In the midst of a weekend full of
eating and taking siestas on the terrace, I needed to get out and explore. I
took a trip to the town of Hondarribia. It is about 30 minutes away from
San Sebastián and is across the water from France. There is a nice walk along
the water with a port on one side and France on the other. It was quite a
unique experience to be walking in Spain and looking at France. My friend,
Monica, and I spent the morning exploring the city. It was a small town but
there was something old around every corner. We stumbled upon a
walled part of the city as well as lots of statues. The city is also known for
having a paradore, which is an old castle that has been turned into a five-star
hotel. We were only able to see the lobby, but it was quite elegant. I was
really impressed with the amount of things to see in the town. To top it all
off, we had beautiful weather which added to the charm of the city.
A fountain with the cathedral in the background
I also attended a talk by a
Bertsolari, a person who sings verses in Basque. The verses are improvised,
have to follow a certain tune and rhyme. They are given a topic and then have
up to a minute to think about the topic before singing the verse. There is
nothing similar in the United States, but the closest thing is rap. There are
Bertsolari contests and it is very popular in the Basque Country. Kepa and
Lurdes listen to the verses all of the time. I can’t understand them, but I
enjoy watching their reactions. After the talk, there was a boat ride in the
bay. The water was very choppy, but it was nice to see the city from a new
angle.
Sophie, Monica and me on the boat!
Although I don’t have any food
pictures for the week, I was still eating well! Among other things, we had
rabbit paella and fresh lamb from Lurdes’s family farm. I never cease to be
amazed by food that is put in front of me. Tomorrow night we are having
an American dinner complaints of yours truly. I must say I have never been so
nervous to make dinner in my life! Kepa is a hard chef to follow in the
kitchen!
Besos,
Erin
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