April 27, 2005
The infamous Hulk has succumbed
She's big, she's bad and she's...dead. A good life, not with us but a good life we are sure at some point. She never really pulled thru, we lost the key to the tailgate, back door doesn't open, radiator fluid filled weekly, she has never experienced a proper oil change, brakes gone, power steering lost, tyres bald, doesn't hold washer fluid, failed security alarm, receives 1 radio station (BBC Radio 2), and you can really hear her coming... please bid, she will be on Ebay.co.uk soon - don't miss this opportunity.
April 25, 2005
Spanish Basque Jaunt
Ok, enough time has passed since our quick trip to Spain - Basque country - and I have finally gotten some time to write here about it. Sorry for the delay.
Last weekend, the 14th through 16th of April, Steph and I, along with two friends, Derek and Dana Ferland took a very quick two-night trip to the very northern part of Spain, into the Basque region. This was perhaps the final chance to take a trip with these two wackos before our still-yet-undetermined return to the States. On May the 5th, Derek deploys with the Air Force for about four months. Should we decide to go back, we may leave the UK before he returns and that would be that. So, we left the kids with caretakers and jetted off for a few days.
Unfortunately, the Basque region of Spain is famous (notorious) for the actions of the separatist organization known as ETA. ETA has been know for their bombings, assassinations, etc. over the past 50 years or so. A very brief overview of ETA can be found here. Fortunately, the Basque region is also world famous for another thing. A thing more near and dear to our hearts and interests - food! The Basque region is considered one of the most advanced and cutting-edge areas of the world for cuisine. Most of these advancements are made in high-end Michelin-Starred restaurants (Michelin is a French organization that rates restaurants around the world. Even one star is extremely hard to obtain). However, this same quality and dedication to food rubs off on the typical restaurant and bar as well. Spain, in general, is known for "Tapas"- small, bite-sized portions of food displayed on the bar to choose from. All freshly made and of top-quality ingredients, this is no "Ponderosa Buffet". Instead, this is pure heaven because you are handed a plate and are free to pick and choose to your heart, and taste buds' delight. The bartender simply keeps track as you eat and drink. Once you've eaten al you've desired, you simply pay up nd move on to the next establishment. All day and all night this carries on. Most Spaniards don't even go out on the weekends until well past midnight and, when most stores and shops are closed from roughly 1:30/2:00 to 4:00/4:30 for the afternoon siesta, the bars, cafes and restaurants are still open dispensing their wonderful creations all day and night.
In the Basque region tapas, or "pintxos" (pronounced peen-chos in Basque), this is taken to a whole new level. Sure, tapas in the rest of Spain are quite nice and a culinary traveler's dream, but in Basque, the treats are just that much better. We certainly took advantage of the food.
Our trip took place on Thursday through Saturday, the 14th through the 16th. We flew from London to Bilbao in the afternoon and arrived in the early evening. Wasting no time, we headed out to eat and drink immediately after getting checked into the hotel. The next day we had most of the day to explore Bilbao and took the time to visit the world-famous Guggenheim museum, designed by Frank Gehry. Steph and I also were able to hit the Mercado de la Ribiera - a two-block-long enclosed fish market with freshly caught goods from the sea - octopus, shrimp, grouper, mussels, clams, squid, clams, salmon, trout, sea bass, and on and on.
Later that day, we hopped on the bus and took the 70-minute ride to the seaside enclave of San Sebastian. It was a chance to catch a couple of winks between cities, but it was hard to do because the scenery of this area is tremendous. Rolling green hills streaked with vines, lush valleys, snow-tipped peaks all along the edge of the sea. Upon arriving in San Sebastian, it was again off to the bars and restaurants to do more of what this trip was all about.
The Guggenheim has become a world-famous icon of the Basque country. But for me, the best reason for coming here is the food. Among Spanish cuisine, the cooking of the Basques is regarded as the best of what Spain has to offer, with an abundance of fresh, seasonal produce. And, as we learned, you can eat as well in its simple bars as in its Michelin-starred restaurants.
But, enough of the words, click HERE for the GALLERY of the shots from the weekend.
Adios!
PS - Here is a link to the main Gallery Page for pics of other things.
April 17, 2005
An English Easter Egg Hunt
The egg crew...notice the wonder dog looking for eggs?
Higham church on Easter
E's new bear from Gramps
Father and daughter - Scotland
ETHAN SAYS, 'THANKS FOR THE BRILLIANT VISIT' - WE MISS THOSE CRAZY WOLFF'S ALREADY - well...;-)!
New friends across the street -
and... some friends we don't want - who keep trying to make a home in ours!
April 13, 2005
Next Trip
We're off again. Tomorrow we are off for a quick trip to Spain. We went to Barcelona last year, but this time we are heading to the Basque region in Northern Spain. Yeah, yeah. Basque is home to the notorious separatist group, ETA, but we'll just kindly smile and cross the road if we see any of them.
Should be a blast, though. Food. Food. Food. We are heading to arguably the best spot in the world for cuisine. There is a lot going on in this little corner of the world, culinary speaking. And I plan on making the most of it.
Stay tuned for pics next week.