UNA DÍA EN LA VASCONIA
- Jun 24, 2017
- 4 min read
After a little sleep-in and Dad and Joey's run, we headed out to pick up a quick breakfast. There are lots of fruit markets, so we stopped at one for fruit and some bread. Then, we piled into the car. Turns out bread is extremely messy and crunchy because the car's floor was covered in bread crumbs. Soon the city and ocean had disappeared. We were headed into the Basque Country. John Poynton, one of Mom's friends, had planned a whole day for us.
After arriving in Elorrio and finding a spot to park, I got the lovely task of asking a local if we had to pay for parking. He was kind and responded, "libre," free. The temperature was remarkably cooler than in San Sebastian, so Mom, having forgotten a jacket, went into a store. She tried on what appeared to be a jacket, but the store worker informed us it was a dress. Nonetheless, Mom wore it as a jacket over her clothes, and the shop worker found it hilarious.
There were lots of stands set up outside the church in the main square. We browsed through, looked at the antique cars, and glanced down a few of the streets. Mr. Poynton's friends then came up behind us and greeted us with a kiss to each check. It was Juan Luis, his wife (Begoña), and their ten year old daughter (Sofia). They brought us up to the tourist center where we got audio tours to show us around the city. The audio guide walked us through the streets of the city, explaining its history and culture. There were thirty or so stops, plus the ones Juan Luis added. We got to see their apartment, which is in one of the town's old palaces. It was beautiful, and there was a nice view of the mountains from the window. Having circled the town, we returned our audio tours.
It was about 2:00 pm now, the typical time for lunch here, so we headed up to a farm house for lunch. Mr. Poynton had made the reservation for us and definitely knew what he was doing. The view was amazing. We looked back down into Elorrio and along the Basque countryside. Lunch consisted of bread, croquettes, salad, two different types of fish, eggs and mushrooms for Joey, and four deserts. There was so much food, which is typical for a Spanish lunch, and it was so good. The fish flaked apart when your fork touched it. The food seemed to just keep coming. Completely stuffed, we walked back outside where Juan Luis informed us we were going to his brother's house next.
On the way, we stopped at a church for the Basques at the top of a mountain. We were in the clouds. The church was, of course, beautiful. It wasn't completed because they ran out of money, but I couldn't tell. Juan Luis then took us on a short walk through the trees to a lookout point. Unfortunately, the clouds obscured the view, but they looked beautiful weaving through the trees.
Next Stop: Juan Luis' brother's house. We wound back down the mountain and up into a new town, Azkoaga. This was much more accurately described later as a barrio (neighborhood). There are only about eighty people. Ramon, Juan Luis' brother, and his wife, Arantza, welcomed us into their home and greeted us with a kiss to each cheek. They were so kind and had a beautiful home right across from the church. We had tea and coffee while making conversation in Spanglish. It was good practice and fun to get to know locals. We also got to meet Ramon and Arantza's fourteen year old son and ten year old daughter.
They have keys to the church, so they took us in. It was beautiful as well. However, this wasn't your typical church tour. We actually got to go up into the bell tour. The stairs were wooden and appeared unstable, but they did the job. We made the narrow walk up to above the domes. That's not something you see everyday. Then, we continued up the stairs to the bell tower. The view was remarkable. It's not very often that you get to go into a church's bell tower.
After making it back down the narrow stair case, Dad tried to climb the San Juan tree. It was very similar to the one I saw yesterday in Pasajes. We were then taken to the family's fruit and vegetable garden. They were growing all sorts of food, and we even got to try a plum. It's still early in the season, so the plants were in their beginning stages, but I can't even imagine how vibrant it looks in August and September. Juan Luis and Ramon's sister was riding by on her bike, so we got to meet her as well.
Heading back toward their house, we went into the town's bar. Only eighty people in the town, but there is still a bar. We sat around the table, made great conversation, and enjoyed some drinks. Arantza's cousin walked by while we were at the bar, so we got to meet her as well. Glancing down at the time, it had somehow reached 9:30. Ramon and Arantza had a town dinner for San Juan, so we said goodbye and headed back toward San Sebastian. The family had kindly given us a departing gift of apple and pear juice from their garden. I can't wait to try it.
It was an absolutely amazing day meeting locals, seeing the Basque Country, practicing Spanish, and getting to know Spain outside of San Sebastian. It was a unique experience that is typically difficult to find, and, courtesy of Juan Luis, we got hundreds of pictures. Contact information was exchanged, so, hopefully, we will be able to keep in touch. And, who knows, maybe we will get to visit them again. Thank you Mr. Poynton for such an incredible day.
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