pintxo bar in the Old City of San Sebastian, as the “Flavor of the Year.” This cheesecake is world-renowned, from Turkey to Japan to the US. We understand that this local wonder has become a pandemic trend in cities like San Francisco, and we can vouch for its tastiness. We take everyone who visits us to La Viña for a slice of heaven and a glass of Pedro Ximénez sherry. It is so popular that it often sells out. Being generous, the chef has not kept the recipe a secret, so if you’re looking for something delicious to make, here’s the recipe. A very good friend who visited and had the original has confirmed its magic can be duplicated at home. We look forward to getting back to La Viña when it is safe to be back in a packed bar.
The second story, published this week, introduced us to the “Rocket Man of San Sebastian,” the man who shoots off rockets when a goal is scored in the city’s soccer stadium. One rocket for an opponent’s goal, two rockets for a goal by Real Sociedad, the local La Liga team. No joke, an actual feature on this local tradition that started in 1960. We’ve heard the rockets many times, both at a game and if we happen to be in the neighborhood. You must listen carefully to make sure there’s a second “boom” before getting excited for the team, which makes it fun. We’re not that into the team but we follow its trials and tribulations from a distance. They are a typical underdog always trying to overachieve, i.e., “wait until next year” is the proverbial refrain.
What makes these stories amusing is that they result in a feature in our local paper. A “Wow, this is such a big deal that the NYT mentioned us, we must celebrate” kind of piece. San Sebastian is a small town after all. Yet it rates world-class attention on many levels. You do know that we also have the best city beach in all of Europe, right?
When we picked San Sebastian, we knew it offered a lot and it really has delivered. We hope that we’ll have more visitors sometime in the “near” future when all this pandemic chaos is at least partially resolved by mass vaccination.
Take care and stay healthy,
Shana & Jeff
