OVERVIEW TO BLOG & OUR TRIP

DAY 9 14 May 2022 SATURDAY ELIZONDO  Baztan Valley

A very lazy Saturday morning in the apartment, after all we are on vacation and do not need to be dashing everywhere at top speed! Hand laundry chores, tops and underwear, after coffee and toast.

Bar Ordoki & Resturante

We decided to make a quick trip to the Spanish/French border town of Dantxarinea looking for football jerseys and kiddo size shoes. We are used to this before because they have lots of different stores there to entice the French over for cheaper clothes, food and gas. I guess the taxes are less here in Spain and the goods cheaper.

We stopped in the first 3 story outlet mall building, it was all designer/brand name sports apparel very, very pricey for Spanish but cheaper than in France with their higher cost of living. No shoe shops. There were very few Spanish license tags in the parking lots, all French. It was 1:15 and the French were lined up 15 deep at the bar restaurant for lunch so we opted to drive to the border roundabout and back into Spain. Actually we never entered France, so no biggie! We drove to Urdax where we had stopped with Ron & Sandy Hand for a picnic and to explore the Urdax caves on that previous trip. We found a lovely new Bar Restaurante for refreshment, which also was full of French. The lady behind the bar didn’t quite know what to make of us as we spoke Spanish, not French! We had a Biter Cass and a tiny, and I mean tiny , sandwich and a bathroom break before returning to our valley again. The road to Dantxarinea passes the Gorramendi turn off and is very twisty and turney, just like the road we took to Izpegui. I think Paul was really pleased he had an automatic! It is truly beautiful country. I waxed lyrical yesterday about how gorgeous it is yesterday so I will not bore you again but damn, it is gorgeous! The children of Carlos & Belen have grown so much since coming to the Baztan 12.5 years ago: Hana will be 19 in Sept, Zena is 16 and will work in the bar this summer, and Meselech is 15 yrs. of age.

Elbete and the kids with Jane & Paul

Full Moon over Elizondo 5/14/22

We tried 2 restuarantes for lunch in Elizondo but without a reservation each was FULL and so we headed to the turnoff at Mugairi for lunch as they are always open for large busloads of travelers. How could we forget about reservations? It is always good food and service at the turn off and don’t ask me the name of the place because I don’t believe I have ever known! It’s just the turnoff! Paul has not reminded me what we ate but I do know this…I have got to stop all this eating! It’s too much!  

Urdax Near French border

We coordinated with Guillermo to meet at Bar Mendi’s for drinks about 8:00PM and to visit with his mother Carmentxu. We met with Guillermo and he ushered upstairs to the first floor bar lounge which is now open again to the public thanks to his handiwork and carpentry skills. It looks really good. Way back when we spent a lot of time up there in Miguel’s Club. Sometimes it was just us with Miguel as he recorded all of the latest LPs, which Paul bought from the Base, on to his reel to reel! Anyone remember these? It is where I started to learn my Spanish. It was the go to place for all the GIs. Miguel looked after them very well and if he thought they had drunk too much, he would not let them drive and drive them back to the base himself. A truly good man and a wonderful friend. We are sure that Miguel would approve of the improvements!

 After our visit we strolled up to Bar Sobrino for supper at 9:00PM and saw Carmen along with Guillermo’s wife, Rosa. At 1030 it was time to turn in at the apartment and call it a Saturday completed.