A Movie in Spanish? Not Quite

Since the beginning of 2019, we have been going to the movies most Thursday nights here in San Sebastian. Thursday is when the main local theater shows movies in their original version with Spanish subtitles, as opposed to dubbed into Spanish. As is normal for Spain, movies are much cheaper than in the states - only about $16 for both of us. (The price is even cheaper on Wednesdays, but there are hardly any movies in English scheduled then.)

This past Thursday, since the English-language movie we had yet to see did not appeal to us much (Mary Queen of Scots), we decided to go see La Clase de Piano, a French movie. Of course, since we don't speak French at all, we would be reading the Spanish subtitles for an entire movie. We thought this was a good test of our Spanish for several reasons: (1) the movie had a lot of music in it, so there was less dialogue than in other movies; (2) the story was familiar (kid from a poor family with a great talent gets a chance to show his genius - very Good Will Hunting-like); and (3) subtitles are much easier than "regular" Spanish because they often have to be shortened/simplified so the viewer can keep up with the pace of the dialogue.

So, how did we do? We were very happy with our ability to understand virtually all of the subtitles. There were a couple of scenes with very quick back-and-forth dialogue, which was a bit difficult, and there were some technical musical terms that we missed, but overall we felt we understood 80-85% of the dialogue/subtitles. We still don't think we are ready to see a movie in Spanish, but a foreign movie with Spanish subtitles does appear to be within our grasp.

By the way, the movie was not great. Not worth seeing in any language, unless perhaps you really like classical music.

Hasta luego,

Jeff and Shana

Pintxos in Logrono

Regular readers of our blog know that we love the food here in Spain. So, when Shana read that there is a pintxos contest in the Rioja region during February, we decided we had to go. We chose Logrono, the capital of the region, because it had over 50 bars participating in the contest and it is easy to get to, just 2 hours and 15 minutes by bus.

Each bar that participates in the competition creates a special pintxo for the contest. Although we only were in Logrono for 22 hours, we managed to try eight of these unique pintxos (and, of course, we had a glass of wine with each). We arrived Saturday evening in time for a dinner of four pintxos. First, we tried a vegan skewer that was tasty, but definitely paled by comparison to later offerings. Also, the bar seriously lacked atmosphere.

The second pintxo we tried was a vegetarian take on a dish that usually features cow intestines. Instead of intestine, it was made with a rice noodle in a vegetable-based sauce. Not only was the dish fantastic, but the little bar we had it at was playing really great blues music. We could have stayed for hours, but there were more pintxos to try.

Next, we tried a really simple toast with cheese, mushrooms and peppers. While its ingredients were simple, it was presented beautifully and tasted great.

Finally (at least for Saturday), we tried a quesadilla de chorizo, which as you can see was fried. It was probably our favorite pintxo of the night even though the competition was stiff.

The next morning, we woke up just in time to grab breakfast (nothing exciting) and head off for our 11 am visit to Bodegas Franco Espanolas. The winery is right across the river from the old part of the city, and on our way there we walked across a beautiful, old stone bridge:

The wine tour itself, which was in Spanish, was very nicely done, and the winery had interesting relics of its more than 100 years in business, including old photos and a petrified vine that is more than 100 years old:

We left after tasting a couple of glasses of ok wine, and headed into the city for a lunch of more pintxos before heading to the bus station for our trip home. Lunch was also four very good pintxos including caramelized pork gyoza:

A yummy bread ball filled with pork (again), and a really good sauce:

 A rabbit salad on a rice cake that did taste a bit like chicken, but also a little bit different:

And, finally, a toast with more pork, and a really nice cream sauce (sorry, no picture).

If you are thinking that all we did in Logrono is eat, you are mostly right, but we did walk around a bit (mostly looking for the next pintxos bar), and saw this statue dedicated to the pilgrims who walk the Camino de Santiago, which goes through Logrono:

All-in-all, we had a really nice, if brief, time in Logrono. We were impressed with the quality of the pintxos and thought that many of the ones that we did not get to try looked delicious as well, as did the "normal" pintxos in the various bars we visited. This was the 18th year of this contest, so there's always next year. Also, this year's contest was part of a series of events focused on using all of your senses to experience the Rioja. We are definitely planning to return to Logrono to eat more, but perhaps we'll also take advantage of our other senses later on this year.  

Hasta Luego,

Jeff and Shana

Day-tripping to the Border and into France

This afternoon I skipped my usual Wednesday afternoon yoga class to head to the coastal town of Hondarribia (the Basque name, but in Spanish it is called Fontarabia) with a local friend, Andoni (Basque for Antonio or Anthony) and a new American friend from school, Connie. Just a little day trip to enjoy the first truly sunny day we've had in a while. Per today's Diario Vasco, January was the second rainiest and coldest month this century, so when sun was in the forecast I figured I should take advantage of it. And it was a truly beautiful day -- in the low 60's.

Hondarribia sits on the border with France and has well-preserved remnants of the old medieval town. It is quiet during the winter months but comes alive during the summer when it is filled with visitors enjoying the beach. The buildings have colorful shutters and the squares are charming.

After wandering through the tranquil city center we took a little boat across the Bidasoa river to Hendaye, the city on the French side. I thought we had only been in Hendaye to take the train to Paris, but back in 2011 I think we drove through the town to visit St. Jean de Luz and Biarritz. It is always a pleasure to walk along a beach when the sun is shining and the dogs are out playing in the sand and sea. 

We returned on the same little boat and continued walking through the town, where we ran into an old friend of Andoni's -- Fermin Muguruza, a Basque rock musician and co-founder of a well-known ska punk band. Now I have to check out his music.  

We returned through the mountain roads, instead of the highway, and enjoyed the views and sunset. It was a pleasure to practice my Spanish with Andoni and to help him with his English. 

Today was a reminder that we should always be open to new friends and new experiences. 

Hasta pronto,

Shana

La Tamborrada 2019

Well, it is that time of year again. Time for the 24-hour drumming festival known as La Tamborrada, which celebrates San Sebastian Day. (If you missed our experiences during our first Tamborrada, you can check them out in our January 27, 2018, post)

This year, we decided not to join the mosh pit at midnight in Constitution Plaza to see the raising of the city flag, which marks the beginning of everything. Instead, we got a good night's sleep (we are fortunate to live in a part of the city without bands playing at all hours), and set out at a reasonable hour on Sunday to observe the festivities. We saw a bit of the main kids'parade, but bypassed most of that to see what was happening in and near the old part of the city (la Parte Vieja). Over 8,000 kids participated this year in these parades.

We headed out on our favorite walk around the sea wall behind the old city. Although it was raining when we left our place, it had cleared up a lot and we had a beautiful walk. The sea was very rough, which is normal in the winter, and Shana got a great shot of the city and the sea:

On re-entering the old city, we encountered this band in front of the one of the city's oldest churches:

You can't actually see how many drummers there are in this one band -- that's not all of them. Most adorably, though, they were being aided by this future Tamborrada drum major:

We went to grab some pintxos and drinks and were joined by one of the band members -- apparently, drumming is thirsty work:

After refueling, we made our way to Constitution Plaza where there is a stage and a schedule of bands throughout the event. We were just in time to see a really enthusiastic band who even had a couple of people on horses (not on stage):

As you can see, everyone is in high spirits even if they do play the same songs over and over again (a schoolmate in a band told us that they learn 10 songs for Tamborrada, but we think they play about three songs 90% of the time). Oh, by the way, the numerous adult bands include over 18,000, participants, which, combined with the kids' bands, means that over 26,000 people  participate in the Tamborrada. One of Shana's yoga instructors, Sarah, is in this band and is even in the third picture. We discovered this because it turns out that Shana is in one of her pictures taken from the stage with the first row of spectators in the background. 

After making our way home, we got to enjoy some other bands as they made their way through our neighborhood. Fortunately for everyone involved, Monday was holiday in San Sebastian so most people did not have to work and we did not have school. Although we've come to the conclusion that the participants enjoy Tamborrada the most, we doubt we'll be taking up the sticks in time for next year. We do however have several talented nephews who could easily fit right in based on their drumming and trombone skills.  

Another fun San Sebastian celebration.

Hasta luego,

Jeff and Shana

Adjustments

We’ve been living in San Sebastian for a year and a half now, which led us to consider what kind of adjustments we’ve made since arriving. Frankly, there really aren’t as many as you might think and most are obvious and easily managed. Here are the few that we still have trouble with or are surprised by despite being here so long:

Not having a clothes dryer. While we have a dishwasher, I would trade it in a NY minute for a dryer. Here in our humid, damp, wet climate it takes nearly 24 hours for clothes to dry inside. And we just don’t get many opportunities to put our clothes outside to dry even in the summer. One benefit: our workout clothes will last longer.

Supermarkets, and many other stores, are closed on Sundays. We are used to being able to go to Trader Joe’s (oh, how we miss TJ’s) or other markets any time, but here nearly all the major supermarkets are closed on Sundays. This means planning ahead for dinner on Sunday night. And neither the gym nor the yoga studio have Sunday classes. Sundays are quiet here.

Siesta hours. Most smaller stores close between 1:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. We can’t tell you how many times we want to pick something up and realize that we are out of luck and need to return later. Our school schedule causes this conflict more than anything because we finish at 1 p.m. When we are done with school this Spring, we won’t face this issue as much.

The modest cost of healthcare. Recently we’ve been taking care of our general health needs. We went back to the dentist, where the cleaning and check-up is completely covered by our insurance. I need two cavities filled, which is partially covered, and will cost about $100 for both. We also went and got our eyes checked, which only cost about $32 each. Glasses were more comparable to US prices, but still somewhat cheaper. And Jeff went to the podiatrist where his nearly hour-long examination cost about $60 and custom orthotics less than $200. While we are not part of Spain’s socialized medicine system, we reap the benefits of costs being low.

Spicy and international food. The Spaniards are not fans of hot and spicy food. You’d think it would go with bullfighting, but nope. Sometimes a menu will identify something as spicy, but we are always disappointed – it never goes beyond a 3 on our heat scale (1-10). One time at a Japanese restaurant Jeff was having sushi and they asked if he wanted it spicy, and when he said “yes,” they brought him soy sauce only, but no wasabi. Sadly, the international or ethnic food options here leave a lot to be desired. So, we get our spicy and international food fix when we travel to big cities.

Stoplight location. For some unknown reason, stoplights are placed on the near side of the intersection as opposed to the far side. This impacts us as pedestrians because it is difficult, if not near impossible, to see when the light changes from red to green.

My name. I spent most of my life correcting the pronunciation of my name. Here I am far more willing to be Shauna because Shana is pronounced that way in Spanish and the Spaniards have trouble with Shana. I’ve mellowed with age. 

As you can see, the adjustment to life here as not been overly difficult. 

Hasta luego,

Shana & Jeff

A Whole “New”, But Not Surprising, Way To Define "Mintz"

The Mintz family has an inside joke regarding the meaning of “mintz.” When we all gather to share a meal, we often discuss the next meal. Most families simply enjoy the meal in front of them, but the Mintzes tend to think ahead. So, our brother-in-law Jim defined the verb "to mintz" to mean simultaneously eating one meal and discussing the next.

Now, imagine our surprise when we picked up our local newspaper, the Diario Vasco, one Saturday in November to see Mintz in the headline! (The headline actually used the term “Mintzodromoa.”) We were intrigued. What on earth could a mintzodromoa be? And what is a mintzalaguna (a word in the sub-headline)? Well, it turns out that “mintz” means “to talk” in Basque! Who knew? But if you know the Mintzes, you probably aren’t surprised. We’ve been in school more than a year now, yet none of our teachers, most of whom speak at least some Basque, ever made the connection between our last name and the Basque word.

The Basque language, known as Euskara, is believed to be one of the few surviving pre-Indo-European languages in Europe – which means it is older than the Romance languages. The origin of the language is not conclusively known, but it is not linguistically related to any known living language. During Franco’s era, the use of Euskara was essentially prohibited, but in the last 30 years the language has made a comeback. More than 90% of children in the Basque regions go to schools where the language of instruction is Euskara. Still, fewer than a million people speak Euskara. Our generation of Basques, the parents of current schoolchildren, went to school in Spanish, so many are not fluent in Euskara and struggle to help with schoolwork sometimes.

To encourage the more frequent use of Euskara, the local governments promote Basque cultural events and other programs. In November, Gipuzkoa (the Basque region where we live) celebrated “Euskaraldia,” a nearly month-long series of events encouraging citizens to speak Euskara on a daily basis. As part of the program, San Sebastian (and other cities) hosted Mintzodromoas and Mintzalagunas, which are discussion or conversation groups where people can practice speaking Euskara together. We think there are two different formats to the groups, thus the two different names. There also are Mintzakuadrillas (groups that meet more regularly) and Mintzapraktika (more general practice opportunities).

If you are wondering if we plan to learn Euskara so we can participate in this Mintzapalooza (our word), the answer is “no.” We have enough challenges learning Spanish! But we have learned many Basque words, mostly related to food, of course.

What does Mintz really mean? A quick google search leads to the following definition: German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) surname; a habitational name from the city of Mainz in Germany. For what it’s worth, Mainz was founded by the Romans at the confluence of the Rhine and Main rivers (southwestern Germany) in the 1^st century BC. Mainz’s most famous citizen was Johannes Gutenberg, the inventor of the printing press, and there is a museum in Mainz dedicated to him that has two of the remaining editions of the Gutenberg bible. Mainz is also considered the wine capital of Germany, known for its Riesling and Silvaner. News to me after 22.5 years of marriage! Clearly we are adding Mainz to our list of future destinations and perhaps one day soon you’ll read a blog post about our visit.

Keep on “mintzing,” no matter how you define it!  

Shana & Jeff

Barcelona...Closing Out 2018's Travel Extravaganza

Because we had two weeks off from school for the holidays, and we hadn't been anywhere since October (!?!) we decided to take a short trip to ring in the new year. We looked at a number of possible locations, but flights were really expensive, so we finally settled on taking a train to a city we know well, Barcelona.

This was our second trip to Barcelona this year, and our fourth trip there overall, so we did not have a huge number of touristy things to do that we hadn't done before. Nonetheless, we found quite a few things that piqued our interest. First, we returned to the Miro Foundation, a museum we had been to on our second trip to Barcelona in 2011. Prior to going we had read an article about Miro and how he treated making art like a job -- working every day from the 1920's almost until his death in 1983 at age 90. It was interesting to look at the dates of the various works in the museum. This work is from a later period when he was experimenting with different mediums:

You can't tell from the picture, but the work is like a giant crochet rug, which apparently is not meant to look like a dog. But, to me, that is all I can see.

We also went to Palau Guell, a mansion designed by famous architect Antoni Gaudi for the Guell family, which was his benefactor (Forbes estimates the family's wealth as the equivalent of $70 billion today, which would make them one of the richest of all time). The mansion was interesting with many Gaudi touches including designs for the many chimneys on the roof:

We spent a few hours at the Catalan history museum, which we had not been to before, and which gave us a new perspective on what is going on in Catalunya today. It really is a situation that has been going on for hundreds of years.

We also went to two art exhibits at the Caixa Forum, an arts center sponsored in several Spanish cities by our bank (which meant we got into the exhibits free). The texts related to these exhibits were only in Spanish and Catalan, which gave us a chance to practice, and we were impressed with how much we understood. One of the exhibits we saw was about the French artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and his cohorts in the Montmartre neighborhood of Paris around the turn of the 20th Century. This exhibit was fascinating, and we really learned a lot about both the art and the period. 

The second exhibit was about Diego Velazquez, probably Spain's most famous pre-19th century artist, and others who painted during the Siglo de Oro (Century of Gold - the 16th). Although the exhibit used seven Velazquez paintings to look at a number of themes that were found throughout the period, we also learned that almost 80% of the works by Velazquez and related Spanish artists during this period have religious themes. This confirmed our intuition that most of the older Spanish art we see has a religious theme, but we were surprised the percentage was that high.

Finally, we made a trip out to the Montserrat Monastery, which is about an hour outside of Barcelona by train. We had visited the Monastery on our first trip to Barcelona in 2007, but this time we took advantage of the nice weather and hiked a bit in the hills surrounding the monastery. The views were fantastic:

The weather was really great for our entire trip: sunny and not too cold, and despite all the things we did, we still found time to walk along the beach, and to just sit at an old favorite cafe near the beach and drink coffee. We ate well (of course), including things we can't really get in San Sebastian: good pizza, good ramen, good falafel, as well as a fantastic seven-course meal on New Year's Eve. All-in-all it was a great trip and a great way to finish 2018 and start 2019.

Now that 2018 is over, we looked back at our travels and discovered that we spent 81 nights away from San Sebastian this year (Shana actually spent 84 nights away since she spent an extra three nights in Barcelona with her sister in June). We stayed in Spain (Bilbao, Barcelona), Portugal (Lisbon, Porto), France (Paris, Bourdeax), Italy (Bologna, Naples, the Amalfi Coast, Cinque Terra), Canada (Montreal, Quebec City, Toronto) and the Czech Republic (Prague). Truly a fantastic year of travel. We are already looking forward to more travels in 2019, so stay tuned.

Hasta Luego,

Jeff and Shana