Sunday, November 26, 2006 The 2nd bout By Jinggoy Salvador
AFTER three long years, it finally happened... again. My virgin trip to Europe made me swear that I will have to go back and explore the continent once more, with the allowable budget of course.
"To the last euro!" was the official battle cry, which just means that until the wallet drains of the last euro, I will not head home. That didn't take long though, two months to be exact. With the high cost of living in the area, my hard earned peso, which took three years to mount up, when exchanged to the continental equivalent is a bit disheartening. A bucketful magically transformed to a few bills that fit perfectly in my wallet. But the ever reliable plastic (the inanimate one and not the person pretending to be your pal) to turn to in times of crises (like shopping...), I took off for this long-awaited vacation...
Getting this trip to work is like the classic telenovela of obstacle-filled path to success or en epic film where it took 3 years to finally get it to show. Friends (or so I thought) extended empty invitations, they went and came back, next the schedules didn't seem to work, then there were problems with accommodations...can you picture the lead star drowning in sorrow and flooding the immediate environs with tears?
But there is this Basque man aka Chef Mikel who blurted out "I'm going to visit my family in the Basque Country and go to Ibiza, you want to join me?"
Harps began playing on the background and the spotlight shone on the now smiling face of the lead star. I was to meet Mikel in the Barcelona airport since we were taking different airlines. Mine was an hour earlier than his. An hour before midnight, after 16 hours of flying, we were on Spanish soil (taking that sip from the fountain at the Las Ramblas to assure that you will come back to Barcelona must be true!) and have the entire witching hours to explore the nightlife in Barcelona before our bus trip to Andoain in the Pais Vasco, Mikel's hometown.
We seemed to have walked a million miles stopping for a cerveza in a couple of bars and looking for a place to hang out after all the spots were closed. The worst thing that can happen to you is when fatigue finally sets in. Now I know how it feels to be a zombie. We didn't dare stop and rest for more than five minutes lest we fall asleep on the spot and miss our ride. I was so tired that I was already hallucinating, blabbering words that had no sense at all.
The coffee shop by the bus station saved our lives. It opened just about the break of dawn. Finally, we got the caffeine shots we needed and a splash of ice-cold water to knock us awake.
At last, the last leg. We boarded the bus to Andoain and sleep overcame us. It must have been a wonderful sight going to our destination but I totally missed that.
The important thing is after another five hours of traveling on air and roads, from Manila to Hong Kong, to Heathrow to Barcelona to my host's hometown, we were safe and the longing for a decent meal and bed to lie down on were finally satisfied.
I was finally in the Basque Country, home to a good number of the best chefs in the planet. I can now attest to that. There was this meal at an old farmhouse that has been turned to an inn and a restaurant, a popular one. Lunch started at 2 and ended at 5 for us. One meal got me through the day! To add a little more of the exciting flavor to this visit, I got to experience the Basque fiesta! It was fantastic!
If the Basque meals were impressive, the people would be exceptional. They are as warm as the Pinoys!
Take for example Mikel's family who welcomed me to their homes.
From the parents to the two sisters, Maider (and the husband Ferran) and Aroan, to the star of the household, Lai, the Arruiz family was simply the best host and friend anyone can have.
