Across the border from San Sebastian, just down the beach, is France. I never got over that. San Sebastian is so effervescent, so tropical, so fast, that its proximity to the surlier Gauls seems strange. French cooking is the best in the world and there is no point arguing. But somehow it’s been eclipsed by its neighbour on the Basque coast. Biarritz and Bayonne have nothing on this Spanish city that’s pretty much universally called the ‘culinary capital of the world’.

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Of course, it isn’t quite: that’s still Paris or maybe Tokyo. But San Sebastian might be the best place in the world to eat. There’s a difference. You can’t go to Paris just to eat: even by day two, un autre confit duck leg begins to make you feel sick. Meanwhile, San Sebastian – which has one of the highest numbers of Michelin stars per capita as well as a fun pintxos scene (small bites of food for you to try) – sees taste as democratic.

Right, where should you go? You should go for a drink first. I find a delightful town square, sit myself down, ready to soak up some Basque listlessness and find… fine examples of The Brit Abroad. Look, there’s nothing more tedious than snobby invectives against The Brit........

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