We caught bus 57 from downtown Donostia and took about a twenty minute ride to Hondarribia. Several families have sent their students to the Summer in the USA program over the years from this area. Our Basque son is from Hondarribia. He stayed with us in 2002. Elli and her family, that I spoke about earlier, lives in Hondarribia. She even came down during her busy day, she is a teacher, to welcome us and show us where we could catch a boat ride to Hendaya, France over the Txingudi bay. A notable resident is José María Olazábal famous Spanish golfer, winner of two U.S. Masters titles and regular member of the European Ryder cup team.
When we arrived at the round about, we headed up to the old part of town. We walked up a hill to the Arama Plaza. The area is surrounded by a huge stone wall and a castle. The castle was built by the king of Navarre, Sancho Abarca, in the 10th century is the center of old town. The building still retains the appearance and atmosphere of an original medieval fortress. The thick-walled exterior of the fortress can be seen in the doorway. There is a courtyard inside as well, but only special visitors are allowed to walk there. You can still see the pot holes where canon balls caused damage.
The windows, doors and colors all were fascinating to me. Even a downspout - or substitute for a downspout - was designed in the shape of a bird. Their must be some significance in using a bird I will research. The feel of the city was more relaxed and welcoming with a canopy of trees providing shade as we walked down main street.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Friday, September 17, 2010
a visit - Sancti Ignati Basilica
One of the sights to see is the Basilica of St.Ignatius Loyola in Loiola, Spain. "In the center of the Shrine of Loyola there rises an imposing church dominated by a dome and preceded by a large portico, an exuberant example of Spanish baroque. This is how a period with a sensitivity different from ours expressed its wonder at Iñigo de Loyola’s surrender to God." Official Website
The thought of being in a room where people of faith, for more than 500 years, have walked the steps, sat in the pews, and spoke from the podium was humbling. It is hotly debated here if the reformation Ignatius brought about was good for the people and country. But, the monument is a site to see and experience.
The basilica was built next to Ignatius' house. It has been called the "Holy House" because of the story of his conversion and the events which occurred in his life.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
a gastronomical society
In Basque Country, when several families come together to form a special bond for life, it is are called koadrilla. The koadrillas may buy or build a place to accommodate large get togethers to socialize and share meals together, the place is called a gastronomical society. We were invited to a very special dinner with a family who has sent 2 students to the Summer in the USA program. Juanan has gone twice, Javier came this summer and Pablo is looking forward to coming when he is old enough.
The father is an architect and designed the interior of the Zubimusu Elkartea in which we had our meal. It was beautifully crafted. It looks like a restaurant inside, but it is specifically designed to allow the members to get access to linen, plates, utensils, glasses, food, drink, etc. when they host an event. You sign up for the tables you need and make sure the food and drink you want is there. There is a kitchen where the men mostly do the cooking. They have a society flag which hangs in a glass case on the wall along with other items documenting a rich history. One picture is of a piece of goal post from a famous soccer stadium which was built in 1913 and torn down in 1999.
We were asked to arrive at the nomal dinner time in Basque Country,9:00pm. Yes, 9 in the evening. It is still consdered afteroon until 7 or 8pm. The whole family joined in setting the table, serving and waiting on us hand and foot. When the evening was finished, we all helped put the dishes away on shelves and the table cloths and napkins in a bin where the hired staff would come in the morning and clean. Now, that is the way to have a celebration!
The evening was perfecto!
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
race day - september 12th
Regatta Day
Fiestas are happening all over Basque Country. The “race” is the last event of the celebration in Donostia. This area of Basque Country has a whaling tradition. They no longer whale hunt but carry on the tradition by having the various communities bring their boats and race in La Concha (Donostia). Orio, the town Hur live in won the race we watched.
We sat on the grass in a place called Miramar overlooking the bay. Friends of Summer in the USA, Joseba and Joanna came by and watch the race with us.
Elle and her youngest daughter Inge arrived from Hondarribia. Their oldest daughter, Nahia, is living in the U.S. and going to school in Silverdale for a year. Inge hopes to go to the U.S. with the Summer in the USA program in a couple years. Her English is already very good. We went to a restaurant where they know Elle’s husband, Emilio, who is currently fishing for tuna near Senegal. The meal was beyond description. I will let the pictures tell the story.
After the meal we headed down to the Old Town of Donostia. It was a visit I will never forget.
Fiestas are happening all over Basque Country. The “race” is the last event of the celebration in Donostia. This area of Basque Country has a whaling tradition. They no longer whale hunt but carry on the tradition by having the various communities bring their boats and race in La Concha (Donostia). Orio, the town Hur live in won the race we watched.
We sat on the grass in a place called Miramar overlooking the bay. Friends of Summer in the USA, Joseba and Joanna came by and watch the race with us.
Elle and her youngest daughter Inge arrived from Hondarribia. Their oldest daughter, Nahia, is living in the U.S. and going to school in Silverdale for a year. Inge hopes to go to the U.S. with the Summer in the USA program in a couple years. Her English is already very good. We went to a restaurant where they know Elle’s husband, Emilio, who is currently fishing for tuna near Senegal. The meal was beyond description. I will let the pictures tell the story.
After the meal we headed down to the Old Town of Donostia. It was a visit I will never forget.
Monday, September 13, 2010
the reunion day - september 11
I stayed in Orio at Hur’s place. I finally got some sleep from 3:30am to 10:30am. (Jet lag can be hard on the body.) I walked into the dining room and Hur was already dressed. He was leaving to get some croissants and chocolate covered pastry. I logged on to the internet to check email and work on my blog.
The pastry he brought back was delicious and the espresso he made on his machine was very good. After we finished eating he said," we better go to the beach to play paddle ball and swim to work off our breakfast." So, off we went to the beach again. We played paddle ball for about 30 minutes and had one rally where we hit it back and fourth 110 times without a miss. This worked up a sweat on both of us so off to the water. The waves were not as big as yesterday, but just as refreshing. The temperature was around 75 degrees. After swimming we washed off the sand and salt in the outdoor showers. We found a place to dry off a bit before heading home. Hur had to get me back to Donosti so Chris and I could get the cafeteria ready for the Reunion event.
Hur drove me to the SUSA office where I met Chris. (I would have to do alot of driving to get use the the roadway system.)We went to the University Cafeteria to set up the screen for the slide show around 2pm. We hung it from the second level railing.
I went back to the apartment,not knowing if anyone would be there. No one was there to let me in. So, I went to the Marugame Bar Café below the apartment. This was the first time I was going to ask someone for something without an interpreter. I was starting to get a little anxious. I went up to the bar and said in a pathetic voice, “Coke.”
The lady behind the bar looked at me and said, “Koca-Kola.” I said, “Si.” Then I remembered it should have been in Basque, ”Bi”. Bi means “yes” in Basque. I did not ask her how much it would cost. I just handed her a 5 euro bill and she gave me 3 euros in coin. So I said to meyself,"Ok, it costs 2 euros for a Koka-Kola."
I sat at a side table next to the bar and fumbled with my back pack to get my journal to start to writing about today’s events. After about 15 minutes, I must have looked like a lonely, out of place American, a server (who I believe may have been the owner) walked by and casually slid a plate with a pintxo on it. He said something like, “don’t worry about it.” I immediately said, “muy bien.” I should have said, “eskerrik asko” which means thank you in Basque. If he did not know I was an American, he now knew I was a confused American. The pintxo was like a tuna salad topping, the meat was crab, on a baguette slice. It was just what I needed because I had only a banana and water for breakfast.
The Reunion was outstanding. This is the first time SUSA has attempted a fall Reunion. The purpose was to bring together the students and their families to celebrate their trip, meet some of the American families who hosted and for the staff to say a big thank you for entrusting us with their children. We were expecting around 80 people and 100 people showed up. The slideshow of students with their family and adventures in the USA was a hit. There were refreshments and an opportunity to send a video greeting to their American family. Students hugged their new friends they had seen since camp and celebrated together as one big family. Many students said they would like to return and bring friends they talked to once they returned.
That is the primary way families hear about Summer in the USA, by word of mouth. A teacher, of one of the students, said he would give us a letter of recommendation to other schools who may be considering SUSA to make a presentation in their school. SUSA is known in Basque Country as a quality program in providing English fluency, having fun, making friends and becoming family.
The pastry he brought back was delicious and the espresso he made on his machine was very good. After we finished eating he said," we better go to the beach to play paddle ball and swim to work off our breakfast." So, off we went to the beach again. We played paddle ball for about 30 minutes and had one rally where we hit it back and fourth 110 times without a miss. This worked up a sweat on both of us so off to the water. The waves were not as big as yesterday, but just as refreshing. The temperature was around 75 degrees. After swimming we washed off the sand and salt in the outdoor showers. We found a place to dry off a bit before heading home. Hur had to get me back to Donosti so Chris and I could get the cafeteria ready for the Reunion event.
Hur drove me to the SUSA office where I met Chris. (I would have to do alot of driving to get use the the roadway system.)We went to the University Cafeteria to set up the screen for the slide show around 2pm. We hung it from the second level railing.
I went back to the apartment,not knowing if anyone would be there. No one was there to let me in. So, I went to the Marugame Bar Café below the apartment. This was the first time I was going to ask someone for something without an interpreter. I was starting to get a little anxious. I went up to the bar and said in a pathetic voice, “Coke.”
The lady behind the bar looked at me and said, “Koca-Kola.” I said, “Si.” Then I remembered it should have been in Basque, ”Bi”. Bi means “yes” in Basque. I did not ask her how much it would cost. I just handed her a 5 euro bill and she gave me 3 euros in coin. So I said to meyself,"Ok, it costs 2 euros for a Koka-Kola."
I sat at a side table next to the bar and fumbled with my back pack to get my journal to start to writing about today’s events. After about 15 minutes, I must have looked like a lonely, out of place American, a server (who I believe may have been the owner) walked by and casually slid a plate with a pintxo on it. He said something like, “don’t worry about it.” I immediately said, “muy bien.” I should have said, “eskerrik asko” which means thank you in Basque. If he did not know I was an American, he now knew I was a confused American. The pintxo was like a tuna salad topping, the meat was crab, on a baguette slice. It was just what I needed because I had only a banana and water for breakfast.
The Reunion was outstanding. This is the first time SUSA has attempted a fall Reunion. The purpose was to bring together the students and their families to celebrate their trip, meet some of the American families who hosted and for the staff to say a big thank you for entrusting us with their children. We were expecting around 80 people and 100 people showed up. The slideshow of students with their family and adventures in the USA was a hit. There were refreshments and an opportunity to send a video greeting to their American family. Students hugged their new friends they had seen since camp and celebrated together as one big family. Many students said they would like to return and bring friends they talked to once they returned.
That is the primary way families hear about Summer in the USA, by word of mouth. A teacher, of one of the students, said he would give us a letter of recommendation to other schools who may be considering SUSA to make a presentation in their school. SUSA is known in Basque Country as a quality program in providing English fluency, having fun, making friends and becoming family.
Friday, September 10, 2010
a taste of Basque
I visited a special Basque friend named Hur Diez. I help coached Hur in basketball when he attended school in Silverdale in the mid 90’s. He picked me up at the Summer in the USA office in downtown Donosti and drove me to his quiet and beautiful town of Orio. He showed be the house he had been building for the past ten year – fabulous home. We watched a little of Spain vs Slovakia FIBA basketball on TV then, down to the beach to get a quick swim. Actually, it was riding the waves in and out from the pristine sandy beach. The salt water was comfortably warm and soothing. Body surfing the larger waves acted like a Jacuzzi. We sat in the sun for a bit to dry off, then back home to shower and off to dinner – it was steak night.
We walked a short distance to downtown Orio with its narrow one way streets. I was amazed no pedestrians had been hit by the cars and scooters zipping by so quickly. We stopped for a moment at a computer station to add minutes to the European phone I was given to use. Asador Xixario Restaurant was our destination. They used a huge outside grill to prepare fresh seafood and steaks. When the prawns came, I had to ask Hur to show me how to eat them because I had never been served prawns with the shell and head still attached. He squeezed lemon over them and I was instructed to suck the outer shell to get the taste buds prepared for the treat inside. I was shown how to twist off the head, do a little more sucking, peel off the shell( which is harder than it looks – Hur is an expert), squeeze more lemon in with the butter on the plate which the prawns were served, dip the prawn into the lemon and butter mixture, close your eyes and take a bite – leaving the prawn to rest on the taste buds for a moment. Mmmmmm. It may seemed like a lot of work, but it was worth it.
We walked a short distance to downtown Orio with its narrow one way streets. I was amazed no pedestrians had been hit by the cars and scooters zipping by so quickly. We stopped for a moment at a computer station to add minutes to the European phone I was given to use. Asador Xixario Restaurant was our destination. They used a huge outside grill to prepare fresh seafood and steaks. When the prawns came, I had to ask Hur to show me how to eat them because I had never been served prawns with the shell and head still attached. He squeezed lemon over them and I was instructed to suck the outer shell to get the taste buds prepared for the treat inside. I was shown how to twist off the head, do a little more sucking, peel off the shell( which is harder than it looks – Hur is an expert), squeeze more lemon in with the butter on the plate which the prawns were served, dip the prawn into the lemon and butter mixture, close your eyes and take a bite – leaving the prawn to rest on the taste buds for a moment. Mmmmmm. It may seemed like a lot of work, but it was worth it.
The steak was prepared the Basque way – more rare than many would like it with lots of garlic. Look at the picture – it speaks for itself!
Then off we go to Zarautz – about a 10 minute drive to his favorite ice cream place. I had a lemon sorbet cone. It was great. Finally, we went to his parents favorite coffee bar on the beach, had coffee and savored the great day God had given us.
entering the wardrobe
As soon as I entered the door to the Air France Airbus A330, I felt I entered a different country. One moment a gentleman was speaking English to me. He was answering the question I posed about the difference between his Premium ticket and my Economy, which his proud response was, “I get to get on first.” Then he turned and began to speak English to his wife.
He stewardess was speaking French and English to the passengers. French elevator music was being heard throughout the plane. The pilot gave his announcements in French and broken English. “bienvenue a bord” was on every monitor viewable from every seat.
As I was walking down the ramp into the plane, I started removing my electronic gear out of my carry on bag , my neck pillow and a bag of black amd red licorice so I would not have to get it later from the overhead bin. I saw my exit row seat ahead and put my back pack in the overhead storage area a couple rows ahed of my seat. I got to my seat and noticed a pillow and blanket, separately wrapped in plastic, on the seat. The person was already seated next to my seat and the stewardess was standing in the area just in front of my seat. With my hands full of stuff, I attempted to grab the pillow and blanket so I could sit down to allow others to pass to their seats. As I gathered them all into my lap to sit down, the items in the plastic bags began slipping onto the floor. As I reached to pick up an item, another one would fall. I really felt like I was having a senior moment. I could not balance them all on my lap, no place to put them next to me or in front of me. I finally stareted stuffing the blanket and pillows behind me. It wasn't at all comfortable, but practical.
He stewardess was speaking French and English to the passengers. French elevator music was being heard throughout the plane. The pilot gave his announcements in French and broken English. “bienvenue a bord” was on every monitor viewable from every seat.
As I was walking down the ramp into the plane, I started removing my electronic gear out of my carry on bag , my neck pillow and a bag of black amd red licorice so I would not have to get it later from the overhead bin. I saw my exit row seat ahead and put my back pack in the overhead storage area a couple rows ahed of my seat. I got to my seat and noticed a pillow and blanket, separately wrapped in plastic, on the seat. The person was already seated next to my seat and the stewardess was standing in the area just in front of my seat. With my hands full of stuff, I attempted to grab the pillow and blanket so I could sit down to allow others to pass to their seats. As I gathered them all into my lap to sit down, the items in the plastic bags began slipping onto the floor. As I reached to pick up an item, another one would fall. I really felt like I was having a senior moment. I could not balance them all on my lap, no place to put them next to me or in front of me. I finally stareted stuffing the blanket and pillows behind me. It wasn't at all comfortable, but practical.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
planning the visit
This is my first visit to Basque Country. I am excited to see old friends and new friends. Students have come and visited my city. Now I am visiting their beautiful country. I leave on the 8th.
I did not realize all the work it takes to take trip overseas. A passport, alert the bank about credit card and debit card use in another country, making sure all the bills are paid up, how does it work if i need to pay for medical bills ( I hope I do not need to use), leaving contact information for my family, getting rides to and from the airport on this side and when I arrive in Bilbao, getting euros, finding train and bus schedules....on and on and on.
Fortunately, there are people we know in Basque Country (not Spain) who will help us.
I did not realize all the work it takes to take trip overseas. A passport, alert the bank about credit card and debit card use in another country, making sure all the bills are paid up, how does it work if i need to pay for medical bills ( I hope I do not need to use), leaving contact information for my family, getting rides to and from the airport on this side and when I arrive in Bilbao, getting euros, finding train and bus schedules....on and on and on.
Fortunately, there are people we know in Basque Country (not Spain) who will help us.
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