Today was the first day it wasn’t raining when I woke up so I grabbed Teresa’s bike and rode to the city center. The bike path system here is really top notch, and the city is set up quite nicely for bikers, cars and pedestrians. I made sure I could scream “bike path” in Spanish at the dumdums that can’t tell the difference between the bike path and a sidewalk.
Think it’s about 7 miles back and forth to my apartment. It felt like less. Going to cross the river tomorrow if the weather holds up and try to get at least 15 miles in.
Because I cannot stop eating this kind of stuff.
Okay so today I had three pintxos. And yesterday only two. But one of them was so decadent I’m going to have to count it as four. And forget about what I’m cooking for myself. Made a delicious sauce with spicy chorizo and goat cheese and I’ve been chowing on that for dinner the past few days. I’m going to have to bike 20 miles a day if I keep this up. Good thing I have some man shoes ready for my inevitable overweight feet.
I am going to have to start bringing my digital SLR with me. The iPhone pics just aren’t cutting it. You can’t even see how creepy those eels are! They were pretty yummy though.
But the best thing I ate so far was the serrano ham flower with egg and cheese and garlic I had yesterday. I can’t remember the name of the place, it started with an I, and the napkin is downstairs and if I get up I’ll probably bump my head on the ceiling or fall down the ladder so I’ll just update this tomorrow. Coffee was slammin’ too. I might go back there tomorrow if I can find it again.
Bopping around the old town is so fun, practicing Spanish with friendly, handsome men and finding little streets filled with these crazy pintxo bars.
And it’s so fun to get out and have such a full day before I start work! It was getting a little late so I got on my bike and rode home. Still back before 7.30am NY time.
When I returned, Telmo stopped by and invited me for dinner, which was so sweet. They’re really nice and welcoming and warm. Love my new digs!
Teresa made some yummy gazpacho and a garbanzo bean beef noodle soup, some nice Rioja and I brought some flan for dessert. I met her boyfriend, Jean, who is French, and makes custom wooden furniture, really nice day, full of food and conversation and biking and work and Spanish and wine. Que perfecto.
Spanish spoken: A lot, can’t remember so much anymore. I’m speaking it most of the time now. Will try and remember notable interactions and exchanges. Teresa told me about some villages close to here that are very traditional Basque villages. She said I can hike to a few of them very easily from the house. Maybe mañana!
Food eaten: Tuesday and Wednesday…yogurt and nectarine, spinach linguine with spicy chorizo tomato sauce and goat cheese, meatballs, serrano ham flower thing, eel tart, cod with crispy vegetables, exotic mushroom, gazpacho, beef garbanzo soup, flan.
Drinks drank: Sidre, cava, vino blanco y rioja (really good coffee too!)
