One cool thing about traveling with a tour group is the local guide who introduces you to their city and its history. Cristina, our guide to San Sebastian was a chatty, lively woman who shared (perhaps too much) its history. Napoleon conquered the city in 1858. When the Spanish forces came to liberate them from his reign in 1863, they trashed the place and burned it to the ground. As a result, there are very few old buildings.San Sebastian became a popular seaside resort when Queen Elizabeth visited as part of a cure for a herpes (!) condition. Her treatment included medication and a daily dip in salt water. An oxen-drawn carriage was pulled through the sea enabling the water to rise up through her skirts. At the end of her stay, the herpes was gone, she spoke of its beauty and its cure, and the place has been a hot spot for the rich and famous ever since.
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