hedonistic pleasures

Whenever I post pictures from San Sebastian after pictures from Berlin I become aware of the stark contrast. San Sebastian is thanks to its beaches and the fairly mild weather – neither too cold nor too hot in summer, perfect beach weather – a rather touristy place. The most common sight apart from all the rich people are surfers and skateboarders, which somehow makes the place seem somehow surreal and too slick. Often it seems as if there is no depth to any of it and if it isn’t a real city at all.

All pictures taken with: Olympus Pen E-PL3 and Panasonic Lumix 20mm f/1.7 ASPH.

© Lilly Schwartz 2014

© Lilly Schwartz 2014

Good friends relaxing together. I love this picture!

© Lilly Schwartz 2014

© Lilly Schwartz 2014

A band I used to listen to a lot when I was a teenager has a song with a line that goes something like this: “When I have to die one day, let it happen on my skateboard …” People dying on their surfboards is more common in this city though.

© Lilly Schwartz 2014

© Lilly Schwartz 2014

These were taken on a saturday (in April), so there seemed to be football (soccer) fans everywhere. Football is very popular in the Basque Country and also with one of our neighbours who can be heard far and wide shouting “Goaaaaal”. Very annoying.

© Lilly Schwartz 2014

© Lilly Schwartz 2014

People seemed to be doing all sorts of strange things that day, one of which was digging a hole in the beach, then two girls sitting down in the hole while some more girls jump over it.

© Lilly Schwartz 2014

© Lilly Schwartz 2014

A bit of love for the doggies.

© Lilly Schwartz 2014

© Lilly Schwartz 2014

Early training.

© Lilly Schwartz 2014

© Lilly Schwartz 2014

Did I mention that people seemed to be in a rather adventurous mood?

© Lilly Schwartz 2014

© Lilly Schwartz 2014

© Lilly Schwartz 2014

© Lilly Schwartz 2014

Playing football in a crowded pedestrian zone seems to be a hobby of the Basque people. I took a similar picture in Bilbao. One.

© Lilly Schwartz 2014

© Lilly Schwartz 2014

Two. Yes, I have a thing for weird facial expression.

© Lilly Schwartz 2014

© Lilly Schwartz 2014

The goal keeper waiting for his parents.

© Lilly Schwartz 2014

© Lilly Schwartz 2014

So sad!

© Lilly Schwartz 2014

© Lilly Schwartz 2014

The window of one of the antique shops.

© Lilly Schwartz 2014

© Lilly Schwartz 2014

If that’s the size of the tribbles nowadays, then we’re in real trouble! Not a Trekkie? Well, you should check out the Star Trek Original Series episode Trouble with the Tribbles. One of my favourite Star Trek episodes!

Comments

  • Ralf D.

    The last one: you think thats a tribble and not a son of cousin It?

  • pit64

    Lovely series. It looks to me like your San Sebasian shots are better than your german shots. I enjoy following your photography.

    • Lilly Schwartz

      Thanks Pit, glad you like the series. I wouldn’t generalise saying the Spanish pictures are better or worse than the German ones. Some of them are better, some of them are worse, depends very much on the day. Generally they are just different, because it’s a different mode of being. To be honest San Sebastián is a real challenge photographically. It just gets boring for me, because it’s so slick. Occasionally I get lucky though, like with this series. Maybe all the struggle to get interesting stuff pushes the quality though, might be true. I’ll have to think about that a bit more 🙂

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