About 14 years ago we spent a couple of weeks in Spain with much of our family.  We visited Barcelona, Madrid, Valencia, Seville and the Costa del Sol.  While we loved it all, it was very different from the Basque Country in northern Spain where we are now.  In my mind this is the most beautiful part of the country.  We took three days to drive from southern Portugal to where we are now in Zarautz, Spain. We took an engineering feat of a highway from Santiago de Compostela here.  The highway was just completed last year the cost of which skyrocketed because of the typography of the area which makes for the most amazing scenery. The highway seems to hang over valleys running past windmills that sit atop the mountains. From there it turns down to the Cantabrian Sea only to reascend to the heights around the next curve. There are numerous tunnels just because there is no where else for the road to go.Basque country extends across northern Spain and southern France and many consider themselves Basque not Spanish or French. We didn’t realize before we came here that the Basques not only have their own culture but their own language as well.  During Franco’s time in power the Basque language was not taught so generally people growing up between 1939 and the late 1970s know little Basque. But in the 1980s it had a resurgence.  It’s a very difficult language with lots of tx’s and k’s and z’s. We have found little English spoken here but because the people are so very friendly and everyone speaks Spanish and my Spanish is improving with daily practice,  we have been able to get along reasonably well.

When we first arrived and met up with Daniel, our landlord for the month, he went above and beyond to introduce us to the area. Daniel is a surfer and explained to us the week before we arrived there were European surfing championships here.   After showing us around the apartment, he drove with us into town pointing out a major supermarket (very Meijer-like for you Michiganders!) and also took us to a nearby taberna introducing us to the local specialty, Txokoli (pronounced choc o lee). It’s a dry sparkling wine that is poured from quite a height in order to enhance the fizziness of the drink.It’s really difficult for us to get used to the late dining hour of the Spanish. 8:30 is just too late for us to eat but they do have amazing tapas, called pintxos in Basque, that are very tasty and served for lunch until about 6 pm and very reasonable as well.  A pintxo usually sells for between 1 euro and 1,65 (about $1.15 to $2)!

That combined with a beer or glass of wine means a delightful lunch for two can be had for less than $10. Like other places we’ve visited we feel fortunate to be here in the off season when the population is about 22,000 given that in the summer the population surges to about three times that. From our apartment we get a glimpse of the ocean. There’s a promenade that parallels the sea and provides a great place to stroll and stop for a pinxto or cerveza in the afternoon.

Zarautz has been a great base for us as there are many nearby places for day trips. We have traveled to Basque France, specifically St. Jean de Luz,  another beautiful seaside community, which is about a half hour drive from here.

We did notice that the French we met spoke mostly French and not Basque. Bob got a much needed hair cut while we were there, in a tiny shop, where the barber spoke absolutely no English. Utilizing a lot of hand motions he managed to get his hair trimmed as well as his beard. We’re getting the knack of this haircut communication sans words! We were a bit taken aback by the amount of security at the French border. While we were not stopped, there were many guards eyeing the traffic as it passed through.  The car in front of us was stopped, but it had a Russian plate and we were thinking that perhaps they needed to show their visa. Returning to Spain we encountered no such security.

We were excited that the Italians had a long holiday weekend allowing Cary to visit us. She flew into Bilbao, about an hour west of us.  After picking her up at the airport we visited the Guggenheim Museum designed by Frank Gehry. The architecture of the museum itself is as spectacular as the works it contains!

The town of Guernica is also really interesting. It’s more than 600 years old and founded at the intersection of two important roads where it is said that important discussions of the community were held underneath the Guernica Tree there.

More recently, in 1937, with Franco’s permission, the Germans and Italians relentlessly bombed Guernica in support of Franco’s wanting to overthrow the Basques. According to Basque figures, more than 2500 people were killed.  Picasso was commissioned to create a huge mural depicting the resulting suffering and chaos, considered by many to be his greatest work.

It is interesting that Picasso would not let the picture hang in Spain until they became a Republic (and since Picasso died before Franco, the painting wasn’t returned to Spain until  1981, after Picasso’s death.) In the Museum of Peace in Guernica,  we sat in a darkened room, a replication of a typical home of the time, listening to a  recording describing the experience the residents were living through…complete with sounds of bombs in the background. All that remained after the bombing was the school house that is still there and still used (as well as The Guernica Tree).  The floor of the museum is made from the debris of the devastation under glass! The experience haunted me for hours after.

We also visited San Sebastian, which I believe is the prettiest city in the area.  The Basque have done a wonderful job of integrating the old with the new, and the setting of mountains combined with sandy beaches is always gorgeous!

Our apartment is extraordinarily reasonable but it doesn’t have wifi and  I wasn’t quite sure how we would survive for a month without being connected, given that all we do on line.  Daniel had pointed out a coffee shop/bakery/bar just a few meters from our apartment.  We tried that for the first couple of days and were delighted when we met a delightful gentleman who asked where we were from in the US. (Many we have met, assume we are British because we speak English) but our new friend Juan had lived in Chicago so his English was exceptional and he was excited to talk about Chicago. The first thing he said to us was, “Welcome!” How very warm that made us feel! (A few days later we were eating pintxos in a local cafe and a woman asked if we were speaking French or English. When I responded English, she too said, “Welcome.” Made me think about all the non-Americans I have met in the US and I don’t know that I have EVER said, “Welcome!” I will definitely do so in the future.)  Juan offered us suggestions about what to see in the area.  A couple of days later when we were walking on the promenade along the beach we encountered Juan again who stopped to chat for a bit. We have since seen him back at the coffee shop and also on the street.  It is very pleasant to encounter a familiar face…particularly one who speaks English!

While at the coffee shop I began to research internet connections and found that I could rent a “pocket wifi” for a month and because I needed it for the month I could get a special price. This would allow us to watch movies and favorite American television shows (i.e. Jeopardy) as well as some American sports (Chicago Cubs and NHL playoff hockey) when they are afternoon games.  The pocket wifi came by courier from Barcelona and the pick up location was less than half a kilometer from our apartment. Such a deal.  I ordered it on a Friday and picked it up on Monday.  We absolutely love it.  It’s such a terrific idea; I’m ready to invest in the company.

We did a lot of planning before we left the United States last August. We do our banking electronically. We have few monthly bills but we generally pay everything online. We order all our prescriptions electronically and then they are delivered through the US postal system.  When we came to Europe last fall we were only out of the US for eleven weeks so we had enough drugs to bring with us and really encountered no problems.  However, that was soon to change.  Before we left DC in March Bob ordered two prescriptions and knowing that the drug company would not send them abroad we had them sent to our son, Stephen’s, house in Maryland.  When they arrived he put them in another mailer, did some research about the cheapest way to forward them on to us and put them in the mail to us in Portugal. As of today, seven weeks later, the drugs have not appeared.  And it appears because of international law that they’re not apt to appear here EVER.  (We are hopeful, however that they will eventually be returned to sender.) So then the question became: How do we get Bob’s needed medications?  He had  a few weeks supply on hand so that allowed us some lead time.  He emailed the Mayo Clinic and asked if they could send copies of his prescriptions to Cary in Rome which they immediately sent by Fed Ex and then last week when Cary arrived with the prescriptions, Bob went to the local pharmacist who filled them and told him that he shouldn’t have any problem refilling them in Spain. And hopefully, the same will be true in the UK.  Whew! What a relief! While our insurance won’t cover the cost of the prescriptions while we are abroad, we were amazed at how much cheaper they were here than they are in the States!  Problem solved!

Our time is running short here. We leave a week from today for the Canary Islands but in the meantime we still would like to go back to France for a day. (I can’t quite get used to the idea, “You wanna go to France tomorrow?”) And we’d also like to see Pamplona (No it’s not time for the running of the bulls!). No matter how much time we allow, it always seems like there’s more to do, more to see. Below are just some random pictures from this beautiful area.  Until next time…

 

 

 

 

 

We enjoyed the drive from Bilbao south and there was no doubt we were now in Spain.  Because we had reservations for our Airbnb in the Algarve the next night we took the direct route across Spain staying on the autopista most of the time. We spent the night in Salamanca, a city of nearly 150,000, and it turned out to be a great choice.  It is a city that was founded in the 1100’s by the Carthaginians and was the intellectual center of Spain in the 1500’s and 1600’s.  It is home to one of the oldest and finest universities in Europe. Our hotel was just a 5 minute walk to the historic center, the Plaza Mayor.

We were a bit skeptical about finding a place to eat as it was just 6:30, a bit early for dinner in Spain, but right on the square we came upon a small inviting restaurant, Cafe Novelty.  Talk about lucky.  The food was great, the service was wonderful and by pointing to pictures we were able to explain what we wanted.  I knew just enough Spanish, to ask for “Una cervesa, por favor.”  And also, “Una mas, por favor.”  It’s interesting that in Europe we find when you order a beer, you are asked if you want large or small but never the kind.  And as usual the local beer was great!  It turns out, we read later, that Cafe Novelty was founded in 1905 and is the oldest restaurant in Salamanca. From 1905-1964 it was known as the Cafe Nacional.  It has been a gathering place for writers, artists and politicians over the past 110 years including such people as Jimmy Carter and Francois Mitterand.

We reached Lagos, Portugal, late afternoon the next day. Driving here is as easy as it is in the States. Having Google maps on my phone is an added bonus. But we have found that when the local signage differs from what the phone says, it’s best to follow the signs.  We found our way into Lagos following narrow curvy roads that made us wonder if we were on the right track and while they got us to our destination, we found after we were here that there are much easier routes to the main roads!  We’ve learned!

We were met at our lodging by a local real estate person who quickly showed us around the apartment but unfortunately didn’t know many of the details…i.e. how do we access the mail?  How does the stove work?  What about the dishwasher?  But I texted the man we are renting from (who lives in Ireland) and he quickly filled us in on the details.  Our apartment is on the first floor which in Europe means the second floor.  We can access the apartment by either inside steps or an elevator from the parking garage on the main floor.  But it seems really odd to walk outside our sliding doors, on the second floor, and stand beside the pool.  Sidewalks and a footbridge take us from our apartment to the town which has a large marina and a main street that follows the harbor to the Atlantic. Along the harbor walk are shops that sell a variety of local items especially those made from cork.  Cork trees are an important resource of Portugal and since much of the world has moved to using synthetic corks in their wine bottles, Portugal has felt the impact! Purses, jewelry, even clothing made of cork is for sale throughout the area!  Our favorite part of the Algarve is the spectacular beauty.  The rugged cliffs jut out into the sea and with each turn the view is more beautiful than the last!

Like most other European cities we’ve visited Lagos has their Saturday morning market. We particularly enjoy the citrus fruit. Being from Michigan it’s hard to get used to the beautiful huge oranges and lemons that grow on the trees in and around the city. The area is truly a culinary delight particularly if you like seafood which we do. Grilled sardines are a Portuguese specialty. The sardines are much larger than what we’re used to in the US, about the size of perch. They are yummy! But we also found some unusual things in the market, like chocolate covered sardines (which I didn’t try).

We had no idea so many Brits take their holidays here. Nearly everyone speaks English and there are also many signs in English. I had understood before we came that Portuguese is similar to Spanish.  I don’t find that to be so.  To my ear it doesn’t sound like Spanish and understandably the Portuguese don’t want it assumed that they speak Spanish. So most of the time beyond the initial greeting of, “Hola,” we reverted to English. The only other Portuguese I know is, “Abrigado” thank you. Generally the people we have met are very friendly and understand that Americans (as well as the Brits to the best that I can surmise) generally speak only English!  Because of the presence of so many Brits there are a lot of British restaurants, particularly near the marina. I think we chose the right time to come to Lagos given that during the summer tourist season it is mobbed with people coming from all over the world to enjoy the beaches!

In places they remind us of the beaches of Lake Michigan with the white sand and blue water as far as we can see. Southern Portugal is a land of contrasts. Historic buildings, forts and churches are mingled on cobblestone streets with modern shops and restaurants.

Cars from Portugal, Spain, Netherlands and the UK are integrated with the occasional horse-drawn cart! Walking through the old city center we found an English used bookstore and met a delightful Brit, Christine Woodrupp, who was running it temporarily for her daughter.  We had a lovely conversation about the area and she gave us a lot of tips about what we should see. And in addition we each found books to add to our must reads! The old town is particularly interesting because while there are lots of tourists there are also lots of locals.  I chuckled as we saw a woman, who obviously was getting her hair frosted, running back into the hair salon after touring shops in the area with her hair wrapped in foil.  Local or tourist?  I’m not sure!  Many Brits, we found, come here on holiday and then decide to stay.  From what I hear about the weather in the UK it seems like a sound decision. (We’ll find out when we visit there in June, July and August!)

Lagos is about 3.5 hours by train from Lisbon so when Cary was able to visit from Rome for a few days we decided it was a must see.  We drove to Tunes about a half hour away, parked the car and got a direct train to Lisbon.  Round trip for senior citizens costs a little more than $20 and driving it with tolls and the cost of petro is a costly venture…not to mention we didn’t have the headache of trying to find a place to park.

After checking into our hotel we boarded a hop on hop off bus which turned out to be a good idea given that the clouds burst into a torrential rain for most of the afternoon. Even so, we found Lisbon to be a beautiful capital city.

There are Portuguese tiles everywhere. They’re called azulejos from the Arabic meaning polished stone.  The first came into being in the 15th century when Portugal was still under Moorish rule.  Since that time they have been in and out of style.  Many of Lisbon’s cultural elite, at the turn of the 20th century didn’t like them, feeling they “were for the poor people.”  But in the late 1900’s the tiles were revived and now you see them on very old historic buildings as well as decorating new buildings.

The rainy day in Lisbon was the exception. Bob read that the Algarve has 3000 hours of sun a year which averages 8 hours of sunshine a day and which makes exploring the area really pleasant.  We particularly enjoyed Sagres which is the most southwest point on the European continent.

We visited a fort there which is where Henry the Navigator supposedly had his navigation school. Inside the fort is a Wind Rose, approximately 200 feet across that dates from the 1500’s.  It was uncovered by accident in the early 1900’s and its original purpose is still unknown.  One theory is that it was some sort of a navigational tool; others believe it is a kind of sundial.  Prince Henry was an interesting guy! His name implies that he was an explorer, when in actuality, he basically navigated one trip to northern Africa, and then supervised the trips of others, the majority of which began in Lagos.  When one stands on the beach and gazes out at the Atlantic it is hard to imagine the amount of courage it must have taken to set sail…wondering if indeed they were going to sail off the edge.  There’s also a site inside the walled city of Lagos where Henry first brought slaves from Africa to be sold, after putting them on display, thus beginning the slave trade!  A favorite place for us is the boardwalk at Alvor just about 8 miles west of Lagos. There they have constructed more than 5 kilometers of boardwalk along the Atlantic coast.  In addition to the great walk, we found a fabulous restaurant, Restinga’s, that has great seafood, great service at reasonable prices! Their fish soup is scumptuous!

We were thrilled when a friend from high school posted on Facebook that he and his wife were going to be in Lagos while we were here. We met up for a drink at a cafe near the harbor and it seemed surreal to be catching up on 50 years since high school in a place thousands of miles from Michigan City, Indiana, where we grew up!

Tomorrow is our last day here and then we’ll head up the coast to Spain ending up in Zarautz, just west of San Sebastian.  While we are looking forward to the area and all it has to offer, I’ll miss Lagos.  I feel like after a month here we know the town, we’ve made friends as well as memories to last a lifetime!  Until next time…