Today was a frustrating day in St Jean de Luz. When we arrived here we determined to open a bank account with a self proclaimed 'global' bank. Its offer to enable simple hassle free transfers between UK and French accounts was music to our frustrated ears. After five branch meetings, fourteen emails, twelve telephone calls and four letters I am still unable to transfer funds. Each correspondence promises that next time it will get sorted.I had a flash-back this morning to a recent late night out. I disctinctly recall standing in a bar talking to a stranger about Basque politics. Now, this is neither an activity or subject for the fainthearted or less intelligent (both counts rule me out). It has evolved over several centuries and is always referred to with the utmost passion. However, whenever I have asked a friend to explain it to me they have always replied "c'est difficile". Anyway, my addled mind figured my Celtic roots stood me in good stead to explore the topic and offer my inebriated wisdom on the matter. Other such discussions have always tapered off, this one did not and my fellow bar-stander was becoming ever more heated. Whilst most Basques hold a strong view (this merits its own entry) they are peace-loving, not so this gentleman. Around this point I hazily remember becoming mildly apprehensive and making excuses to leave for another bar, before doing so he handed me his details and insisted I contact him to discuss the matter further. It is this piece of paper that instigated the memory recall, needless to say the piece of paper has by now long disappeared in a trash-can out of town somewhere.
Basque of the day:- extreme :: buru
