Trip Report: Just back from BCN, Costa Brava, Lleida, La Rioja, Navarra, & finding my Basque cousins
Jun 29th, 2006, 12:30 PM
#1
Trip Report: Just back from BCN, Costa Brava, Lleida, La Rioja, Navarra, & finding my Basque cousins
Hi everyone!!! We have just been back a few days from a great 19 day trip to N. Spain. I will be reporting in bits and pieces.
Participants: DH, age 54; DD, age 13, AuntF, age 79 and me, started the trip at age 49, but ended it at age 50!!
Purpose: seeing the sites, but mostly to visit cousins and find our roots. My grandparents were Basque and from Navarra. My aunt came along to visit the "old country" and see the villages her parents(my grandparents) came from.
We flew from Sacramento/Atlanta/ BCN on Delta. Had a long layover in Atlanta, which got longer by 2 hours. We were finally in the air by 10 p.m. Flight was LONG, but uneventful. Arrived (6/08) in BCN to find our cousins from Lleida waiting to greet us. Lleida is about 2 hrs. west of BCN. We hadn't seen them in 13 years and were surprised to find my cousin's husband not very mobile: leaky blood vessels in his brain. They had never conveyed this info to us, so we were not prepared for his condition. Mentally he was in pretty good shape, but uses a cane and shuffles along. We did our hugs etc. They took off back to Lleida, and we loaded up the rental car for Cadeques/Costa Brava for 3 nights.
To be continued.....
Participants: DH, age 54; DD, age 13, AuntF, age 79 and me, started the trip at age 49, but ended it at age 50!!
Purpose: seeing the sites, but mostly to visit cousins and find our roots. My grandparents were Basque and from Navarra. My aunt came along to visit the "old country" and see the villages her parents(my grandparents) came from.
We flew from Sacramento/Atlanta/ BCN on Delta. Had a long layover in Atlanta, which got longer by 2 hours. We were finally in the air by 10 p.m. Flight was LONG, but uneventful. Arrived (6/08) in BCN to find our cousins from Lleida waiting to greet us. Lleida is about 2 hrs. west of BCN. We hadn't seen them in 13 years and were surprised to find my cousin's husband not very mobile: leaky blood vessels in his brain. They had never conveyed this info to us, so we were not prepared for his condition. Mentally he was in pretty good shape, but uses a cane and shuffles along. We did our hugs etc. They took off back to Lleida, and we loaded up the rental car for Cadeques/Costa Brava for 3 nights.
To be continued.....
Jun 29th, 2006, 02:45 PM
#2
Cadeques:
The trip to Cadeques took about 2 1/2 hours. It is true about the windy road, but we've seen worse. Cadeques was charming and everything I had hoped it would be: white washed village, not over run or too tacky. We stayed at Playa del Sol hotel, along the water, but away from the hub bub of the town center. The hotel was clean, convenient, had a pool and parking (for a fee). We had a triple, ocean view for 160 euro/nt. AuntF's single was about 89. This included a very nice breakfast, which turned out to be one of the best of our trip.
Cadeques was going to be our rest up place, but I am a habitual site see'r and turista, so our first full day was spent looking around town, riding the tourist train around the area and finally visiting the Salvador Dali house. All well worth it. Our final full day, Saturday, was spent around the pool, relaxing.
Shopping: No major purchases, mostly window shopping
Meals: Tapas in the evenings, a lunch in town and other meals around the pool.
Overall, Cadeques was great and I would definitly return and stay at Playa del Sol again.
Off to Lleida:
On Sunday, June 11, we left Cadeques about 9:00. The plan was to stop in Figueres to visit the Dali Museum before heading to my cousins' in Lleida. We got into the museum at the opening at 10 and were out by noon. We saw both the main building and jewel collection. Very interesting and fun. Grabbed a quick bite and headed to Lleida.
more later .....
The trip to Cadeques took about 2 1/2 hours. It is true about the windy road, but we've seen worse. Cadeques was charming and everything I had hoped it would be: white washed village, not over run or too tacky. We stayed at Playa del Sol hotel, along the water, but away from the hub bub of the town center. The hotel was clean, convenient, had a pool and parking (for a fee). We had a triple, ocean view for 160 euro/nt. AuntF's single was about 89. This included a very nice breakfast, which turned out to be one of the best of our trip.
Cadeques was going to be our rest up place, but I am a habitual site see'r and turista, so our first full day was spent looking around town, riding the tourist train around the area and finally visiting the Salvador Dali house. All well worth it. Our final full day, Saturday, was spent around the pool, relaxing.
Shopping: No major purchases, mostly window shopping
Meals: Tapas in the evenings, a lunch in town and other meals around the pool.
Overall, Cadeques was great and I would definitly return and stay at Playa del Sol again.
Off to Lleida:
On Sunday, June 11, we left Cadeques about 9:00. The plan was to stop in Figueres to visit the Dali Museum before heading to my cousins' in Lleida. We got into the museum at the opening at 10 and were out by noon. We saw both the main building and jewel collection. Very interesting and fun. Grabbed a quick bite and headed to Lleida.
more later .....
Jun 30th, 2006, 11:23 AM
#4
Sorry Aggie, I am still living in the 20th century and using film. My DD has a digital, but we are ignorant as to how to put these photos on the computer. Hopefully, we will get this worked out by the time I finish this report. Check this: www.playasol.com for a view of the hotel & town. The correct name is Hotel Playa Sol. Sorry.
MY
MY
Jun 30th, 2006, 01:35 PM
#5
Extra Cadeques info:
Favorite eats: Tapas at S'entina. Right on the harbor. Great selection of tapas at a great price. The four of us ate for about €32 including wine.
Cadeques is a great place to relax and we would go back again. Very few Americans, mostly Brits & French. For this area of Catalunya, I used the Rick Steve's Spain book. Adequate for our purposes. And the Michelin Map #574.
Continuing on to Lleida. This was about a 3 hr. drive from the Costa Brava on the autopista. Tolls were paid to Barcelona, then we got on the A-2, which had no fees.
Upon arrival in Lleida, we found our way to the train station. Our cousins lived a few blocks behind, but things had changed alot. We circled around to their neighborhood, but there had been a whole new area constructed. We asked a few people for the street and got misdirected. We finally stumbled onto my cousins' street and found the place. We visited here in 1990 and at that time, my cousins lived in a country-type home with a brick barn in front where we parked our car. Urbanization has changed the farm into an apartment building. My cousin, MM & her husband,JM seem to like the modern conveniences: elevator(great considering his handicap with walking), washer/dryer, great water pressure. No a/c, they claim they are allergic to it(more on this later). Needless to say, parking was a challenge, but we snagged a place in front.
The train station had also changed alot. The new AVE line has been built up to Lleida, so a new glass, metal platform area and new addition to the station was in place. The cousins' street dead ends at the railyard with a handy over pass over the tracks to the station & the main part of town.
We spent the next few days relaxing, catching up. AuntF is fluent in Spanish, so she did most of the translating. Although my cousin, MM, is a Catalan, her mother, my great aunt was Basque. We celebrated my 50th birthday with a special meal of beef filet, salad and the famous Catalan tomato bread. We had Cava and homemade cake.
Heading West to La Rioja & Basque Lands:
On June 13, we took off west from Lleida on the autopista. Around 12:30, we stopped in Zaragoza to see the Cathedral of Pilar. We lucked out and snagged a parking place in the underground garage, just as most people we taking off for lunch.
The square around the Pilar is pedestrian and very nice. The church was a treat to visit, quite impressive. Two unexploded bombs from the Civil War are also on display in the church. We had a picnic on the square before taking off for La Rioja.
3 hours later, we rolled into the area west of Logrono, heading toward LaGuardia & our destination: Villa Los Abablos in Abalos. I used the Micheline map #573, Maribel's Guides, and the Cadogan Northern Spain book for this area of Spain.
Wow!! This was even better than I had hoped. DH is a winegrape grower, so this part of the trip was thrown in for his benefit. The area was beautiful and charming. Abalos is a very tiny town of sandstone buildings. Villa Los Abalos is a restored mansion, now a hotel. Very cute with the original stone stairway. The rooms have the stone outer wall, beamed ceilings. We were only here for one night and would have enjoyed more!!
After checking in, Jose Luis, the owner, called for a wine tasting for us at Bodega Puelles. We walked about 1/2 mile to the bodega. DH was impressed with the reds(tempranillo) and a white(can't recall the varietal). We purchased 3 bottles totalling about €20.
That evening we had a nice meal at the hotel: I had the stuffed chard & fish. DH had the salad & steak. All very good. Afterwards, we chit chatted with a Brit brother & sister and wandered around the little town. At this point, the trip had become a little boring for our DD - no shopping. Even though this was geared more for us adults, DD was a good sport and never whined or complained.
The next morning, DH went with Jose Luis to visit his vineyards. DH really enjoyed this. Jose Luis is planning a small bodega next to the hotel property in the next year or so.
To be continued.... on to Pais Vasco.
Favorite eats: Tapas at S'entina. Right on the harbor. Great selection of tapas at a great price. The four of us ate for about €32 including wine.
Cadeques is a great place to relax and we would go back again. Very few Americans, mostly Brits & French. For this area of Catalunya, I used the Rick Steve's Spain book. Adequate for our purposes. And the Michelin Map #574.
Continuing on to Lleida. This was about a 3 hr. drive from the Costa Brava on the autopista. Tolls were paid to Barcelona, then we got on the A-2, which had no fees.
Upon arrival in Lleida, we found our way to the train station. Our cousins lived a few blocks behind, but things had changed alot. We circled around to their neighborhood, but there had been a whole new area constructed. We asked a few people for the street and got misdirected. We finally stumbled onto my cousins' street and found the place. We visited here in 1990 and at that time, my cousins lived in a country-type home with a brick barn in front where we parked our car. Urbanization has changed the farm into an apartment building. My cousin, MM & her husband,JM seem to like the modern conveniences: elevator(great considering his handicap with walking), washer/dryer, great water pressure. No a/c, they claim they are allergic to it(more on this later). Needless to say, parking was a challenge, but we snagged a place in front.
The train station had also changed alot. The new AVE line has been built up to Lleida, so a new glass, metal platform area and new addition to the station was in place. The cousins' street dead ends at the railyard with a handy over pass over the tracks to the station & the main part of town.
We spent the next few days relaxing, catching up. AuntF is fluent in Spanish, so she did most of the translating. Although my cousin, MM, is a Catalan, her mother, my great aunt was Basque. We celebrated my 50th birthday with a special meal of beef filet, salad and the famous Catalan tomato bread. We had Cava and homemade cake.
Heading West to La Rioja & Basque Lands:
On June 13, we took off west from Lleida on the autopista. Around 12:30, we stopped in Zaragoza to see the Cathedral of Pilar. We lucked out and snagged a parking place in the underground garage, just as most people we taking off for lunch.
The square around the Pilar is pedestrian and very nice. The church was a treat to visit, quite impressive. Two unexploded bombs from the Civil War are also on display in the church. We had a picnic on the square before taking off for La Rioja.
3 hours later, we rolled into the area west of Logrono, heading toward LaGuardia & our destination: Villa Los Abablos in Abalos. I used the Micheline map #573, Maribel's Guides, and the Cadogan Northern Spain book for this area of Spain.
Wow!! This was even better than I had hoped. DH is a winegrape grower, so this part of the trip was thrown in for his benefit. The area was beautiful and charming. Abalos is a very tiny town of sandstone buildings. Villa Los Abalos is a restored mansion, now a hotel. Very cute with the original stone stairway. The rooms have the stone outer wall, beamed ceilings. We were only here for one night and would have enjoyed more!!
After checking in, Jose Luis, the owner, called for a wine tasting for us at Bodega Puelles. We walked about 1/2 mile to the bodega. DH was impressed with the reds(tempranillo) and a white(can't recall the varietal). We purchased 3 bottles totalling about €20.
That evening we had a nice meal at the hotel: I had the stuffed chard & fish. DH had the salad & steak. All very good. Afterwards, we chit chatted with a Brit brother & sister and wandered around the little town. At this point, the trip had become a little boring for our DD - no shopping. Even though this was geared more for us adults, DD was a good sport and never whined or complained.
The next morning, DH went with Jose Luis to visit his vineyards. DH really enjoyed this. Jose Luis is planning a small bodega next to the hotel property in the next year or so.
To be continued.... on to Pais Vasco.
Jul 2nd, 2006, 05:17 PM
#6
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I am finally reading this and so far so good. I smiled when I read that your family is "allergic" to AC. I don't know anyone in Spain who has it and in summer you just sort of fry. However, now that I am used to that, constant AC seems really unhealthy to me. It is good every now and then, just like a dip in the sea is good, but not 24/7.
Jul 2nd, 2006, 05:54 PM
#7
Thanks Claire for the vote of confidence. I am going to have to shorten this report up. It's getting way to long and I'm not even half way through!! I had to laugh at the "caracoles" post since we had a first hand experience with Catalan caracols.
MY
MY
Jul 2nd, 2006, 06:27 PM
#9
SIDE BAR: One of the purposes of this trip, besides visiting cousins and finding our ancestral villages, was to experience the food, wine and find the perfect flan.
I have a flan receipe from my grandmother. She died in 1967 and this receipe was from "the old country". It calls for scalding the milk, no short cuts like "sweetened condensed milk". Most of the time here in CA, when trying flan, it has a "funny" taste. I assume it is because the milk hasn't been scalded. The flan in Spain was great!!! From Cadeques to Gernika, it is hard to pick a favorite!!! In Abalos we had Manchego cheese ice cream!! Interesting and quite good. I will try to give more food details as I remember.
MY
I have a flan receipe from my grandmother. She died in 1967 and this receipe was from "the old country". It calls for scalding the milk, no short cuts like "sweetened condensed milk". Most of the time here in CA, when trying flan, it has a "funny" taste. I assume it is because the milk hasn't been scalded. The flan in Spain was great!!! From Cadeques to Gernika, it is hard to pick a favorite!!! In Abalos we had Manchego cheese ice cream!! Interesting and quite good. I will try to give more food details as I remember.
MY
Jul 3rd, 2006, 08:19 PM
#10
The long road to San Sebastian:
June 14: Too bad we had only one night in Abalos. The Villa Abalos was very charming and would be a great base for exploring the Rioja. But we had to get on the road and to San Sebastian for the next 2 nights.
I had big plans for this day: see Gernika, the Guggenheim, the villages along the Atlantic. Well, we stuck to the N roads(red on the map), and my plans had to be revised as we went along. Everything was taking MUCH longer on the smaller roads. Luckily, DH was enjoying the curves and hills, so we enjoyed the scenery.
We were now heading towards Bizkaia. This area is very pretty. Green hills, small villages, county homes. Very nice!! I am sure our next trip to Spain will center in this part of the country.
Using my Michelin map & maribel's guide, we made our way north. We opted to skip Bilbao and head to Gernika. Near Gernika, an old family friend who grew up in Californa lives and owns an agriturismo. We hit Gernika around 2p.m. and stopped for lunch at Zallo Berri, recommended by Maribel. We had the menu della dia for €8 each. What a deal: salad with the wonderful chunky tuna, olives, hb eggs etc. I had some sort of stew, delicious. I ordered "gallino" for my DD, thinking it was a small chicken. surprise!! It is some sort of fish with it's head still on!! The server was great and brought paella for DD instead.
We then headed out of Gernika to find the village of Marmiz and our friends house call Solauren. We were lost and stopped to ask directions from a jogger. Luckily, she was an English teacher and hopped in our car to show us the way.
When we drove up to Solauren, our friend walked out. She didn't recognize me, since she hadn't seen me since I was about 12, but she recognized my aunt. Wow was she shocked!!! People from home. She and her husband fixed up his family's farm house in 1992 and started a B & B/farm stay type thing. This is a way to help keep the farm somewhat viable. The place is very nice. We visted for a few hours then hit the road.
We reached the coast at Lekeitio and hugged the coast until Deba. I wish we could have stopped along the way since the towns were all very charming. But I was anxious to get checked in at San Sebastian and unwind. We got to SS and the Hotel Niza about 7p.m. Lucky us!!! Our rooms faced the bay!!! I think I was going to like this place!!
Dinner in SS: We were beat and my feet were killing me, so we had pintxos close by at Rojo y Negro. Even though I had researched the pintxo protocol, we felt weird just walking up, pointing and taking the food out to a table without paying. How would they know what to charge us??? But they do know and the guys at the bar were very helpful.
We had a variety of things, but I wanted to try the calamari in tinta. DH & I had this in 1990 in Segovia and loved it. This time it was a little different, stuffed with the tentacles, but still good. The ink sauce makes the dish. DD was totally turned off by the selections so she just ate bread!! Oh well.
A great way to end a long day.
Tomorrow: Food, wine, history with Tenedor Tours.
June 14: Too bad we had only one night in Abalos. The Villa Abalos was very charming and would be a great base for exploring the Rioja. But we had to get on the road and to San Sebastian for the next 2 nights.
I had big plans for this day: see Gernika, the Guggenheim, the villages along the Atlantic. Well, we stuck to the N roads(red on the map), and my plans had to be revised as we went along. Everything was taking MUCH longer on the smaller roads. Luckily, DH was enjoying the curves and hills, so we enjoyed the scenery.
We were now heading towards Bizkaia. This area is very pretty. Green hills, small villages, county homes. Very nice!! I am sure our next trip to Spain will center in this part of the country.
Using my Michelin map & maribel's guide, we made our way north. We opted to skip Bilbao and head to Gernika. Near Gernika, an old family friend who grew up in Californa lives and owns an agriturismo. We hit Gernika around 2p.m. and stopped for lunch at Zallo Berri, recommended by Maribel. We had the menu della dia for €8 each. What a deal: salad with the wonderful chunky tuna, olives, hb eggs etc. I had some sort of stew, delicious. I ordered "gallino" for my DD, thinking it was a small chicken. surprise!! It is some sort of fish with it's head still on!! The server was great and brought paella for DD instead.
We then headed out of Gernika to find the village of Marmiz and our friends house call Solauren. We were lost and stopped to ask directions from a jogger. Luckily, she was an English teacher and hopped in our car to show us the way.
When we drove up to Solauren, our friend walked out. She didn't recognize me, since she hadn't seen me since I was about 12, but she recognized my aunt. Wow was she shocked!!! People from home. She and her husband fixed up his family's farm house in 1992 and started a B & B/farm stay type thing. This is a way to help keep the farm somewhat viable. The place is very nice. We visted for a few hours then hit the road.
We reached the coast at Lekeitio and hugged the coast until Deba. I wish we could have stopped along the way since the towns were all very charming. But I was anxious to get checked in at San Sebastian and unwind. We got to SS and the Hotel Niza about 7p.m. Lucky us!!! Our rooms faced the bay!!! I think I was going to like this place!!
Dinner in SS: We were beat and my feet were killing me, so we had pintxos close by at Rojo y Negro. Even though I had researched the pintxo protocol, we felt weird just walking up, pointing and taking the food out to a table without paying. How would they know what to charge us??? But they do know and the guys at the bar were very helpful.
We had a variety of things, but I wanted to try the calamari in tinta. DH & I had this in 1990 in Segovia and loved it. This time it was a little different, stuffed with the tentacles, but still good. The ink sauce makes the dish. DD was totally turned off by the selections so she just ate bread!! Oh well.
A great way to end a long day.
Tomorrow: Food, wine, history with Tenedor Tours.
Jul 10th, 2006, 01:02 PM
#13
June 15: Food & wine in Donostia/San Sebastian -
Hotel Niza: I am not sure if I would like this place if it were somewhere else or if I had a street side room. We were lucky and had the oceanview rooms. The hotel was clean with updated bathrooms and right on La Concha beach. But I think a major renovation will be needed in the future: signs of wear & tear, dry rot etc. But it was very nice and the staff was very helpful. A full buffet breakfast was available for €10. Our room price was also great €113(w/o vat).
Today was our tour with Gabriella of Tenedor Tours. I had read about her tours here and in Maribel's Guide. I had arranged a one day food/wine/history tour of the area. Since we are winegrape growers, I wanted us to visit a txakoli vineyard & bodega.
Gabriella picked us up about 10:30. We headed out past Playa de Ondarreta where we stopped and she told us some of the history of the area, San Sebastian, and the Basques.
We then headed along the coast to Zarautz and the Talai Berri Bodega. One interesting fact: the bodega is along the coastal, less used route of the Camino de Santiago. The owner showed us the vineyards & bodega. Afterwards, we had snacks & txakoli at the bodega. This was great: cheese, olives, pickled peppers, chunk tuna, sardines, bread and wine. We even let DD try some txakoli(not to her taste!!)
Gabriella did an excellent job of translating. We all enjoyed this very much. DH was not crazy about the wine, but we women thought it was great, especially after the first glass!!
We then headed for a gormet lunch in San Sebastian at Agorregi. We had the tasting menu of ravioli, paella, fish, lamb and a caramel ice cream for dessert. Very nice!!
Gabriella then took us to the old town for some site seeing and history. We also looked in on a Gastronomic Society. Gabriella knew someone who was a member, but they were having a special celebration of Cider makers from all over Spain, so we didn't stay.
We finished the tour with coffee in one of the plazas. I highly recommend Gabriella & Tenedor Tours. It wasn't cheap, but it was well worth it.
That evening we went to the beach and relaxed.
To be continued .....Off to Pamplona.
Hotel Niza: I am not sure if I would like this place if it were somewhere else or if I had a street side room. We were lucky and had the oceanview rooms. The hotel was clean with updated bathrooms and right on La Concha beach. But I think a major renovation will be needed in the future: signs of wear & tear, dry rot etc. But it was very nice and the staff was very helpful. A full buffet breakfast was available for €10. Our room price was also great €113(w/o vat).
Today was our tour with Gabriella of Tenedor Tours. I had read about her tours here and in Maribel's Guide. I had arranged a one day food/wine/history tour of the area. Since we are winegrape growers, I wanted us to visit a txakoli vineyard & bodega.
Gabriella picked us up about 10:30. We headed out past Playa de Ondarreta where we stopped and she told us some of the history of the area, San Sebastian, and the Basques.
We then headed along the coast to Zarautz and the Talai Berri Bodega. One interesting fact: the bodega is along the coastal, less used route of the Camino de Santiago. The owner showed us the vineyards & bodega. Afterwards, we had snacks & txakoli at the bodega. This was great: cheese, olives, pickled peppers, chunk tuna, sardines, bread and wine. We even let DD try some txakoli(not to her taste!!)
Gabriella did an excellent job of translating. We all enjoyed this very much. DH was not crazy about the wine, but we women thought it was great, especially after the first glass!!
We then headed for a gormet lunch in San Sebastian at Agorregi. We had the tasting menu of ravioli, paella, fish, lamb and a caramel ice cream for dessert. Very nice!!
Gabriella then took us to the old town for some site seeing and history. We also looked in on a Gastronomic Society. Gabriella knew someone who was a member, but they were having a special celebration of Cider makers from all over Spain, so we didn't stay.
We finished the tour with coffee in one of the plazas. I highly recommend Gabriella & Tenedor Tours. It wasn't cheap, but it was well worth it.
That evening we went to the beach and relaxed.
To be continued .....Off to Pamplona.
Jul 10th, 2006, 06:33 PM
#15
Good-bye Donostia, hello Pamplona ....
June 16, Friday: Our stay in San Sebastian was coming to an end. We asked about an extra night, but no luck. The Hotel Niza was booked up for the weekend.
We decided to get a bite in the area and found a great Cafe/bakery a few blocks away. We had croissant & cafe con leche. DD had hot chocolate. Great stuff. The bakery also had one of my favorites: pinenut cookies. I found these in Italy, but not in CA. These were very good, with an almond paste dough.
I promised DD some shopping, so we headed to a shop called Berushka, where she had seen a cute, polka-dot tank top. We found the tops, but DD is VERY tiny. All they had were Mediano & Grande. But she did pick up a few items. We then headed to the Old town to visit the Basque shop. Things were pretty pricy, but I picked up a few old fashioned cards with Basque women and a ceramic plate made in Bizkaya.
We went back to the hotel to check out. The plan was to visit the Chillida-Leku museum on the way to Pamplona. We found the museum and rented the head sets. I think I would have enjoyed this more if it wasn't so HOT. It wasn't just the heat, but the humidity. As a California native, even a little humidity gets to me.
This museum is set up in a park-like setting with Chillida's large, metal sculptures set up out side. A restored farm house keeps other smaller sculptures of different mediums. The farm house is beautiful in itself. We spent a few hours here then hit the road.
The freeway between SS and Pamplona is great. In 1990, we had a 2 lane highway to follow to Pamplona. Over the last week in Spain, I could see how things have improved dramatically: infrastructure, transportation and a more tourist friendly environment.
We had spoken with our cousins, CC & JX, the night before. We would meet up with them later that day. They said we would be staying with Aunt Julia that night (who ever she was, we didn't know). I decided that we should get some shopping in while in Pamplona BEFORE we met up. My experience has been once you get with relatives, you can't get away.
It was about 2p.m. and we were about to pass thru Lekunberri. This is the home of the famous Asador Epeleta, recommended here on Fodor's by Robert2533 and Fishee. We found the place, but no cars out front. A bad sign. Then we read the sign posted: Closed, on vacation!!! Darn!! We ended up eating at a bar in town.
We made it into Pamplona about 4pm, just in time for the shops to open. As I mentioned above, it was much more tourist friendly. Here we made our required T-shirt purchases. I picked up a real bota bag(NOT lined with plastic), earrings with the Basque star. I also picked up some canned tuna and the pickled waxed peppers. We followed along the enciero(bull running) route, which is also the main shopping route.
By now it was about 7 p.m, and were to meet cousins CC & JX at the San Lorenzo church. Would I remember them?? Yes, I would. CC hadn't changed much and JX was just a little balder. We had a drink with them at a bar and caught up with the family. JX's father & my grandfather were brothers. My grandfather came to the US in 1906, when he was 18 and his little brother only 6. Neither saw each other again, plus their mom died young, dad married again, and had five more kids, making a total of 10 kids. A long story. Aunt Julia,age 84, who we were staying with tonight, was the youngest of the second set of kids. We teased my AuntF about her Aunt Julia only being a few years older than she is!!!
Having my Aunt F tranlating really helped make this trip more enjoyable and productive. We were able to get more family history and details. CC & JX were just a little older than we are, plus they were a kick. JX was a real jokester.
We checked in at Aunt Julia's flat: she's a widow and had plenty of room for us. We then had dinner, at 10 p.m as usual, at CC & JX's flat. We had the required serrano ham, tomato salad, great bread, and cod fish. For dessert we had a custard-type dessert. It was called "cuajada". It is sheeps milk with a rennet added to curdle & thicken it. It's then cooled in the fridge. It is served with sugar or honey. It was very good. Plus we got to enjoy JX's homemade 'pacharan'. From what we found out, sloe berries are soaked in anisette to produce this drink. Pretty strong stuff!! Wow!! We finished our drinks, then headed to Aunt Julia's for the night.
Next: More cousins and a trip into the Pyrenees ....
June 16, Friday: Our stay in San Sebastian was coming to an end. We asked about an extra night, but no luck. The Hotel Niza was booked up for the weekend.
We decided to get a bite in the area and found a great Cafe/bakery a few blocks away. We had croissant & cafe con leche. DD had hot chocolate. Great stuff. The bakery also had one of my favorites: pinenut cookies. I found these in Italy, but not in CA. These were very good, with an almond paste dough.
I promised DD some shopping, so we headed to a shop called Berushka, where she had seen a cute, polka-dot tank top. We found the tops, but DD is VERY tiny. All they had were Mediano & Grande. But she did pick up a few items. We then headed to the Old town to visit the Basque shop. Things were pretty pricy, but I picked up a few old fashioned cards with Basque women and a ceramic plate made in Bizkaya.
We went back to the hotel to check out. The plan was to visit the Chillida-Leku museum on the way to Pamplona. We found the museum and rented the head sets. I think I would have enjoyed this more if it wasn't so HOT. It wasn't just the heat, but the humidity. As a California native, even a little humidity gets to me.
This museum is set up in a park-like setting with Chillida's large, metal sculptures set up out side. A restored farm house keeps other smaller sculptures of different mediums. The farm house is beautiful in itself. We spent a few hours here then hit the road.
The freeway between SS and Pamplona is great. In 1990, we had a 2 lane highway to follow to Pamplona. Over the last week in Spain, I could see how things have improved dramatically: infrastructure, transportation and a more tourist friendly environment.
We had spoken with our cousins, CC & JX, the night before. We would meet up with them later that day. They said we would be staying with Aunt Julia that night (who ever she was, we didn't know). I decided that we should get some shopping in while in Pamplona BEFORE we met up. My experience has been once you get with relatives, you can't get away.
It was about 2p.m. and we were about to pass thru Lekunberri. This is the home of the famous Asador Epeleta, recommended here on Fodor's by Robert2533 and Fishee. We found the place, but no cars out front. A bad sign. Then we read the sign posted: Closed, on vacation!!! Darn!! We ended up eating at a bar in town.
We made it into Pamplona about 4pm, just in time for the shops to open. As I mentioned above, it was much more tourist friendly. Here we made our required T-shirt purchases. I picked up a real bota bag(NOT lined with plastic), earrings with the Basque star. I also picked up some canned tuna and the pickled waxed peppers. We followed along the enciero(bull running) route, which is also the main shopping route.
By now it was about 7 p.m, and were to meet cousins CC & JX at the San Lorenzo church. Would I remember them?? Yes, I would. CC hadn't changed much and JX was just a little balder. We had a drink with them at a bar and caught up with the family. JX's father & my grandfather were brothers. My grandfather came to the US in 1906, when he was 18 and his little brother only 6. Neither saw each other again, plus their mom died young, dad married again, and had five more kids, making a total of 10 kids. A long story. Aunt Julia,age 84, who we were staying with tonight, was the youngest of the second set of kids. We teased my AuntF about her Aunt Julia only being a few years older than she is!!!
Having my Aunt F tranlating really helped make this trip more enjoyable and productive. We were able to get more family history and details. CC & JX were just a little older than we are, plus they were a kick. JX was a real jokester.
We checked in at Aunt Julia's flat: she's a widow and had plenty of room for us. We then had dinner, at 10 p.m as usual, at CC & JX's flat. We had the required serrano ham, tomato salad, great bread, and cod fish. For dessert we had a custard-type dessert. It was called "cuajada". It is sheeps milk with a rennet added to curdle & thicken it. It's then cooled in the fridge. It is served with sugar or honey. It was very good. Plus we got to enjoy JX's homemade 'pacharan'. From what we found out, sloe berries are soaked in anisette to produce this drink. Pretty strong stuff!! Wow!! We finished our drinks, then headed to Aunt Julia's for the night.
Next: More cousins and a trip into the Pyrenees ....
Jul 11th, 2006, 03:28 AM
#16
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Excellent history, just an explanation about what you called the Basque "star": it is called "Lauburu" (four heads), and it is thought to be a religious symbol of some kind, probably representing the sun. It is found in many ancient Basque tombs.
Patxaran, made out of "endrinas" (a type of berry, probably blueberry?¿), it is not that strong (25% alcohol content), we like to drink a small glass after lunch (mostly, on weekends), it is an excellent digestive.
Patxaran, made out of "endrinas" (a type of berry, probably blueberry?¿), it is not that strong (25% alcohol content), we like to drink a small glass after lunch (mostly, on weekends), it is an excellent digestive.
Jul 11th, 2006, 09:30 AM
#17
mikelg: Thank you for the correct name of the "star". We also saw it on the large wooden trunks in various homes or inns.
One of my guide books said the pacharan was made from sloe berries. One of my cousins, who had spent several years in California, said we don't have it here. We saw it growing in Navarra on large bushes along the road. ??? will have to find out more.
Thanks again.
MY
One of my guide books said the pacharan was made from sloe berries. One of my cousins, who had spent several years in California, said we don't have it here. We saw it growing in Navarra on large bushes along the road. ??? will have to find out more.
Thanks again.
MY
Jul 11th, 2006, 11:30 AM
#18
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Sloe berry or blackthorn, according to my dictionary, but I´m not sure about it. We like to make patxaran at home (patxaran or basarana is sloe berry in basque) and we pick the endrinas up in the endrina bush. Anisette, some coffee grains and one year make the trick.
In any case, I like it very much for its smooth taste and "low" alcohol content.
In any case, I like it very much for its smooth taste and "low" alcohol content.
Jul 11th, 2006, 09:02 PM
#19
More Basque Cousins ....
Sat. June 17: We had a nice stay at Aunt Julia's. We checked out the neighborhood and we bought some hard cider at the market for later.
JX & his wife, CC came to guide us to the train station. My cousin from Lleida, MM, was coming to spend the night with us in Lintzoain, my grandmothers village.
This is getting confusing, all the cousins but here is a brief summary:
My grandmother was from Lintzoain and came to California in 1912 at age 14. She was the oldest of 7. One sister went to Argentina(never heard from again), one to Valladolid, and 3 sisters went to Barcelona/Lleida. Her brother stayed in Lintzoain. Only two cousins still live in Lintzoain, about 30 min. outside of Pamplona. Cousin MM from Lleida's mother was my grandmother's' sister.
My grandfather was from Loizu. It is very near Lintzoain and Erro, but my grandparents met & married in the US. He left Spain in 1906 at age 18. He & his brother worked as lumberjacks, then went into the sheep business. He never went back to Spain and had no desire to. My AuntF figures it was probably because their mom died young, their dad remarried and had 5 more kids - 10 total. His youngest full brother ended up in Pamplona, and his children: JX and his sister are my connection to the old country.
Sorry, I digress, but this will help me keep my family history in order.
Getting back to the trip:
MM, from Lleida arrived and we took off for the Pyrenees. The drive was lovely, the villages very charming, scenery great. We stopped in Erro for lunch: trout was the special for the day, a local specialty.
We proceeded up to Roncevalles. Here we saw the monument to Roland, nephew of Charlemagne, and visited the Santa Maria Church and other buildings. Roncevalle is also a stopping point on the Camino de Santiago. Quite a number of pilgrims were in town, getting settled for the evening. DD was facinated with the whole idea of doing this trek. One of the trails goes thru my grandmother's village.
We headed to Lintzoain to settle into a "casa rural" one of my cousins owns. They had redone the house into two apartments. Very new but traditional with beamed ceilings etc. Later, we had dinner with another cousin, ME & her husband.
The next morning was peaceful: sheep bleating along the hillsides and the pilgrims making their way thru the village. We had breakfast with ME, and headed to Loizu to meet up with the other half of my family.
Loizu only has about 3 houses. Our family home is used as a weekend retreat. It is about 100 years old. We also got to go into the abandoned church, San Andres. Loizu is in a lovely, isolated valley. Green with large poplars
We met all kinds of cousins, ranging in ages 16 to 70. One cousin had spent time in AZ in the 1950s as a sheepherder, so he spoke a little english. His son had spent time in Ireland and spoke english very well. I quized him on Basque politics etc. He was about 30 and learned Basque in school. His parents, or anyone schooled during the Franco era only spoke Spanish. So only the very old or under 30 crowd speak Basque. We finished the day with lunch in Erro with about 25 cousins. I have more family in Spain than here in the US.
It was sad leaving but it was a great weekend and experience. We drove that evening back to Lleida.
To be continued....
Sat. June 17: We had a nice stay at Aunt Julia's. We checked out the neighborhood and we bought some hard cider at the market for later.
JX & his wife, CC came to guide us to the train station. My cousin from Lleida, MM, was coming to spend the night with us in Lintzoain, my grandmothers village.
This is getting confusing, all the cousins but here is a brief summary:
My grandmother was from Lintzoain and came to California in 1912 at age 14. She was the oldest of 7. One sister went to Argentina(never heard from again), one to Valladolid, and 3 sisters went to Barcelona/Lleida. Her brother stayed in Lintzoain. Only two cousins still live in Lintzoain, about 30 min. outside of Pamplona. Cousin MM from Lleida's mother was my grandmother's' sister.
My grandfather was from Loizu. It is very near Lintzoain and Erro, but my grandparents met & married in the US. He left Spain in 1906 at age 18. He & his brother worked as lumberjacks, then went into the sheep business. He never went back to Spain and had no desire to. My AuntF figures it was probably because their mom died young, their dad remarried and had 5 more kids - 10 total. His youngest full brother ended up in Pamplona, and his children: JX and his sister are my connection to the old country.
Sorry, I digress, but this will help me keep my family history in order.
Getting back to the trip:
MM, from Lleida arrived and we took off for the Pyrenees. The drive was lovely, the villages very charming, scenery great. We stopped in Erro for lunch: trout was the special for the day, a local specialty.
We proceeded up to Roncevalles. Here we saw the monument to Roland, nephew of Charlemagne, and visited the Santa Maria Church and other buildings. Roncevalle is also a stopping point on the Camino de Santiago. Quite a number of pilgrims were in town, getting settled for the evening. DD was facinated with the whole idea of doing this trek. One of the trails goes thru my grandmother's village.
We headed to Lintzoain to settle into a "casa rural" one of my cousins owns. They had redone the house into two apartments. Very new but traditional with beamed ceilings etc. Later, we had dinner with another cousin, ME & her husband.
The next morning was peaceful: sheep bleating along the hillsides and the pilgrims making their way thru the village. We had breakfast with ME, and headed to Loizu to meet up with the other half of my family.
Loizu only has about 3 houses. Our family home is used as a weekend retreat. It is about 100 years old. We also got to go into the abandoned church, San Andres. Loizu is in a lovely, isolated valley. Green with large poplars
We met all kinds of cousins, ranging in ages 16 to 70. One cousin had spent time in AZ in the 1950s as a sheepherder, so he spoke a little english. His son had spent time in Ireland and spoke english very well. I quized him on Basque politics etc. He was about 30 and learned Basque in school. His parents, or anyone schooled during the Franco era only spoke Spanish. So only the very old or under 30 crowd speak Basque. We finished the day with lunch in Erro with about 25 cousins. I have more family in Spain than here in the US.
It was sad leaving but it was a great weekend and experience. We drove that evening back to Lleida.
To be continued....
Jul 11th, 2006, 09:31 PM
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A beautiful trip report MichelleY, I am so enjoying it. Guess we are sort of "neighbors" as I live in the Sacramento Valley also. I have known some Basque, beautiful people, warm and kind. Have you ever read the book "In A Hundred Graves". If not, you would no doubt enjoy it.
