Thursday, September 19, 2024
After breakfast today, our bus departed at 8:30 am. Charles, the guide who led us through French Basque country during our previous visit, joined us and narrated for the hour-long ride to our first stop. After entering France and riding along the coast for awhile, we turned inland and our driver navigated us through narrow curvy roads to Maison Ortillopitz, a 16th century country home.
Our maison host, Vicente, spoke in animated French which Charles translated for us. Vicente start by discussing the house’s exterior design, then we moved inside to the storage cellar, and as he explained its importance, we could study two large murals depicting the sailing and whaling life that the male inhabitants endured for six months of every year. Then we moved upstairs to the kitchen and living area where he discussed daily life and showed us the hallway and spartan bedrooms. The top (third) floor was for storing grain and miscellaneous implements. After this informative visit with an entertaining host, we boarded the bus and traversed more mountain roads to the town of Espelette.
—— Maison Ortillopitz ——
Espelette is a picturesque country town where strands of the eponymous red peppers adorn white houses employing the traditional method of drying. We were allowed a scant 45 minutes to wander through this attactive town on our own before meeting at a designated spot for lunch. Jane purchased some sheep cheese with red peppers and sea salt (also with red peppers) during our town wanderings.
—— Espelette ——
The tour group assembled in front of Restaurant Euzkadi and after entering, descended into the reserved rugby room. There, we were offered a drink (Sangria or Kir made from a mixture of white wine and a black currant liqueur) and listened to an interesting local man (via Charles’ translation) discuss the history and development of traditional Basque sports. These sports, such as tug-of-war and boulder lifting, had been derived from the difficult labor of everyday tasks. After a filling three-course meal, we walked back through a small Espelette pepper garden to the bus and began our return ride.
—— Lunch at Restaurant Euzkadi ——
On the return trip, we rode back toward the coast for another half hour before disembarking from the bus for a brief glimpse of St. Jean de Luz. While explaining the 17th and 18th century privateering history of this small town, Charles led us past its harbor to the main square, Place Louis XIV. We were then allowed about an hour to explore on our own. Our group of four first stopped at the St. Jean Baptiste Church then strolled through town before walking a few blocks to see the town’s pretty beach, reboarding the bus, and returning to Hondarribia.
—— St. Jean de Luz ——
After a short freshening-up period back at the Parador, we listened to a new speaker, Gabriela Ranelli, discuss “The Romance of Hemingway’s Spain.” Afterwards, Jane, Nancy, John, and I enjoyed beers, cheese with crackers, and sweets on the outdoor veranda. We watched a beautiful full moon rise over the Tsxingudi Bay before retiring.
—— This Evening’s Lecture ——
—— Moonrise over Txingudi Bay ——
