It’s 10:00 AM in Paris. We’re in a coffee shop in the Marais district called Café de la Poste. This is the meeting point for “Le Foodie Tour”. We’ve arrived early, so we have time to have coffees before starting the tour. Continue reading “Le Foodie Tour – Revisited”
The Hunchback of Notre Dame – Revisited
We’re in Paris, gazing up at “la Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris.” It’s been a month since the fire. If you’re a fan of Victor Hugo’s “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” you can’t walk by the great church in its current state without thinking of poor old Quasimodo, the hunchback himself. In the story, it’s he who starts the church on fire. OK, that was a bad thing to do, but he had his reasons… Continue reading “The Hunchback of Notre Dame – Revisited”
San Sebastián Foodie Tour – Hold onto Your Pintxos!
Tonight we’re going on a foodie tour in one of the foodie capitals of the world – San Sebastián. It’s not just a foodie tour, though. It’s a pintxos tour. Vamos amigos! Continue reading “San Sebastián Foodie Tour – Hold onto Your Pintxos!”
The Basque Autonomous Region Explained (Finally!)
There’s an area in Spain that is officially called the Basque Autonomous Region. We’ve almost finished the story of how such a thing came to be. Let’s finish it now. Continue reading “The Basque Autonomous Region Explained (Finally!)”
Beautiful San Sebastián
For the past 100 years or so, San Sebastián has been a beautiful place for the beautiful people to come for a little rest and relaxation. We’re not part of the “beautiful people” crowd, but we’re headed to San Sebastián, anyway. Why should they have all the fun? Continue reading “Beautiful San Sebastián”
Let’s Figure this Basque Thing Out
We’re on our way to the Basque city of San Sebastián, Spain. Lunch in Bilbao was great, but it’s San Sebastián that has the reputation of being a food-lover’s destination. Before we get there, though, we still don’t really know much about the Basques. Let’s keep trying to figure this Basque thing out. Continue reading “Let’s Figure this Basque Thing Out”
The Basques – A Riddle Wrapped in a Mystery?
In 1939, Winston Churchill famously said, “It’s a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.” He was referring to pre-WWII Russia. But it’s also a pretty good description of what many people think of the Basques today. Continue reading “The Basques – A Riddle Wrapped in a Mystery?”
The Sea-Going Basques
We’re in Basque country. While munching on delicious pintxos in Bilbao’s Plaza Nueva, we’re soaking up some Basque history. As noted last time, the Basques were sea-going people from way back. Whale-hunting expeditions took them all the way from Spain and France to the shores of North America. But they were just getting started. Continue reading “The Sea-Going Basques”
A Whale of a Time in Bilbao
To most people, the Basques are something of a mystery. One might get the idea that they’ve been an isolated group, never venturing far from home. Nothing could be further from the truth. It’s a whale of a story, and it starts in Bilbao. Continue reading “A Whale of a Time in Bilbao”
Bilbao – It’s Not just about the Guggenheim
If “Basque country” was an actual country, Bilbao would be its capital. It’s the home of a famous Guggenheim museum, but the port city of Bilbao is also an important part of Basque history. We’re on our way there now. C’mon. Let’s go! Continue reading “Bilbao – It’s Not just about the Guggenheim”
