Tourist Stops in DC

In addition to spending time with friends, we spent some of our time in Washington DC doing tourist activities: visiting historcal sites, seeing a one-man play about Abraham Lincoln, and going to a fantastic museum that only opened in 2015, the African American History and Culture Museum.

Shana, Andrew and I spent basically an entire day at the African American Museum (exterior above with the Washington Monument in the background). You begin your visit in the basement of the museum, which contains extensive exhibits about slavery in the US, and then "rise out" of slavery as you go upward through exhibits that trace the history of African Americans in the US during the Civil War, Reconstruction, segregation, the Civil Rights movement, and more. That part of the museum alone could take an entire day, but two upper floors contain displays about African Americans' contributions to sports and culture in America. We also took time to eat lunch at the museum's restaurant, which offers traditional southern foods like fried chicken, fried catfish, grits, macaroni & cheese, sweet potato pie, etc., etc. It was fantastic and we were stuffed!

Our viewing of Mister Lincoln starring Scott Bakula (of Quantum Leap fame) as the titular President at the Ford's Theater was quite entertaining and very meta. We even learned some things we hadn't previously known about Lincoln's life. Unforttunately, we did not have a good angle to get a picture of the box where Lincoln was actually shot, so no photo.

Finally, Shana, Andrew and I spent a day in Virginia visiting Mount Vernon (George Washington's home) and Arlington National Cemetery, both places I visited when I was about 5 years old, but could not really remember at all. Shana had never been to either.

Mount Vernon is impressive, and it is obvious why Washington chose it as his home. In fact, both the house itself, and the view from the house look a lot like they did over 200 years ago:

Much of what is preserved at Mount Vernon relates to the slaves owned and leased by the Washingtons. There are many buildings relating to where the slaves lived and worked on the plantation, as well as a monument to those who were buried there (without individual graves of course). Interestingly, Washington did free all the slaves he owned in his will, but he could not free those he had leased, many of whom were leased from his wife's family.

Arlington National Cemetery is huge. We went to John F. Kennedy's grave, along with monuments to the astronauts killed in the Challenger and Columbia space shuttle disasters. What I did not realize was that many famous people are buried in Arlington, not just soldiers. For example, we went to see the graves of a number of Supreme Court Justices.

And, of course, we went to see the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, which is a truly impressive and solemn ceremony. Although it is a little distracting to watch the planes flying into Reagan airport in the background if you are an aviation enthusiast.

Washington DC and its environs offer a virtually endless opportunity to see famous places and things related to US history, along with a large number of spectacular museums. We highly recommend it. 

More soon.

Jeff and Shana

Seeing Friends in DC

After leaving Dena, Jay and her parents, we traveled from Bilbao through Madrid to Washington, DC. Unfortunately, Shana's bag (the only one we checked) did not make the same trip we did, and disappeared at some point. We assume that it did not make the transfer in Madrid, but despite putting a barcode on your bag, Iberia Airlines apparently has no ability to actually track it. Fortunately, we were staying with our friends Andrew and Karen in DC, and Shana was able to borrow some clothes while we went shopping for more.

Over the years, many of our "LA" friends ended up in DC, and we had lots of people to see. Fortunately, Andrew and Karen were nice enough not only to put us up in their house and lend Shana clothes, but also to host a Shabbat dinner for us all.

It was wonderful to spend time with our friends, who we had not seen in years (in some cases since before we moved to Spain), see how grown up their children are, and enjoy a very good home-cooked meal.

The next day, we went to visit our law school friend Howard, and his new wife Annie. We had not met Annie before (despite them being together for years), but it was great to get to know her and enjoy a home-cooked Shabbat lunch (sensing a theme?).

We also had dinner with one of Shana's former DOJ colleagues, Natalie, and her husband Adam, at their home in VA. Getting to meet their son Eli and dog Peanut was terrific. We were so engaged we forgot to get a photo! Shana also met up with briefly with another former DOJ colleague, Jenelle.

Our final outing with friends was to a Washington Nationals baseball game. We very much miss going to baseball games, as this was only the second one we attended in the seven years since we moved. This one was particularly special because our friend Matt is related to the owners of the team, and we got to watch it from the owner's box. Yes, this is absolutely as cool as it sounds. The box has food avaiable along with bathrooms inside (no need to mix with the hoi polloi). Despite the Nationals being out of playoff contention, and the sparse crowd,, we enjoyed a pitchers' duel that ended with a KC Royals victory (the game meant more to them than the Nats), but not before the Nats almost hit a winning homerun in the bottom of the 10th. Exciting.

It is always nice to confirm that living so far away does not diminish long-time friendships. While we attempt to stay in touch through modern technology, it is always phenomenal to see and hug dear friends in person. 

We will have more to come on DC soon, but we do not want to keep you in suspense on the luggage. It took the airline five days to find the bag, but they would not send it to DC before we left. Then, they did not have the flexibility to send it directly to our next stop in Boston, so it did not arrive there before we left either. In the end, we recovered our bag from the hotel in Boston on our way to the airport to fly home. A two-week trip with no luggage for Shana. Frustrating to say the least.

More from our East Coast swing soon.

Jeff and Shana

A Whirlwind Visit

The past three weeks have been a bit crazy. Right before we left for a trip to the US east coast, we welcomed beloved friends, Dena & Jay, and her parents, Murray & Gail, to the Basque Country. They came on a pre-cruise tour to Bilbao and San Sebastian, to be followed by a river cruise in the Bordeaux region of France. Their visit went by too quickly and was almost a blur. Good food, wine, and conversation always speed things along. We worked ourselves into their tour itinerary as best we could to take full advantage of their limited time here.

We met up in Bilbao, where we had a fabulous traditional Basque dinner.

Of course, we joined them at the Guggenheim and enjoyed the museum’s highlights.

The museum is always changing. There was a piece newly on display since our last visit in July. This large sculpture by Ghanaian artist El Anatsui is made entirely of thousands of discarded aluminum lids from alcohol bottles that have been reshaped and woven together. It is a commentary on the remnants and influences of colonialism on African society that continue to this day.

We’re still disappointed that the Jeff Koons' Tulips have been moved inside, as they don’t have the same impact. Thankfully his Puppy is too big to be moved anywhere.

Sharing our favorite places in San Sebastian was a pleasure, especially since most of them are food related. We were so busy eating, drinking, and catching up we barely took any pictures!

Visitors are always welcome. Who’s next?

Hasta pronto,

Shana & Jeff

Embracing the Basqueness

It’s been a relatively quiet summer. Since we returned from Scotland, we’ve been home for 3 months straight (except for our 2-night escape to Bilbao for the Blues Festival). That’s unusual for us. And it certainly hasn’t happened in quite some time considering our two extra-long trips in 2022/23 and 2023/24. In fact, we realized that we haven’t been in San Sebastian for two winters now! We haven’t had a stream of visitors to entertain this year, so we’ve enjoyed the routine, including paddle boarding when the weather cooperated, and now September has brought opportunities for basking in the Basqueness of late summer.

San Sebastian hosts the premier rowing regatta (since 1879) and each year we learn more about the teams and event history. The boats used in these competitions are based on whaling and fishing boats – a pillar of the maritime focused economy of the recent past. These are not the thin, sleek sculls used in collegiate or Olympic rowing; they are built for the ocean. There are 13 rowers and a coxswain. This year I watched the men’s qualification round where more than 20 boats raced the 3 nautical miles for the 8 spots in the weekends’ regattas. It was amazing to see them all starting and finishing in La Concha Bay.

We watched the races on television, where you can see better the work involved and the entire route. The defending champions in both the men’s and women’s races easily won again.

A friend organized an American-style potluck luncheon at another friend’s Basque “sociedad” (a membership based gastronomic club). This particular group is an association of engineers. Sociedads offer large kitchens and dining rooms to host communal meals. Few people have the space here to host such events at home, plus these locations have professional level kitchens. We met several new people, mostly locals, and enjoyed a great feast. The oldest sociedad in the city dates to 1870 (even before the regattas began!).

This week we hiked with friends from Zarautz to Getaria, but this time rather than taking the coastal path along the water, we hiked over and through the hills separating the cities. We started on the beach while the skies were still grey from the morning rain.

The route goes through txaikoli vineyards (the local white wine varietal) and is incredibly scenic.

Getaria, a small fishing village (pop.2870), is known for its fabulous fish restaurants. We tried a new one that was right on the beach. The fish truly is fresh and goes well with a bottle of txaikoli!

We returned via the coastal route. Although we usually don’t walk both ways, having eaten and drank too much, since the sun had come out, we decided we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to enjoy it.

Basque traditions and the beautiful landscape and culinary opportunities never get old.

This year we are missing the San Sebastian International Film Festival for the first time in 7 years. A small part of us is sorry to break the streak, but mostly we’re happy to skip the amount of time we invest each year and the frustrations that the ticket purchase process inevitably involves. I’m sure we’ll return to the festival next year refreshed from the year off.

We are looking forward to welcoming dear friends this week and to eating, drinking and being merry with them in our favorite places. Then we’re off to DC, Boston, Maine and New Hampshire.

Hasta pronto,

Shana & Jeff

Semana Grande

As always, the week of August that includes the 15th is Semana Grande here in San Sebastian. That means nightly fireworks, amusement-park rides (not that we partake), lots of musical options, and huge numbers of tourists both local and far flung.

This was our second Semana Grande in our current apartment, and we took full advantage of our location to not go out to see fireworks since we have such a good view from our balcony. We even invited friends over a couple of nights to watch with us.

We went out several evenings to see music at the city's main kiosk (bandstand) near the old city performed by various Spanish city orchestras. 

For the first time, this year we did something unusual for us: we went to see the late-night concert that starts after the fireworks (at 11:45 pm) at the far end of Zurriola beach. It took a confluence of events to keep us out until almost 2 am: (1) the concert was a Tina Turner tribute band called Totally Tina, which meant that the music was definitely up our alley; (2) the next day was the holiday (dia de la Asuncion, celebrating when Mary ascended to heaven), which meant the gym was closed; and (3) our friend Angela lives overlooking the site of the concert so we had a great view without fighting the crowds. It was really fun.

Although the weather was not great most of the week -- overcast and humid -- Thursday was nice and Shana managed to drag herself out for a hike on Mount Urgull with our friend Connie, while I recovered from our unusual late night.

Overall, it was a very fun Semana Grande, but we are definitely looking forward to the reduction of the crowds in San Sebastian as we head from summer into fall.

Hasta pronto,

Jeff and Shana

The Paris Olympics . . . in Bordeaux

We knew we had no interest in going to the Olympics in Paris. The police state created by the high level of security, large crowds, and price gouging for lodging, tickets, and everything else was unappealing on all levels. But, once I learned that certain events were being held outside of Paris, I was keen on seeing if anything might be enticing enough to cross into France. It turned out that Bordeaux, only 2.5 hours by train from the border, was hosting soccer games and tickets would not be cost prohibitive.

I looked for a fellow soccer or Olympic enthusiast, as Jeff was not game to join me, and came up empty. I thought about going alone but was hesitant, especially when the selected game – Spain vs. Brazil (women, July 31) – would be meaningless for the Spanish team who won their first two games and would go on to the knock-out round regardless of the result. And then we heard from an unexpected visitor.

My dear friend Lauren’s son Jacob decided to pass through San Sebastian at just the right time, with Paris as his next destination. He arrived from Madrid by train on the 30th to spend the night, and I took him on a whirlwind city tour. We then booked game and train tickets, plus lodging in Bordeaux for the night. And the next morning, we were on our way!

Bordeaux was a tranquil Olympic host -- perfect for us last-minute fans. The city was dressed for the occasion and had plenty of friendly volunteers but wasn’t overcrowded. We took the city tram from the train station to drop our stuff, had enough time to stop in the city center at the Olympic Welcome Center and pick up a pin and a pen, grabbed a bite, and then took a bus to the stadium. It was hot in Bordeaux, but thankfully inside the stadium there was a nice breeze, and our seats were in the shade. The stadium was not even half full. There were plenty of fans for both teams decked out in flags, jerseys, etc.

The game was an odd one with lots of injury time. The Brazilian goalie was treated multiple times, and the team must not have much confidence in the substitute because the starter stayed in. A Brazilian player got a red card, allowing Spain to play with an extra player for the entire second half, but Brazil hung in despite the disadvantage. Ultimately Spain won 2-0. Due to the limited size of the Olympic tournament, Brazil went on to the next round, beat France in the quarterfinals and played Spain again in the semi-final, where it got its revenge with a 4-2 victory. Today Brazil will play the US for the gold medal. Spain lost in the bronze medal match to Germany, which made for a disappointing tournament for the reigning Women’s World Cup champions.

Jacob and I had a good time getting to know each other better and taking it all in. And now I can say I’ve been to the Olympics!

Here’s a few photo highlights from Jacob’s visit:

Au revoir,

Shana

Enjoying the Blues in Bilbao

 

The Bilbao Blues Festival is turning into a favorite annual summer event. It gives us the chance to spend a couple of nights in Bilbao, listen to live music outside for free, stop in at the Guggenheim Museum, and try new restaurants. This year was enjoyable and confirmed we’ll go back again.

Although the music this year was not as good as in the past, the people (and dog) watching is always entertaining. Our favorite artist was D.K. Harrell, an emerging blues singer and guitarist from Louisiana. His high energy and personality were on full display. We always wonder how much the locals understand when American musicians tell stories in English, especially ones that are cultural. But they certainly recognize great music and artistry.

As usual, we ate well. We had an amazing late Spanish lunch at Al Margen. The tasting menu was creative and the wine pairings distinctive. When we read in May that Bilbao had a pizza restaurant named to the Top 50 Pizzas in Europe list (and top 100 in the world), we knew we had to eat at Demaio. They serve two types of pizza: Napoletana Contemporanea and Teglia Romana. Of course, we tried both. Both were fantastic, but the traditional Neapolitan still rules. We were so full and happy we couldn’t go back to listen to the late Blues performance.

Finally, we delighted in the Yoshitomo Nara exhibition at the Guggenheim. Nara is a Japanese artist with a unique style. His works are highly imaginative, and he isn’t shy with his humanistic messaging. Some of the works displayed were done on leftover cardboard boxes, which was oddly appealing. Here are a few of the works we liked the most.

The last photo was part of the museum's Pop Art exhibit -- a giant shuttlecock sculpture. I only take photos of art to share with you, loyal readers. And this year we didn’t feel it necessary to repeat photos of our view of the festival stage from our vantage point across the river, which we find better than standing in the throngs of people in front of the stage.

Happy summer,

Shana & Jeff