TravelStream™ news feed for member duff32 on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/duff32 en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Thu, 05 Feb 2009 03:23:30 -0500 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/duff32/1/1230556920/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/duff32/1/1230556920/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/duff32/1/1230556920/tpod.html Thu, 05 Feb 2009 03:23:30 -0500 A visit to the Homeland.

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Lasarte, Basque, Spain

Christmas Eve we
celebrated with Nere's family. We hiked from Lasarte to Hernani in time to
visit at their house for a while before the parade started. There were dancers, carolers,
and of course, Olencero (the Basque Santa). The people on the floats threw out
candy and roasted chestnuts, which we scurried to retrieve. There was music and
groups of carolers throughout the streets. We caught a ride with Nere and
Alberto to her parent's house in Zubieta. Begona had prepared an excellent meal
for the 11 of us and we ate and drank until after midnight. I am extremely
fortunate to have an adopted family here in the Basque country and they made
being away from home during the holidays much more bearable.

  On Christmas morning we opened presents
in our pajamas. As always, Santa/Olencero had brought me a flannel shirt (dad
when he came earlier) but the best gift was a pair of socks hand made by my
aunt. Thanks!! After breakfast we took the hour and a half hike to Hernani to
use the internet and call home. Everything was shut down in the towns so we took
the day to relax and make connections back home. From here we took the train to
Donostia and then another train from there to Lasarte. That night we started my
favorite new addiction, a card game called 'Nerts.'

  The day after Christmas brought rain. None
of us had our umbrellas but thought we could tough it out. We took off for the
beach and went to visit the 'wind combs' with an intention of walking the
length of beaches in Donostia. We hit the one blue spot in the sky and thought
it was going to be nice... and then the real storm came. It had been raining
pretty hard but on our way back from the 'wind combs' it was pouring and windy.
Our waterproof jackets helped but didn't stop the sideways rain from drenching
our pants. As soon as we could get to the bus stop we went back home for some
dry clothes, hot drinks, and card games. It cleared up later that night and we
sat by the river eating bread and cheese with a bottle of cider.

  For the 27th we took the bus
to Tolosa. It is one of my favorite trips and I had wanted to show Denise and
Tyler the market. I was also in search of cabbage to make my mom's famous soup.
Turned out I couldn't say 'no' to the old lady selling cabbage and I bought the
ugliest cabbage of the whole market for 1 euro! (Despite burning it a
little{had a smokey taste} it boiled down very well.) But I did get some
visiting in with several of the vendors I'd previously encountered. They have
started to wonder why I'm here and what I'm doing. I try my best to explain in
spanish and chat about the weather and the holiday season. We took the train to
Donostia with better weather than the day before to walk along the seaside
before returning back to Lasarte again by train. There was a music festival
down the street and we attended for a while. I was hoping for some traditional
Basque music but it was a little more punk than I was hoping. We pretended to
rock out for a while before calling it a night and playing some cards. :)

  Early the next morning we set off for
Orio by train to hike into Pagoeta Park. Every Sunday at 11:30am there is a
free tour of an old iron mill. Nere and Alberto had suggested it so we packed a
picnic lunch and went. The park does not include any well-communicated towns so
we knew we had to walk, we just weren't sure where. Once in the town we headed
in a general direction and stopped a car to ask. It was a father and son
couple, very nice, and helped us out. We took an early turn and climbed up to
the top of a mountain where the trail dead-ended. But from here we could see
the trail we should have taken. We chalked it up not as being lost, but as a
"necessary scout trip" and continued along our journey. Good thing we started
early because we took yet another scout trip. We were getting closer and came
upon one of the parking lots leading to the iron mill with a sign indicating it
was closed until after the 6th of January. No guided tour but it was
still neat to see and a great day for a hike. We ate our picnic lunch at the
mill and took another path to a botanical garden. The information center here
was closed also and we asked around about walking to Zarautz. Not sure on the
distances but we made quite the trek this day and ended at the beach in Zarautz
for an hour before our train trip. It was amazing to see the change in landscape
from the coast to a mountainous park and back in less than half a day walking.
When I think of Basque Country this is usually the land I picture: very green,
mountainous, sheep, fishing villages, white houses with the red roofs... and that
is what we saw. A great day of sunshine, scenery, and company! Que suerte!
(What luck!)

 
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Donostia, Basque, Spain

Urte Berri On!! Prospero Ano Nuevo!! Happy New Year!!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/duff32/1/1230629940/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/duff32/1/1230629940/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/duff32/1/1230629940/tpod.html Sat, 03 Jan 2009 05:11:20 -0500 A visit to the Homeland.

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Bayonne, Aquitaine, France

After waking up early
in the morning we set off to check out France. Just across the border we
switched trains and arrived in Bayonne before 9:00am. We decided to have French
names for the day... so Pierre, Chloe, and I walked around town for a bit trying
to gather some maps and tourist information. The clouds seemed to dissipate as
the sun came up. As our luck would have it we stumbled upon an information
center with FREE bike rentals. Pierre (Tyler) left his passport as a deposit
and we were allotted three bright orange bikes to be returned at 6:00pm. A
one-day tour de France on bici for free!!

  We peddled around town for a while and
questions the locals on how to visit the neighboring town, Biaritz. After being
pointed in the right direction we were on our way. I say 'pointed' because body
language was the only thing I picked up from an assortment of French
conversations. It worked out and we spent a couple of hours near the beach in
Biaritz. We had a picnic lunch at the top of a rock island overlooking the
ocean and the town before making our way back to Bayonne. We did a bit more
bike touring in town before we locked them up and turned in our keys. There
wasn't always a clear bike path but the bikes had held up surprisingly well
after a bit of off-roading and curb-jumping.

  There was an outdoor Christmas market
along the river and we strolled through that on our way to the train station. I
have been to many markets but none of the booths seem to scream "uniquely
basque country!" And if they do seem like it they are usually pretty expensive.
So we caught the train back to Hendaia and then another train to Lasarte. Along
the way we played cards, which has become a healthy addiction. I'm going to
have to get new card playing partners when Denise and Tyler return to Cordoba.
At the station in San Sebastian we ran into my Basque grandma, Begona, and
chatted all the way home. It was nice to be amongst a language that I actually
understand at least a little. Overall it was a great day! 
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/duff32/1/1230218700/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/duff32/1/1230218700/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/duff32/1/1230218700/tpod.html Thu, 25 Dec 2008 11:06:55 -0500 A visit to the Homeland.

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Lasarte, Basque, Spain

   Merry Christmas!! Hoping the best this holiday season and I miss you all. My intentions were to make a Christmas card and send it via e-mail. But there was a combination of the holidays sneeking up and a misunderstanding with photoshop... this is the result. I may not technically be home for the holidays but I am in spirit. Sending my love and best wishes!!Muxu eta laztan (kiss and a hug)! :) 
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Córdoba, Andalusia, Spain

 After my dad left for
the States I waited another 3 hours in the airport for my flight to Sevilla. In
Sevilla I took the train to Cordoba to meet up with my good friends, Denise and
Tyler. There was a notable geographic change and more importantly, no rain!! It
even felt a little tropical with all the palm trees around but not as green as
up north. The landscapes were dominated with plots of oranges and olives and I
didn't notice much for livestock. I had heard that the spanish dialects are
different by regions, but didn't assume it to be this drastic. Not sure how to
describe it because I'm not really an expert in 'normal' spanish. (The bank
lady put me back in my place after I asked to change 'pains' into euros.
American dollars are 'dolares', not 'dolores'). One example: they don't say
their s's at the end of words. Mas o menos = ma o meno. It was difficult for me
to understand, but then again a lot of things are: like why they don't they
refrigerate their milk in the store. You have to once it is open, but there are
whole isles of room-temperature milk. Crazy.

  Back to Cordoba... For the most part I
stayed in the city and attended school and tutor sessions with Denise. From
what I saw both Denise and Tyler are doing a great job of teaching in
Andalucia. The school systems are not nearly as organized as home and they have
to improvise daily. They also gave me a tour of the Mezquita  and the Judaria,
reminders of the historical Arabic influence in this region. We went to an
orchestra concert  and each received a whole bag of gifts promoting Cordoba for
a candidate of the European Culture Award in 2016. Back at their apartment we
rummaged through them like kids on Christmas morning. We really were excited,
despite the fact that we were all 23 years of age.  That night we had visited
the 'One Euro' bar and met up with some of their friends and fellow teachers. I
hadn't heard so much English since I left home! Here I met a couple from Nevada
and a guy from Boise. There we go again with the small world business. 

  Thursday night before I left we had a
Christmas party at their house. We only had enough people for 2 tables of Bunko
(dice game) but it was a blast. Denise had made tortillas de patata and I
attempted to craft some pintxos. The other guests brought food and a present
under 6 euros for the gift exchange. Luckily I picked the gift of earrings that
Denise had made and nobody was out to steal them (in a 'white elephant' gift
exchange you can steal someone's present or pick one to open). We both wore our
santa hats and the Christmas music made it seem much more like the holidays
were here. 

  I had to catch the bus at 11:00pm to
return back the San Sebastian, about a 13 hour ride. Those of you on the
2005-2006 ACI team think of the trip to Havre, MT... but no movies, no teammates,
and half a dozen men loudly speaking Arabic and smelling of ham. The bus was
clean and my seat partner was a very nice older lady (but spoke way too fast in
spanish). When I wasn't sleeping I was staring out the window watching the
Spanish countryside pass by with the lyrics to Jingle-Bells and Frosty the
Snowman stuck in my head. I made it back to my apartment in time for some
lunch, a quick nap, and then headed off to practice.

Dee and Tyler thank
you for a great stay in Cordoba and I'll be seeing you soon!

 
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/duff32/1/1229945940/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/duff32/1/1229945940/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/duff32/1/1229945940/tpod.html Mon, 22 Dec 2008 11:39:40 -0500 A visit to the Homeland.

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Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain

 Dad and I started off
the weekend with a festival in Zumaraga. Semi-early in the morning we took the
bus to Tolosa and switched to the train since there's not a direct route from
Lasarte. Don't fret, the names are confusing, but if you continue to read this
blog you will know the Basque Country well by the end of January. Just trying
to help. The train was packed like pickles and I don't even think one more
skinny person could have fit. This festival must have been kind of a big deal.
There was an animal market in progress with people mixed among them in the
streets. All through the town there were numerous booths for food, crafts,
equipment, junk, etc... We saw most of the exhibits but decided we had enough of
the crowds and wanted to get out of the rain. Dad had concluded that he was the
wrong height for all those "damn umbrellas." They can poke an eye out if your
not careful. And when someone loses an eye... all fun-and-games are over. J

  We returned home for a siesta and
re-grouping before we attended the basketball games in Astigaraga. This weekend
both teams were at home and we went in time to watch the end of the men's game
and all of the women's. For a switch the men had lost and the women won with a
couple of exctiting plays. Two guys got ejected for fighting and there was a
lot of angry spanish being thrown around. I never learned those words in school
so I don't know what was said. It looked as if they were going to duke it out
off the court, but nothing came of it. On the women's end we were up big before
Pamplona made a 4th quarter run. It was tied and we scored with 0.6
seconds left for the win. Only the second win for team Mundarro this year, but
a W is always welcome.

  Sunday morning we headed to Pamplona on
the bus. This had been one of my favorite rides and there is so much more
country to explore if I had a little better weather for hiking. It was cold but
not rainy when we arrived in Pamplona around 1:00pm. We had some time to kill
and went to the bullring and walked the streets of the famous San Fermin
festival. After a good lunch at my "cousin's" favorite bar we returned to the
bus station for a ride to Barcelona. We checked into our room a bit before
midnight and made a call back to Nevada. The next morning we were up and to the
train station before 6:30a.m. for a ride to the airport. We got the tickets and
checked his luggage in plenty of time for breakfast and to track down an
English newspaper. I have to admit that when we said our good-byes I couldn't
talk much and was getting teary-eyed. I waved at him after he passed through
the international flight check and then located some Kleenex. I enjoyed having him here but only wish we could have had more time and pleasant weather. It was
about 10:00am and the sun was bright as I watched his Delta plane taxi down the
runway.  Love you dad and hope you
had a good time!

 
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/duff32/1/1229100840/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/duff32/1/1229100840/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/duff32/1/1229100840/tpod.html Fri, 12 Dec 2008 12:00:07 -0500 A visit to the Homeland.

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Lasarte, Basque, Spain

 This is an attempt to update my travels of the last week. It is not a in-depth account of our adventures, but at least something for those of you back home.

Friday: I woke up at
5:00am in Barcelona and took the train to meet my dad. His flight was over an
hour early so he had arrived at the airport before I did. I could tell he was starting
to get nervous that I wouldn't show, but I made it and we explored Barcelona
for the rest of the morning. We bought sandwich stuff at the market and then
walk around the old part of town. Around 3:30pm we boarded the bus for San
Sebastian and didn't get to the apartment until just before midnight. He was
ready for a little rest after his long journey (Winnemucca-Elko-Salt Lake-New
York-Barcelona-San Sebastian-Lasarte).

Saturday: We had
breakfast at home before tracking down an internet place to call and tell
everyone he had made it. It was holiday but luckily the car rental place was
open so we got a car for two days. Thought it would be nice to drive to Baztan
and visit the family without having to worry about the bus schedule and
catching a ride. On our way we stopped in the fishing town of Hondarribia for
lunch. It is a beautiful coastal town but it was pouring rain and hard to
explore too much without getting soaked. After having the 'menu del dia' we
went on to Arizcun to check into our room. This is a small town in the Baztan
Valley, just a few minutes away from the family's house. Later that night we
visited with the hotel owners over a drink at one of the two bar/restaurants in
town. It turns out that one of our relatives, Maribelle, used to be the local
nurse. She has since retired and lives just minutes away from Arizcun. What a
small world we thought, as we walked to our room to turn in for the night.

Sunday: At breakfast
the owners informed us that they had called Maribelle and she was coming.
Nothing like having coffee with a long-lost relative. J She sat with
us a while and we showed her some pictures that Dad had brought of the family
and the ranch back in Nevada. From here Dad and I left to meet up with the
other family members at the house in Erratzu. By the time we got there I had
realized we left the pictures back at the restaurant. But being the small world
this is, the owners had already called to the house and said they had the
pictures. Ainhoa had to drive to town and get bread so she picked them up for
us. The sun was shining and we had a great day with the family. The three kids
took us around to see the farm, the old house my great-grandfather lived in,
and the nearby waterfalls. We returned to the house in time for a late lunch and
a picture showing. Around 6:00pm we had to start for San Sebastian to return
the rental car. The weather was nice and we sat on the bench near La Concha
beach and used the internet to call home. It was getting late for the 'ol guy
but we stopped in and had a pintxo and a drink at one of the bars in parte
vieja before returning to the apartment.

Monday: After
breakfast at home we waited at the bus stop for Nere to take us for a farm
tour. We went to a small town outside of Ordizia and talked with a couple
cattle farmers. It was interesting to see the agricultural differences between
here and the ranch back home. We were shown the barn and then went for a guided
tour of the town. Just outside the town, in a more rural area, we had lunch and
visited until it was time for Nere to return to work. She drove us to Hernani
and from there we went for a 3 mile hike back to Lasarte. It was only raining a
little but I thought it would be nice to see some countryside and walk off part
of our dinner. Dad started to watch Goenkale with me but quickly called b.s.
and went to sleep. J

Tuesday: I took Dad on
another tour of the parte vieja (old part) in San Sebastain before we hopped
the train to Gernika. Most all stores and museums are closed from 2:00-4:00pm
so we walked around town until they opened. We toured the Assembly House with
its' massive stain-glass windows and historical meeting room. Just outside is
the petrified oak tree of Gernika where the lords used to meet and make the
governing laws. At the Peace Musuem we sat in on a narrated account of the
bombing of Gernika in 1937. The displays were a sobering account of much the
Basques had suffered under Franco's reign. Dad received his quota of museums
for the day and we took the train back home.

Wednesday: The 'wall
street' of markets is on Wednesdays in Ordizia. We took the bus to Tolosa and
switched to the train for the rest of the way. Our luck had run out on the
weather and it was raining hard. We checked out prices before purchasing some
cheese and chestnuts for him to take home. There wasn't much for exploring in
Ordizia because it had begun to rain/snow and we returned to Lasarte. For a
little lunch snack we had bought some olives and peppers and had them once we
got back to the apartment. Dad took a siesta and I went to practice in
Astigarraga

Thursday/Friday:
Without going into detail, we mostly toured around Lasarte and San Sebastain.
One afternoon provided a brief period of no rain and we walked along the beach.
We also visited many of the small shops in the parte vieja as well as the
shopping center here in Lasarte. On a quest for maple syrup we ended up
unsuccessful and it is nowhere to be found here. Dad has vowed to send some as
soon as he gets home. We had planned on making pancakes for our friends in
Hernani, but pancakes without syrup is just not right.

Please be patient... my
blogging will continue. I have been spending more time with my Dad and much
less around the computer. It has been great to share my trip with him and good to see a familiar face. Hope all is well back home.

Txintxo ibili!

 
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/duff32/1/1228429140/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/duff32/1/1228429140/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/duff32/1/1228429140/tpod.html Thu, 04 Dec 2008 17:28:50 -0500 A visit to the Homeland.

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Pamplona, Navarra, Spain

So we left off when I was on my way to Baztan to meet
the Dufurrena family. Apparently not very many people were traveling on Sunday
because I was the only person on the bus. Imagine that, a whole bus just for
me. They must know who I am... :) 
Just kidding. My relative, Socorro, met me in Elizondo and drove us to the
house. For this blog we are going to call them cousins because the family tree
is a bit complex (Well you have your cousins, then your first cousin... Wait,
that's not right, is it? *Mean Girls quote). I would attach a
diagram but that is beyond my computer skills. The older generation consists of
Juan Marie, Socorro, and Nieves. Juan Marie and Socorro have three kids: Jon,
Ibon, and Ainhoa. Everyone but Ainhoa was there for dinner and we sat and
talked until 1am! The conversations were good and the food even better. It was
a welcome change since Saturday night when I went to dinner in Donostia with my
teammates. I was excited to go out on the town with peers but you can imagine
my disappointment when we ate at Foster's, an American restaurant. I'm in the
Basque Country dang it! I want Basque food! It was a good time though and I
enjoyed their company.

  Back at the family's house the weather was bad so we stayed inside and visited. None of
them speak English and the 5:1 ratio was a bit stressful at times. But it was
all good practice and I was even able to pick up some more Euskera (Basque). I
like to use cheesy quotes or sayings and lately I have attempted to say them in
Spanish. Probably not a good idea. Iban is a fan of the fiestas and he said, in
Spanish, 'If one glass of wine a day is good, then two glasses are double good!'
The conversation then turned to partying late and not sleeping much before
work. This is when I tried to say, "Ah, you can sleep when you're dead." But
the meaning was either not funny, lost in translation, or both. The awkward
silence set in... I quickly changed topics to wine and its' different origins.
Good save. Wine is a solid standby conversation in Euskadi.

  I stayed the night at their house and they drove me to the bus stop after lunch on
Monday. I shared the bus with a few other travelers on my return to Lasarte.
The scenery was beautiful and we even went through some snow on the mountain
passes. I made it in time to change clothes, call the family in Nevada, and go
to practice. Tuesday I wandered around Lasarte and Donostia before heading to
Hernani to have dinner and watch Goenkale with my friends. Wednesday morning I
packed my backpack for a 3-day trip and took the bus to Pamplona. Here I met
with Ainhoa and we went to her apartment in the center of town. She is about 6
years older than me and teaches at a secondary school. After dropping off my
backpack we went for a quick tour about town. December 3rd was Dia
de Navarra and the whole province was celebrating so she didn't have school. We
stopped in the plaza to enjoy some local song and dance. It was all in Euskera
so she would translate to Spanish for me and I would understand most but not
all of it. Sometimes this reminds me of those guessing games you play at home. You know, the ones where you can't say the word directly so you use hand
signals, draw pictures, point... ect. Anyways, she showed me the old town,
including the streets and bullring of the famous San Fermin festival. The rain
was at a slow drizzle, but not too bad. We returned to the apartment for a late
lunch and then took another walking tour. For a few minutes we watched a
religious procession inside the cathedral of Santa Maria la Real. Since it was
festival the cathedral was lit up to reveal the fine details of every painting
and sculpture inside. They are pretty serious about their churches over here,
amazing architecture.

  That night I stayed in Ainhoa's spare room and got up early to catch the bus after
she left for school. When I went to purchase my ticket the lady told me, "No.
Es completo." So I had to scramble and track down a train ticket. It ended up
there was a seat left but I had to wait until afternoon. No big deal so I took
a self-guided tour to the train station. By the time I got to Barcelona it was
dark and I wasn't able to see much. Early in the morning I will take a metro to
the airport and meet my dad. From here we will embark together back north to
the country of his grandparents. Until next time...
Hope all is well back in the States and txintxo ibili! :)
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Lasarte, Basque, Spain

 So I have a this list of
things I want to do but the how and when are never really set in stone. That is
one of the many benefits of being unemployed and not tied down to a schedule.
Really the only routines that I don't like to break are basketball practices
and Goenkale, the Basque television series. I never know what they are saying
(it's all in Basque) but it is entertaining to watch the drama in a foreign
language. It shows the same streets that I wander daily and I often
recognize the sets. Goenkale is a great conversation topic with the locals,
mainly with my friends in Hernani and my new grandma in Lasarte. She is my
Basque Country grandma and we occasionally have a coffee and go for walks. She
is great! (Don't worry, she does not replace you back in the states, but is a
nice addition. LOVE YOU Grandma Dufurrena and Grandma Mac!!) Besides Monday,
Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday nights... I just wing it. Tough life, huh? :)

  Today I am leaving for Elizondo to visit
my family in the Baztan Valley. It has already been a month here in Euskadi but
my trips to the family have all been set back due to weather and communication
difficulties. The rain put a slight damper on my travels and I have also been
dragging my feet on going to visit them alone. It is a little intimidating when
they don't speak any English and my Spanish is struggling. But I feel
significantly better about the language barrier and am going to have Sunday
dinner. Wish me luck. Or as they say here, "buenas suerte!"

  For the last week I enjoyed three days
without rain. It has been cold, but at least there was a bit of sunshine. The
mountains have snow on them but everything here is very green. I discovered
some more hiking routes close to Lasarte. Friday was nice so I went on a little
8-mile loop that linked Lasarte, Hernani, and Urnieta. It was a pleasant walk
but I think my detour upset a few road workers. Somehow I had strayed from the
main path and took a road that would link me back eventually. Quite a
ways into my alternate route there was a big sign with no words but several
images, including a pedestrian with a big red circle and a diagonal line through it. My
lack of language skills was not relevant here and it was pretty
self-explanatory: don't walk through the construction site. Well there wasn't
really much for traffic and the passage was short so I went for it. My path
didn't look very dangerous at all. I couldn't tell what the workers were
yelling, but it sounded kind of angry. No harm though and I quickly found the marked
path just up the road.

  Actually, I have started a third ritual
with the Saturday market in Tolosa. My street savvy is improving and I even
bartered a little this week. I just wanted to look at cheese prices and ended
up talking the lady down from 12 euros to 10 euros for a wheel of cheese. She
was really persistent and I wanted to get past her booth without being rude.
But she made the offer and it was a good buy. You may ask, "What the heck are
you going to do with a wheel of cheese?" I'm taking half to the family in
Baztan and then another quarter to my friends in Hernani. After all, it is the
holiday season and who doesn't like a little 'behi gazta' (cow cheese)? J

Txintxo ibili!

 

  
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/duff32/1/1227723660/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/duff32/1/1227723660/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/duff32/1/1227723660/tpod.html Wed, 26 Nov 2008 13:28:34 -0500 A visit to the Homeland.

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Vitoria-Gasteiz, Basque, Spain

The previous two days
have brought pleasant weather but for the most part it has done nothing but
rain... for a month! Last weekend I decided to take a trip to Vitoria-Gastiez. I
had called ahead and asked for a room at the hostel but it was booked for
Saturday. No big deal so I switched plans and went to the market in Tolosa and
returned to Donostia in time for the Trixitixa concert. A trixitixa (the x is
pronounced like a 'ch' in Basque) is similar to an accordion. Well it just happened
to be the 7th annual festival and there were performers from Ireland
and Italy as well as from the Basque Country. It was a night of culture and I
was pleasantly surprised by the last act. The entire male band, including the
crew of 8 Basque dancers, finished the concert playing in button-up shirts and
their boxer shorts! Good times.

  Sunday I took the train to
Vitoria-Gastiez and visited the Maria Christina Cathedral. The hostel's front
desk lady helped me make an appointment to see the "Abierto por obras" exhibit.
This is a play on words that means, "Open for works." Usually the phrase is
"Cerrado por obras/Closed for works." But this ancient cathedral has been
undergoing major architectural improvements to keep it functional. I walked
around town for a couple hours before going to my 6:00pm appointment. There
were about a dozen people in the group and all information was in Spanish. I
may have missed a few details, but I got the main points and thoroughly enjoyed
my tour. Afterwards I visited a few more architectural exhibits before calling
it a night. The next morning it was pouring down rain and even snowed for a
brief time. But I was ready to tackle some more sightseeing after breakfast.
With the backpack loaded again I set off under my umbrella to explore more of
Alava's capital city. It may be cold and wet, I thought, but at least there are
museums to visit... But it was Monday, and museums are closed. I forgot that
piece of information before I set out on my trip. Good thing I invested in some
waterproof shoes because I ended up embarking on yet another extended walking
tour. J

  My train back to Donostia was delayed
almost half an hour. The platform was crowded with people trying to stay warm
and out of the rain. One bench was left and I gladly took off my backpack and
sat down. A nun came and shared the other end of the bench with me. Instantly I
felt more spiritual as she crossed herself and commenced in eating a sandwich
from her bag. First the cathedral tour on a Sunday, and now this? I'm saved!!
That was until she started throwing the remainder of bread on the ground and
the pigeons flocked towards us. The holy feelings fled and I prayed for the
nerve and knowledge to ask her to throw the bread a little further away,
please. I'm afraid of birds.

  I know, socks and birds. As readers you
are discovering my darkest secrets and I should probably get a new hobby and
stop writing blogs. Hopefully the weather clears and I can take off on my
dozens of hiking routes I had planned. Then I could have more pictures and
information to share and less random stories. We can only hope. J

  Tomorrow will be Thanksgiving and I'm
still not sure what I will be doing, it isn't celebrated here. I would like to
stay around internet to chat with the family, but if weather is nice I'm going
to the Baztan valley. Either way I am wishing you all back home a very Happy
Thanksgiving! Have some turkey, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie for me. And
for the Yoties back in C-town: best wishes with the tournament. J

Muxu
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