Mom and Dad got in to Tolosa around 10 pm Wednesday evening, just in time for another dinner. Kike opened a bottle of local cider, which was shared over shrimp and a seafood and rice dish prepared by Gurutze (really, she is a fantastic chef!). After our meal, she and Jone took us over to Kike's sister's new house, which they had prepared for us to sleep at. We all crashed within a few minutes and slept like logs.
Thursday morning launched another whirlwind tour of the basque country, this time in the province of Biskaia. We started with a visit to Gernika (Guernica), the historic seat of the Basque government which was bombed in 1937 by the Luftwaffe as a sort of pre-war target practice. Next, we walked through Bermeo and introduced Mom and Dad to pintxos and pelota. The sun was out and it seemed like most of the town with it- the waterfront park was packed. Kike hosts a show called MKLZ on the Basque television, so wherever we walked people would recognize him and stop to chat. I realized why the Amonarriz family goes to France for vacation!
We drove a little ways along the coast from Bermeo for lunch, finally stopping at a place overlooking the mouth of the river that flows through Gernika. Rather than a muddy delta there was a wide, sandy beach with evenly breaking waves and aquamarine water. Kike and Gurutze insisted on treating us to lunch. I ordered a local dish made of little stuffed squid in a black ink/tomato sauce- I know that it sounds a little strange, but it was actually very very good! We decided that it was a little bit like Dad's steamed muscles in the northwest- the locals love it, but everyone else thinks they're crazy until they actually try it! We walked down to a nearby beach after lunch and explored a little harbor full of txalupas. Dad counted three boat launches and wanted to know why Anacortes couldn't have even one in town.
Thursday morning launched another whirlwind tour of the basque country, this time in the province of Biskaia. We started with a visit to Gernika (Guernica), the historic seat of the Basque government which was bombed in 1937 by the Luftwaffe as a sort of pre-war target practice. Next, we walked through Bermeo and introduced Mom and Dad to pintxos and pelota. The sun was out and it seemed like most of the town with it- the waterfront park was packed. Kike hosts a show called MKLZ on the Basque television, so wherever we walked people would recognize him and stop to chat. I realized why the Amonarriz family goes to France for vacation!
We drove a little ways along the coast from Bermeo for lunch, finally stopping at a place overlooking the mouth of the river that flows through Gernika. Rather than a muddy delta there was a wide, sandy beach with evenly breaking waves and aquamarine water. Kike and Gurutze insisted on treating us to lunch. I ordered a local dish made of little stuffed squid in a black ink/tomato sauce- I know that it sounds a little strange, but it was actually very very good! We decided that it was a little bit like Dad's steamed muscles in the northwest- the locals love it, but everyone else thinks they're crazy until they actually try it! We walked down to a nearby beach after lunch and explored a little harbor full of txalupas. Dad counted three boat launches and wanted to know why Anacortes couldn't have even one in town.
