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Author Topic: San Sebastian, Spain - July 2016  (Read 7765 times)

dwswager

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San Sebastian, Spain - July 2016
« on: January 29, 2016, 08:24:39 am »

My daughter is playing in a soccer tournament in San Sebastian  this summer.  We are spending 10 days in the area, renting a private residence and will be renting a car.

It would be much appreciated if people could suggest areas of intererst for photography opportunities in the area.  Looking at both Landscape/CityScape, nature or other opportunities.  Or if there are already resources available on the internet, if you could point me to those.  I will already be shooting the soccer tournament.  Most likely I will be packing the D810 and probably also a D500.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Dave
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Lloyd Mayeda

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Re: San Sebastian, Spain - July 2016
« Reply #1 on: January 29, 2016, 11:40:46 am »

We have enjoyed two visits to Spain and certainly plan to go again.  Both trips were set up for us by Garry Budin an Australian expat who had lived for a number of years in San Sebastian and has recently moved to Santiago.  He is great to work with and was always available and forthcoming.  You may wish to email him to see if he has information that is useful for you.  I am not associated with him nor his company but only wish to pass on that he helped to make our trips!

His website:   http://www.spanishadventures.com
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SHESHESHET

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Re: San Sebastian, Spain - July 2016
« Reply #2 on: February 03, 2016, 11:06:58 am »

Hi!
My name is Begoña and I live in Basque Country, near to Bilbao and a hour (more or less) far away from San Sebastian.
It is a pleasure for me to give you some information about San Sebastian and its environs.
I am a Greeter, and in this link you can find more information about it, we are in Bilbao but in San Sebastian (Donostia) there are some people too that could help you in your visit to the city.
http://en.bilbaogreeters.com
An another web with more information, you should not fail to see Gugemheim museum in Bilbao
http://www.guggenheim-bilbao.es/en/
http://www.red2000.com/spain/region/r-vasc.html

Basque Country is a small territory (7.234 km²) and all places are very close one from another.

If you want more information, here I am to answer.
Bego
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dwswager

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Re: San Sebastian, Spain - July 2016
« Reply #3 on: June 23, 2016, 10:52:28 pm »

With respect to cell service, I have a Google Nexus 6P smartphone that is both GSM and CDMA on Verizon in the U.S.  I am to understand that Orange has a pay as you go plan for 8,95 €/month.  I Assume one just goes into the local store to get the SIM card.   Anyone know anything about cell service and specifically orange.

Orange Pay As You Go
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Lloyd Mayeda

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Re: San Sebastian, Spain - July 2016
« Reply #4 on: June 23, 2016, 11:12:22 pm »

I have a pay-as-you-go plan with Fido (in Canada) and when we arrived in Spain, I was on my way out from the hotel to get a SIM card from a phone store just down the street as suggested by the front desk when I received a message on my phone welcoming me to Spain and advising that I could continue with Fido's Spanish associate (turned out to be Orange) at 0.75$ per text and a larger amount (I forget how much) per minute for calls.  I stuck with text as much as I could and everything went well!  I did not need to purchase a new SIM card.
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dwswager

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Re: San Sebastian, Spain - July 2016
« Reply #5 on: June 24, 2016, 07:47:46 am »

I have a pay-as-you-go plan with Fido (in Canada) and when we arrived in Spain, I was on my way out from the hotel to get a SIM card from a phone store just down the street as suggested by the front desk when I received a message on my phone welcoming me to Spain and advising that I could continue with Fido's Spanish associate (turned out to be Orange) at 0.75$ per text and a larger amount (I forget how much) per minute for calls.  I stuck with text as much as I could and everything went well!  I did not need to purchase a new SIM card.

Actually, this is what I am trying to avoid.  75¢ a text and I would go broke!   My daughter is staying with her team and my wife and I are staying with another family at a private apartment.  Verizon wants $10 a day per phone for service.  I was looking at this Orange plan, but not sure how it works and where the stores are located.
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davidgp

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Re: San Sebastian, Spain - July 2016
« Reply #6 on: July 10, 2016, 07:42:22 am »

Hi Dave,

Not sure if you have already come to Spain or not... looks like I'm a bit behind checking posts around here.

For the interior of the Basque Country, I don't know too much. Probably Begoña or other people can recommend you better places.

I have visited some costal areas between San Sebastián and Bilbao. These are typical places for landscape photographers to go, they are photographed to the dead here...

San Juan de Gaztelugatxe - https://www.google.es/maps/@43.4452037,-2.7833139,2159m/data=!3m1!1e3  https://500px.com/search?q=san+juan+de+gaztelugaxte&submit=Enviar&type=photos  , to go to the island you have no problem, but if you want to get down, look a tide table, there is more than 4 meters difference between hide to low tide, you could get trapped without being able to get out.

Around there you have several beaches that people like to go to photograph, like Sopelana: https://500px.com/search?q=sopelana&type=photos&sort=relevance (https://www.google.es/maps/@43.3881809,-2.9953818,2162m/data=!3m1!1e3 ). But probably the most famous one is Barrika: https://www.google.es/maps/@43.4048127,-2.9716841,739m/data=!3m1!1e3 - https://500px.com/search?q=barrika&type=photos&sort=relevance . Again, this last beach disappears in high tide (Here you can check the tide timetable for the area: http://www.tides4fishing.com/es/vizcaya/plentzia ).

San Sebastian and Bilbao in the old city center present a lot of photographic opportunities and excelente food. Cow meat is specially good...

Again, the interior offer mountains with green forest, but I don't know too well that area to say more recommendations.

Regards,

David

davidgp

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Re: San Sebastian, Spain - July 2016
« Reply #7 on: July 10, 2016, 07:47:43 am »

Actually, this is what I am trying to avoid.  75¢ a text and I would go broke!   My daughter is staying with her team and my wife and I are staying with another family at a private apartment.  Verizon wants $10 a day per phone for service.  I was looking at this Orange plan, but not sure how it works and where the stores are located.

Hi again,

Orange shops (or Vodafone, Movistar, Yoigo) you will find several of them in any big city in Spain, for example, in San Sebastian area you will have this: https://www.google.es/maps/search/san+sebastian,+orange/@43.3072886,-1.9913925,14z/data=!3m1!4b1 , or at least Google mention those... Not sure about those pay as you go and the conditions to get a sim card for those (I have been with a contract for several years now...). Usually you get the sim card and you can put money on it via internet shop or cash machine... but not sure the documentation they ask to get one...

Cornfield

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Re: San Sebastian, Spain - July 2016
« Reply #8 on: July 10, 2016, 09:00:34 am »

Have a look at this site and compare rates and services https://www.worldsim.com/
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dwswager

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Re: San Sebastian, Spain - July 2016
« Reply #9 on: July 10, 2016, 10:53:14 pm »

Thanks for all the help.  We had a wonderful trip to San Sebastian.  The soccer team won their group and ended up getting put out on PKs 6-5, but never gave up a goal in regulation play.  Finished with a 12-0 goal differential.

The weather was great for soccer, though I was somewhat surprised at the amount of fog and overcast skies.  We had some spectacular sun between some overcast days.  Lucily we had an apartment on San Martin Kalea.

As to phone service, we bought pay as you go sim card plans from Vodafone Espana.  The deal was 3GB of data and 60 minutes of national or international calling with per pay texting for $15 per month.   A good deal.  But, we traveled to Biarritz and the card does not cover one in France.  This is something that would be beneficial with the smaller countries in Europe.
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davidgp

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Re: San Sebastian, Spain - July 2016
« Reply #10 on: July 11, 2016, 12:42:45 am »


As to phone service, we bought pay as you go sim card plans from Vodafone Espana.  The deal was 3GB of data and 60 minutes of national or international calling with per pay texting for $15 per month.   A good deal.  But, we traveled to Biarritz and the card does not cover one in France.  This is something that would be beneficial with the smaller countries in Europe.

In theory, by 2017 or 2018, there shouldn't be roaming charges between countries in the European Union... But let's see, telco lobbies are always trying to move the date away...

Happy to hear that you had a good time



http://dgpfotografia.com

dwswager

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Re: San Sebastian, Spain - July 2016
« Reply #11 on: July 11, 2016, 08:52:56 am »

In theory, by 2017 or 2018, there shouldn't be roaming charges between countries in the European Union... But let's see, telco lobbies are always trying to move the date away...

Happy to hear that you had a good time



http://dgpfotografia.com

I hate to have enforced rules on private companies, but that is the type of thing where EU integration is beneficial.  Breaking those artificial barriers of insignificant consequence to national rule.
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