“…the people who live there have to give an opinion once a week or once a day, or else Mr. Mammon would soon cut off their food. But out here in the country you can walk all day and all the next day with an unanswered question in your head: you need never speak until you have made up your mind.” CS Lewis, The Pilgrim’s Regress
Don’t some questions take years to settle in? On holidays, I am free to sit and think in the wide open spaces of a 9 hour flight or 6 hours of train travel. It is a luxury that travel affords and I take advantage of every silent moment – refraining from speech, even when a thing is settled in my mind.
A few years ago when we traveled to Canada’s newest province, our ship docked in Port ‘o Basque on the west coast of the Rock and now that we’ve seen the town’s origins, our appreciation for Newfoundland grows and our understanding gains clarity. All that salted cod, and the stereotypical “old salty dog” folks that are as tough as the land and seas that feed them are Basque through and through.
Here in San Sebastian we dip into the culture by seeking out specialty tapas — reflective of the selection and care of a particular family. We eat with the locals — standing at the bar, every small saucer piled high with fruit de mer and hailed in plate-by-plate chaos. Avaros shouts “Sandi” across the room and while I can barely see over the bar to take my dish, I sense the Basque pride as he hands over fried anchovies and local octopus — pleased that I have ordered according to tradition. We eat in silence under the din of new orders — alongside others engaged in the centuries-long practice and it’s a wonder to behold!
The other photos are dinner last evening with fellow travellers John and Mary Beth at Au Petit Tonneau (our second meal prepared by owners Ariette and Marcelle), exploring Paris’ Bastille neighbourhood by boat, and some book shopping at Shakespeare and Co. The 4 women dressed in blue met while playing field hockey in the Netherlands 25 years ago. Once a year they train 3 hrs to Paris for 3 days. Oh girlfriends! What do you think? Next year in Paris?
