Want to Come for Christmas?: Chapter 7: Good-Bye Paris, Hello Donostia

(or San Sebastian, for the non-Basque Speakers)

December 20-22
After a very short (that is to say, fast) taxi ride to Paris Montparnasse, with a wonderful driver that made any difficulties with people and the French language forgotten, we were on the train to San Sebastián, Spain. We were on our way to meet Grace! Our train was so fast, that every time I looked out the window and said "Andy! Look at that!" the subject would be way behind us. It was a pleasant journey to our next home, in Donostia. Of course, we got off the hi-speed train in Bordeaux, France, to see Santa Claus: he was much skinnier than our Santa - probably having something to do with over-Christmasing in the U.S.

I will give you a brief history of something I'm not even allowed to talk about (but I will! After I get the book!) The reason this town is called San Sebastián/Donostia is because it is a Spanish holding but the Basques have always lived here. When Franco was in power (1930's-70's) he hated them so much that he wouldn't allow the Basque language to be taught in school. Franco's been dead since 1976, and the government has become more "friendly" but the Basques are the Basques and they're really not Spanish, but alas they live in Spain anyway. Although most speak Basque and Spanish (and some basques speak Basque and French and they live in France, but really aren't French) their languages are very different. I think it's really like Greek, but our hosts say that "no one knows where are language came from." So that's why I will refer to our trip here as "A Trip to Donostia." (Because I really liked the Basques).

It's really because we really hit it off with our hosts, Joseba Landa and his wife, Rosa. They were waiting at their gate when we got there, and ushered us into our temporary home. We talked for two hours, about Donostia, Kitty Hawk, our jobs, our kids, and how we were very similar, but on ocean apart. They were so dear to us every night of our stay, starting with giving us a bottle of wine and the best candies, and the next night with a local sausage and bread, (and another bottle of wine!) and bringing their daughter to meet us, on her vacation from Chile and on her way to San Fransisco. Their professions were both Medical Doctors and their attention to detail was beyond belief. They both spoke enough English to carry us through. They even took us to the grocery store: which we both thought was a good local lesson. (Our most interesting observation was that you could take a scoopful of frozen peas, or corn, or carrots and put them in a plastic bag and weigh them...what a great idea!) it turns out that Rosa's family lived in this very house when she was a child...she had many interesting stories of where she went to school and life in the time of Franco and such. They are coming to the States to visit their daughter ( not "doctor" which is a similar word and really threw them for a loop!) and we extended the invitation to come visit us in Kitty Hawk.

Now the reason for the trip in the first place: meeting up with our daughter Grace, after she has been here for 4 months! We planned to do this after she and her friend, Megan, got to Bilbao at lunchtime, Saturday. We were in the Guggenheim Museum - Bilbao, which is a building that has the most modern art feel about it : and within, as well! My working vocabulary consisted of "bizarre" and "ordinary" for the entire day. Although I am not a modern art aficionado by a long shot, I was able to realize that the artists in the Guggenheim were very good in their particular art forms, but I just could not get into the mindset of Modern. It was so bizarre.

But I could get into Andy and my Modern Art project, our girl, Grace. We met her in the vestibule of the Guggenheim, along with her friend, Megan. How great was that? To see and touch "The World Traveler" once again: all that was missing was her big sister, Alice.

The next day, we went out at 9:30 to see San Sebastián/Donostia, and remember, this was a lot like being at home. The smell of the sea, the plants, the birds - ALL reminded us of being at home. Then, there was a surfing beach, and a bathing beach...all with very huge surf today. Grace and Megan stood and walked near the surf, and we all walked through the streets and alleys of the city, and the docks, and the oceanfront walkways, and the river walk inflow. Their were so many people walking out this Sunday! Wonderful ways!

Joseba had arranged for us to have a reservation at "The Pearl", a picturesque restaurant on the bathing beach. It was Sunday at 1:30, so we ate a very tasty dinner, and watched all the "older folks" swim in the very ccccoooollllddd sea! Megan then needed to leave us (for the Canary Islands-lucky duck) so we all said "Good-bye" and left, ourselves. (She was a wonderful, Southern, girl who together with Grace, make a traveling pair!)

We came back for another talk with Joseba, Rosa and their 23-year-old daughter Ani, who is a very interesting traveller, herself! She has 38 stamps on her passport, and has only been gone for 11 months. For as much as the Landas had in common with us, Ani and Grace also had much to talk about. Very interesting. Joseba and Andy went over the train route to the station tomorrow morning, and then we had to say good-bye.