We spent our lunchtime checking out the pintxo bars and learning the ropes. Pintxos are small snacks that you can pick and choose, buffet-style. They are actually laid out right on the bar. Most consist of a slice of french-style bread topped with various cheeses or meat such as ham, salmon, fish or shellfish. They are often pierced with a toothpick so you can eat them without a fork.
Figuring out how to get the pintxos seemed complicated, but at each bar we went to I told them (in Spanish) "It's our first time ordering pintxos, how does it work?" and each time the bartender was very helpful. Basically, you ask the bartender for a plate, load up your plate with whatever looks appealing, and then show the bartender what you picked out so they can keep track of what you had. Sometimes, whatever it is you picked out will taste better warmed up, so the bartender takes it back to the kitchen to be zapped.
We took a midday break for some sangria...
...and then resumed the pintxo crawl later that night. By the end of the evening we had it all figured out, which was good, because by 10pm the pintxo bars were really packed and you had to know what you were doing to be served and pay in a timely manner. On the second night, we learned a whole new concept which was "hot pintxos". These aren't out on the bar -- they are written up on a chalkboard and you have to order them from the bartender. Super tasty, and worth the effort of figuring out what the menu says (sometimes they have a menu in English, but not always).
If you wanted to, you could probably eat pintxos in San Sebastian for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. By the end of our three-day stay, after eating all of that meat and cheese and bread all we really wanted was a salad. No problema, San Sebastian has sit-down cafes and restaurants, too. The Rioja wine wasn't too bad, either.
Kevin took a photosphere of the Constitution Plaza at dusk (click your cursor inside for 360-degree view):
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