San Sebastian. One of Spain's many treasures from its historical glory years centuries ago. One which still dazzles today.

In 1808, it was one of the first Spanish cities to fall under the boots of Napoleon's men in the Peninsular War, and was destroyed in the process. When rebuilding, town planners stuck rigidly to the original blueprints and architecture, hence the city's rich historical and cultural feel remain intact.

Set on the Bay of Biscay close to the French border, San Sebastian derives fame from a number of things, most notably its exquisite food. To eat out in one of the many bars in the old city centre ensures gastronomic gratification. The pintxos, a form of tapa, are set out along the bar and range from the classic such as boquerones (a delicious type of fish), to the innovative such as goat's cheese with strawberry jam.

A short walk uphill from the historic area of the city takes you up to stunning views out across the magnificent crecent-shaped bay: 'La Concha' (The shell). From here you can see for miles on a clear day, across the rolling verdant hills that are so characteristic of Spain's Northern coast.

I visited in August, to coincide with the San Sebastian International Film Festival, held annually at the seaside resort. At the same time, such names as Richard Gere and Liv Ullmann were present.

The atmosphere was relaxed yet vibrant as I ambled along the seafront of another, slightly smaller beach further down from La Concha. Suddenly the ambiance was split by shrill whistles and seemingly fromnowhere a frantic police officer came running towards me urging that I move back.

In a daze I retreated as asked along with a number of surfers and local residents as three police cars came screaming in from all directions. Before I knew it chaos had broken out. Officials, some in balaclavas were cordoning off an entire area and evacuating residents and shop owners. At first I thought they may be clearing the way for a celebrity, but it soon became apparent that something else was at work.

It is common knowledge that ETA have been present and operational in the Basque Country for decades. Naturally with such a high-profile event in town, security had been stepped up given the higher numbers of visitors expected. But never-the-less, this was clearly not a routine procedure.

Ever the foolhardy traveller, I threw caution to the wind and walked round a building to get up closer to the action, which was when I saw a lone suitcase in the centre of the de-populated region propped up against some waste bins. The tension in the air could have been cut with a knife, and a crowd of curious bystanders strained to watch as, first the sniffer dog, then a few minutes later a bomb disposal expert moved in to take a closer look.

After almost 45 minutes of breathless tension, the all-clear was given, and the suitcase luckily turned out to be nothing more than lost property. It just goes to show however, the extent to which terrorism, even domestic, can have such a powerful hold over even a Western European country, despite the actual chances of real threats being very slim. Half an hour later the peace was restored, many none the wiser, and Mr. Gere went on to receive his award for contribution to film.

By Paul Stafford