Masingill's Spain Adventure: Divide and Conquer

"ccchhhotch"

Yesterday - Monday.....As has been our custom during this vacation, the family slept into about 10:00. I am usually up around 9:00 to 9:30 making the coffee and constructing the days post. Today, we will travel to a few small towns nearby, possibly surf later in the afternoon and then Staci and I have our dinner at Azark! But I am getting ahead of myself. Back to yesterday.... Staci and I ran our routes in the morning along the beach. The girls had a spa appointment on the Playa de Concha @ 2:00 so they left around noon to walk and shop along the way to the spa. Ryan and I headed out around 2:00 to go complete one of his homework assignments. It was our mission to visit two cathedrals each representing a style of architecture. The first cathedral was that of the Cathedral of Buen Pastor and it, we learned, is neo-gothic. Built in 1897, it represents the new of San Sebastian. It was built to face the old which is represented by the Boroque church of Santa Maria del Coro. This church is built in the roman style. It's Ryan's project so I'll let him fill you in on the details. The new faces the old is the sub-plot here and I took it to represent the old quote...that those who forget history are doomed to repeat it! Assignment completed, Ryan and I made our way back to the apartment. Along the way, we stopped for a much deserved cervesa and Pintxos. We also stopped, for a time, and watched some men fishing off the 1st bridge. Something is extremely relaxing and comforting in the tempo of their lives. The girls got back around 6:30 and by the number of bags and the new boots Megan was wearing, it must have been a very successful day!

For dinner, we had plans at a famous cider house or sagardotegias. They make their cider wine in large barrels and there is a bartender, of sorts, that opens the spigot while you hold your cup 4 to 5 feet away. Apparently the drop into the cup allows the flavors to explode or, perhaps, it just more fun that way! Our dinner, was a typical menu for basque cider house with servings of chorizo cooked in cider, salt-cod omelette, fresh cod fried with peppers, char-grilled T-bone steaks, walnuts and Idiazábal sheep's cheese. All served family style. We are going to have to try this at home as it cuts down on the dishes. I learned that the cry that one makes during the pouring of the cider is "ccchhhotch". No idea how to pronounce it but you get the idea. Staci does not prefer the practice of drinking cider wine so she had her regular vino tinto! Back in the cab and back to the old part of town where we found the dessert crepe place closed so we opted for a bar, cervesa and a soccer match. The crepe guy, also Megan's acquaintance, was in the bar so we spent sometime talking to him and watching the game. Back home sometime around 12:30. Another day in the books!

Side note.... we spoke w/ Sebastian who was already planning for the Superbowl. I made the mistake of handing the phone to Staci and 25 minutes later she is still on the phone chatting like its a damn local call. 42 dollars later!