rugby in St Jean de Luz

Rugby is the most popular sport in St Jean de Luz. Rather than kicking a football, youngsters on the beach play touch rugby. I can name several famous rugby teams from the Basque region (Biarritz, Bayonne, Pau, Dax) but I can't think of one football team. I guess the nearest big team is Bordeaux. Anyway, it is refreshing that the oval rather than round ball dominates.

St Jean de Luz Olympique are mid-table of Pool 5 in the Federale 1 (a number of pools comprise the third division of French rugby). I have been to watch them a few times and given the sun was shining opted to take some fresh air. Today the match was against Mauleon who lie two places below SJLO. Although the sun was shining the wind was howling which made for interesting conditions.

The first half was uneventful, ending 6-6. There were a couple of heated exchanges and SJLO admirably weathered ten minutes down a man after their scrum-half was sin-binned. The second half started more dramatically and SJLO ran in two unanswered tries which they duly converted. Both tries came from quick thinking back play and the visitors quickly became frustrated. Together with a scrum that destroyed the opposition SJLO were never troubled by a lacklustre Mauleon. Mauleon may have edged the punch-ups but it only gave SJLO penalties which they duly scored. SJLO won convincingly 26-6.

What was interesting was the crowd. Given this is Pool 5 of the 3rd division I am always pleasantly surprised that so many people come along and support their team. I am guessing there were over a thousand today. That's more than most of the Premier Division teams in Scotland could dream off, and the tickets are cheaper and beer more readily available. If you find yourself at a loose end on a Sunday in the Basque Country do try and take in a match. It's no suprise the national team is so strong.

Basque of the day:- rugby :: rugby

frustated in St Jean de Luz

After an active week in St Jean de Luz (skiing, flamenco, running) I aimed to continue my diet regime with a day of raquettes. Heading inland I drove towards the Foret d'Iraty some 70 kilometres away. Passing behind La Rhune the landscape changes quickly. High mountains and steep valleys engulf you. Picturesque Basque villages nestle amongst the forests. As I headed beyond the lovely town of St Jean Pied de Port (Saint John at the foot of the mountains) the road became smaller and the ascent steeper. St Jean Pied de Port was razed to the ground by Richard the Lionheart in 1177 and was once part of the Navarre region of Spain. It is still a Basque bastion with the language spoken widely here.

Rising above the valley the road started to challenge my vertigo. The views were enormous but I was intent on focusing on the road. I soon reached the snow line and the drive became slower. With 15km to go snow started to appear on the road and fall from above. The going became ever slower. Cars could be seen deserted at the side of the road. I put on my snow chains and ventured on upwards, slowly. The trees were thickly coated in snow and the temperature plunged. With 2km to go I stopped. Ahead of me on the hill were a line of abandoned cars. Cutting my losses I reluctantly headed back to St Jean de Luz. The winter braderie is on this weekend so I cheered myself up with some retail therapy. I will try again next week.

Basque of the day:- danger :: arrisku

skiing near St Jean de Luz

There is a lot of skiing to be had near St Jean de Luz. Within a short car journey you can be at any one of 25 resorts in the Pyrenees. Given the snowfall we had this week skiing was top of the agenda. Setting off before breakfast we headed to Bareges La Mongie. It's about two hours away on the other side of Lourdes (which is handy if you break a bone on the piste).

Bareges is a good sized resort with more than enough skiing for everyone and more importantly, no queues! The sun shone brightly so after lathering on some factor 50 we took the chairlift up the mountain. It was my first outing this season so I was glad to have a couple of youngsters in tow which meant I could justify taking it a little more sedately. That said after eight hours of non-stop skiing my legs were killing me. Although the majorty of pistes are blue, many of these would definitely be red in other resorts. Similarly many of the reds are more akin to black - be warned! Given the temperature (it was hot by mid afternoon) there was a 70% avalanche warning in place which always adds a little spice to the days events. I had forgotten how good the Pyrenees are, far better than the Alps in my opinion. I am planning another trip next week. I hope my legs recover in time.

Basque of the day:- ski :: eski

bringing chocolate to St Jean de Luz

Over the last year I have had a few heated debates in St Jean de Luz. Often they are about chocolate. Parisians and Belgians insist that all British chocolate is rubbish and that only Continental European chocolate is real chocolate. Other than remind them that the European variety uses powdered milk (rather than real milk) and other chemicals (rather than natural products) I don't rise to the bait. Comparing chocolate from different countries is like comparing girlfriends and boyfriends. Beauty and taste are in the eye of the beholder.

I visited Cadbury's flagship centre of excellence in Bournville yesterday. Here chocolate is not about quick fixes and profit, it genuinely is a way of life. You only need to walk around the vast village to realise that John Cadbury tried and succeeded in creating a workplace that was ethical, effective, happy and still largely unparalleled: lovely houses for workers, village greens, football pitches, swimming pools (one for boys, one for girls), schools, colleges, etc etc. Head chocolate boffin Tony told us about the company's quaker roots, the chocolate making process and his passion for Cadbury. I have never met a more loyal and dedicated staff. Everything is beautifully manicured and everything has a hint of purple (including Bournville train station). It really is a marvel and makes the acquisition by the plastic cheese eaters even more depressing. I don't think the Cadbury culture will sit easily with American efficiency drives, I see a lot of 'streamlining' and 'synergising'.

Factories are wonderful magical places at the best of times. A factory that makes chocolate is simply amazing. The Cadbury factory at Bournville forbids photography which is why they made the documentary film 'Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory' starring Gene Wilder (and later Johnny Depp) - fact; the film is based on this factory. Bournville is named after the little river Bourn that runs through it and a desire to be fashionably French. Man and robot dance forever in enormous rooms that smell of the finest chocolate. Conveyor belts carry millions and millions of chocolates miles and miles around innumerable bulidings. It is an awesome place (in the true sense, not as in 'this is an awesome hotdog').

Victorian architecture houses cutting edge technology and the staff, very few of whom were three feet tall and yellow, are all happy. Who couldn't be happy working in a wonderful place like this. They also have the staff shop (I bought 30 Creme Eggs, 4 Easter Eggs, 20 Buttons, 2kg Dairy Milk, 20 Fingers (for 2 regular readers!) all for under a tenner - marvellous!). As we were leaving I noted a particular favourite, the Cadbury Club complete with its own beer festival. Words can't do Bournville justice, it is unique. It won't disappear because of the sale but I fear some of the magic will be lost forever.

Basque of the day:- badger :: azkonar

taking time in St Jean de Luz

The main street in St Jean de Luz is called Rue Gambetta. It runs parallel to the beach for about a kilometre; from the commercial Boulevard Thiers to the picturesque Place Louis XIV. It is a pedestrianised street filled with quaint Basque home above a myriad of shops (butchers, bakers, Basque linen makers etc.). It is one of the key destinations for the many visitors the town receives each day.

In November 2008 they began to dig up the road to install cabling of various sorts. Workers would dig up vast tracks of street from Monday to Thursday and then fill them in again on Friday before the weekend. The noise and mess has been totally disruptive. Rather than focus on getting a bit done at a time whoever was boss was adamant that they do the whole street at the same time. For a crew of twenty this was no small undertaking. As such progress was achingly slow. It has been truly painful to watch. Each morning shopkeepers stand horror-struck that yet another month has passed with no advancement. It really didn't look like a difficult job but they were doing their very best to make it so.

Before summer came last year they downed tools, patching the holes as best they could. Summer obviously lasts longer wherever the workers are from, they didn't start back until mid December, just in time to ruin Christmas trade for the shopkeepers. However, the magical construction pixie has clearly been up to his old tricks recently. The street is finally being completed. It is beginning to look like it did fourteen months ago. Rumour is that it will be finished by Easter. I wouldn't wager any chocolate eggs on this. I've seen bigger jobs completed in a fortnight but fair play to these guys for milking out a project for so long, what are the bets they're paid by the hour?

Basque of the day:- time :: denbora

Sunday lunch in St Jean de Luz

A friend from St Jean de Luz invited me for Sunday lunch yesterday. When I accepted I hadn't appreciated lunch would last almost ten hours. They never seem to do things as you'd expect in these parts.

We gathered for an aperitif or two in a wee bar in Ciboure, across the port from St Jean de Luz. We were twelve strong and readily became friends, once again the Basque stereotype for frostiness was shattered. Heading towards lunch I had no idea what to expect. More and more people began walking in the same direction. By the time we arrived at the town square there were several hundred people, four bands (ranging from traditional Basque pipes to funky-brass), a twenty strong male choir and most importantly a huge bar. Sunday lunch was clearly going to be a lot more than the roast beef I had imagined.

To celebrate the end of its week-long annual festival Ciboure held a lunch for the town. A huge tent was erected in the square with everyone seated at four immensely long trestle tables. At one end the bar area, at the other a dance-floor and stage for music. No sign of any Yorkshire pudding. Our group sat in the middle of the throng, who had clearly been enjoying a glass or two more than was customary for this hour but being Scottish I felt the least I could do was throw myself into things wholeheartedly, I succeeded.

By the time the first course arrived we had sung loudly whilst swaying rhythmically. There was a Bavarian beer-cellar feel to the place and I wasn't complaining. I also prefer sangria and red wine over warm, flat beer. We ate for several hours breaking only to pour another glass of wine or break into song. I was grateful for having joined a Basque choir and proudly demonstrated to my new friends that I knew the words to their songs. At the time I felt I sang well but this morning I fear not.

Before long it was seven in the evening and the Patxaran was pouring plentifully. We had been dancing and drinking, singing and eating for over six hours and there was little sign of it stopping. There was also no sign of sticky toffee pudding and custard, this was no normal Sunday lunch. I'm not quite sure when I got home but I'm finding today more of a struggle than normal for Monday. The next time a friend asks me for lunch, rather than asking what time we're to meet, I should really ask what time it's likely to end.

Basque of the day:- time :: denbora

from St Jean de Luz to St James's Park

Taking a break from St Jean de Luz (it is so exhausting and stressful) I have headed back to my old haunts in London. It's been a wee while since I was last here and I was immediately assaulted by the sheer volume of people. I used to laugh when countryside friends would make such comments but the worlds bigger cities do seem to be getting busier...

One of London's most endearing qualities is its complex enthnicity. Within an hour of arriving I met people from every continent and many countries from within each. The multi-culturalism creates a liberal and accepting generic culture, but one that unfortunately also houses hidden resentments. St Jean de Luz, and the Basque country as a whole, is far less populated and its people largely one and the same. The Basque face can be readily recognised. While there is an enormous sense of community that has been largely lost elsewhere in Europe this can lead to a little sceptism about 'outsiders'.

It seems that people everywhere are nervous about people that look or sound different. While outright dismissal is abhorrent, it can be equally dangerous to embrace without understanding, I guess a little learned apprehension can be a good thing. As an outsider seeking acceptance I feel it is my duty to understand my new society and make every effort to learn its ways rather than expecting it to bend to mine but without forgetting my Scottish heritage. Creating local interest in my differences seems to have helped break down barriers and speed up integration. Life is interesting.

Basque of the day:- travel :: bidaiatze

recharging in St Jean de Luz

January is definitely my favourite month in St Jean de Luz. Christmas is still a happy memory, I have survived another birthday, it can only get warmer, ski-season has started and it is tranquil, beautifully so. It is the one month of the year when there are next to no tourists. Everyone is truly relaxed in their work, or on holiday. This is not entirely down to there being fewer visitors, much of it is to do with lazily recovering from excessive eating and drinking.

Christmas in the Basque country is a surprisingly social affair. On Christmas Day friends asked round for a quick aperitif that stretched into a dozen bottles of champagne, a trencher of oysters, kilo of foie gras and several langoustines; this was before lunch. Similarly, we joined friends deep in the Pyrenees for a splendid New Year's Eve supper that we hadn't quite expected to contain a dozen courses lasting as many hours. We ate, drank and partied solidly for two weeks and are only now beginning to eat again.

One of the weirder observations was the Basque version of Santa Claus. Rather than the Coca-Cola inspired fat bloke in red they have Olentzero. Dressed in black, including fetching face mask, effigies of him can be seen dreeping from windows throughout the Basque country. He bears a not uncanny resemblance to a thief and fear he may have been responsible for more than one car crash over the years. His name translates as "time of the good ones" and is said to correspond to the old feast of the winter solstice which makes him older than Christmas (which originated in 380AD as a festival). The man himself was allegedly one of the race of giants that lived in the Pyrenees in days of yore, others say he was a hero orphan raised by fairies. Whatever the origin, it is yet another pointer that Basque culture predates all others in Europe.

Anyway, it's good to be back to normal. I am just glad we have this month at the start of each year to recharge our batteries before the imminent festival season begins. Off to the beach for some fresh air, it's a tough life here...

Basque of the day:- refresh :: freskatu

drinking and singing all night in St Jean de Luz

This weekend St Jean de Luz started to fill up with Christmas spirit. My choir were on duty. Meeting mid afternoon at our clubhouse in the port we crammed into the back of a transit van and headed for Biarritz. Assembling outside Maison Adam, the owner sings tenor with us, we broke into a variety of traditional Basque Christmas songs. Far from being carols the songs are upbeat and more folksy than religious. All very rousing, we attracted a significant crowd. Between songs the lovely girls that work in the shop ensured we were fueled by wine, chocolates and macarons. By the time it started getting dark we headed back to St Jean de Luz and the main event.

Gathering in one of the trinquets (a very Basque place where pelota is played) we enjoyed more wine before heading into the centre of town. Walking en masse with two of our more seasoned campaigners leading the way with large wooden sticks (our costume is that of the mountains) we were immediately the centre of attention. First we sang at a tapas bar, then outside another chocolatier on Rue Gambetta before moving to Place Louis XIV where we set up outside the main Maison Adam. Wearing Basque costume, including large floppy berets, we sang loudly and well. By the time we had finished our set in the Place the shops had closed. I had also sussed that the singing was centred around food and drink. Unbeknown to me the main event was about to start. A traditional event dating back decades and longer, a very Basque event that I was to feel exceedingly fortunate to be part of.

To kick-start the evening we had been invited to sing at the opening party of a new gallery by a famous local painter. He had painted our accordianist as the centrepiece of one of his favourite works. After canapes and wine we moved to Le Petite Grill Basque for more singing, wine, piquillos, crevettes and oysters. Next up one of the main bars in town where the local celebrity group Arin Luzien was practicing, complete with mandolins and other assorted Basque instruments. We combined and sang more, accompanied by a myriad of locals and several bottles of wine. Moving on we arrived at another restaurant where the local fire brigade were holding their Christmas party. Again more singing and more beer. From here, across the river into Ciboure and to Chez Mattin where we set up camp beside the bar. As the evening drew on more and more Basque was spoken, songs became increasingly passionate and the brethren ever more close. It was about midnight when we finished at Chez Mattin. The snow was falling heavily outside so we took a break to enjoy a snowball fight before moving on.

Heading back towards the port in Ciboure we descended upon a bar next to the fronton. Despite the hour, weather and quiet streets the bar was mobbed. We heightened the revelries into the small hours as the barmen kept the flow of beer moving in our direction. I was quite bewildered. I had expected a sedate rendition or two in town, not twelve hours of drinking, singing and socialising. In St Jean de Luz everybody knows everybody else. To have been at the heart of such a local group and embraced by the throng was a delight, something I dare say few other 'outsiders' can lay claim to. Around half two we left the bar, I presumed for home, not so. We still had our own private party to contend with. Back at our clubhouse we set about a feast of marinated veal, song and more wine.

I have no idea when we finished or how I got home but I did wake the following morning feeling exceedingly satisfied at having been part of something quite special. I also seem to recognise many more faces as I walk around town. Slowly, slowly, I think I am being accepted. Before arriving in these parts I had been warned that the Basques are notoriously unfriendly and that it's difficult to get on with them unless your family has lived here for generations. I am yet to experience this and think it's just an image they convey in order to keep unwanted visitors at bay.

Basque of the day:- thank you :: eskerrik asko

free wine in St Jean de Luz

At Christmas-time the many choirs of St Jean de Luz wander the streets in Basque costume singing traditional seasonal folk songs. My excellent choir, basically twelve blokes who like to drink but also sing brilliantly, are starting in Biarritz at 4pm tomorrow and then back to St Jean de Luz for the evening session. The choirs are amateur but receive payment in kind. We tend to stop and sing outside preferred chocolatiers, patisseries and restaurants. As such we receive fresh chocolates, macarons and glasses of wine. We cheat, the patron of Maison Adam sings with us so we are guaranteed fine fare.

It will be the first time I have worn Basque costume: mountain shoes (black boots that lace up the leg); thick white socks; dark trousers tucked into socks; white top; rough woollen dark overcoat; dark Basque beret. The songs sung in Basque at Christmas are very different from those I am used to. I had hoped it would be the usual carols using music I know but with words translated. Not so. The songs are very local and tell of snowy mountains, family and of course love of a beautiful women (a traditional Basque theme).

Heavy snow has fallen overnight on the surrounding mountains. The mighty La Rhune that stands proudly at the end of the Pyrenees staring out at the Atlantic has turned white. The cold is set to last. My wife finally returns home tomorrow after six months in London so I hope the airport stays open.

Basque of the day:- snow :: elur

chilling out in St Jean de Luz

Returning from London to St Jean de Luz the temperature plummeted. From a balmy 5C we are now officially sub-zero. Moreover, the forecast for next week, Christmas Day in particular, is even colder ranging from -8C to -21C. The upside is that there will also be snow.

The other big change since coming home is that over the past week St Jean de Luz has turned itself very Christmassy: the main streets shimmer with sparkling decorations; shop windows are bedecked in a vast array of Yuletide splendour; hot chestnuts are readily available and people are finally beginning to talk about Christmas. That it takes until the 17 December for Christmas to arrive in the Basque country never fails to please, no ploughing through Christmas advertising in September here.

I had my first official hot chocolate of winter yesterday. Starting with Etchebaster in St Jean de Luz I will once again selflessly peruse the myriad of coffee houses in the Basque country to discover the Hottest Hot Chocolate of 2010. Last year's winner, Cazenave in Bayonne, will take some beating.

Basque of the day:- Christmas :: Eguberri

from St Jean de Luz to San Sebastian

I escaped from St Jean de Luz for an evening out in San Sebastian. The short 30 minute drive is always fun. I never cease to take pleasure from crossing a national border. Having spent too much time as a kid looking at maps I always imagine everything will be red in Spain as it was on the map, then again not everything in France was blue.

San Sebastian, or Donostia as it is known in Basque, is a splendid place to take dinner. The old town with its grid-like narrow streets are crammed with bars offering tapas, or pinxtos as they call them in Basque-land. Weaving through the omnipresent throng we arrived at my favourite haunt and enjoyed several plates of braised beef in red wine, sauted octopus, fried gambas and cured veal.

Taking some air after dinner we heard singing. Following the sound we arrived at a large tent on the central plaza. Inside a multitude of locals were sitting around tables speaking Basque. I eventually figured out that they were working on ideas for the town's bid to become European City of Culture in 2016. It seems like yesterday that it was Glasgow. How time marches on.

Basque of the day:- time :: denbora

St Jean de Luz verbage

Having been in St Jean de Luz for a year now I am slowly getting grips with speaking French. The more I understand of the language the more similarities I find with English. There are a whole host of words that exist in both languages either directly or indirectly. There are three obvious types:

1. Exact matches: chauffeur, restaurant, profession, avenue, table etc.

2. Close matches: absolument-absolutely, vin-wine, necessaire-necessary etc.

3. Trend matches: English - pret a porter, chic, soiree; French - weekend, cool, let's go

However, there are also a few words in English that are obviously derived from French but which carry a very different meaning. The two most obvious examples are mercy and settee.

Mercy in English is a word used to show compassion by one person to another. It has to have come from the French 'merci' which means thank you. I can only imagine that at some point a group of French soldiers were taken prisoner by the English. During their imprisonment I imagine the French saying thank you to the English for not killing them. Misunderstanding what was being said I like to think that the English saw this as a new word that has been adopted under the guise of mercy.

The word settee is common-place in English. The nearest French translation is canape, nothing like settee. Again, imagining some battle fought long ago, the English were this time captured by the French. I like to think that some French soldier ordered the English to sit on that bench over there, declaring 'assieds-toi'. Not understanding the foreign words or accent perhaps the English soldiers thought their captor was referring to the bench or wooden settee. Who knows?

The more I think about the more confusing it becomes. Throw in Basque and Spanish then I'm completely flummoxed...

Basque of the day:- translate :: itzuli

success in St Jean de Luz

There is a rumour doing the rounds in St Jean de Luz that the LGV is being re-routed. It had been planned to destroy various villages as well as scour a gaping hole through La Rhune. It now looks as though it is following the existing rail route with no adverse effects. Why couldn't the authorities simply have opted for this in the first place? It would have saved a good deal of effort and public relations.

On another note... What is it with people in the UK who have already put up their Christmas decorations? I can partially understand reatil outlets touting for business early but bringing the plastic cheer into the home early is just not class. Even the shops here are only just beginning to think about Christmas. It's the 1st of December not the 21st!!!!

Basque of the day:- tradition :: tradizio

tough times in St Jean de Luz

Today was a difficult day in St Jean de Luz. Choir is taking an autumnal break so my cultural pursuits lie in the heady world of dance. The weekly class has extended beyond the two hour mark (from 45 minutes) so I am having to keep moderately fit just to keep up my learning. Having grasped the fundamentals of Sevillanas I have moved on to Flamenco Rumba. Now, the Rumba itself is a fast-paced affair, the Flamenco Rumba is just silly. We need to break down each second into three parts each with a different movement in each 1/3 second for arms and feet. My coordination is not brilliant at the best of times so I am struggling a little.

Fabienne, my wonderful teacher, is probably the strictest woman on the planet. If I feel things are getting too much there's no sitting on the sidelines, she simply tells everyone I'm finding it tough and makes me dance in front of them. Although my feet were several seconds behind the class I felt I moved up in the macho-matador-upper-body-stance-stakes. At the end of the lesson I was feeling a little despondent but Fabienne together with a couple of ladies from my class insisted I am not to give up. I can safely say that I am most definitely the most brilliant male dancer in my class, absolutely no doubting that, then again I am the only male in my class. It's good to be humbled from time to time. (Fabienne, I will practice harder for next week!)

Basque of the day:- to learn one's lesson :: eskarmentua hartua izan

mad Christmas rush in St Jean de Luz

St Jean de Luz takes its time enjoying the year. There is no sign of the Christmas madness that seems to have consumed more spend-needy oriented countries (those same countries are the ones still stuck in recession). The town is simply relaxing slowly towards winter. People have even started to wear jackets; coats usually arrive mid-December.

People are not hurriedly buying up thousands of pounds worth of gifts that may or may not be well received, they are not busily trying to organise the myriad of Christmas gatherings and they are definitely not even contemplating dressing their homes in shiny baubles. Christmas decorations are seldom seen other than the occasional yule log or conservative colourings.

In St Jean de Luz people take the time to mix and socialise all year round so there is no mad rush to see people as the year draws to a close. This is not to say that people will not be celebrating Christmas. The locals are more drawn to the date's true meaning and will seek out their families and loved ones for a three day feast when the time comes. For the time being it's still November.

Basque of the day:- capitalism :: kapitalismo

storm force 10 in St Jean de Luz

Weather is always an important topic of conversation in St Jean de Luz. For the last few days we have watched as the rest of Western Europe is flooded out and ravaged by cold rains. We, as usual, have enjoyed unbridled sunshine and warmth. However, deep in the Bay of Biscay the cyclonic depression that has been throwing Europe out of kilter was about to send us a gift.

As I listened to the shipping forecast on BBC Radio 4, an addiction that remains from my days in the UK, I heard that Biscay was about to experience storm force 10. This implies winds of 60 knots and very high seas carrying waves that can reach over 12 metres in height. Jumping out of bed I headed for the coast to see what was going on. I wasn't disappointed.

An enormous army of white steeds was racing in from the Atlantic crushing and crashing into everything in their wake. The waves exceeded those during January's hurricane in their relentless ferocity. The walls/digues that provide protection to St Jean de Luz were seemingly overwhelmed by the onslaught. Meanwhile, on shore there was no wind, no clouds and no sign of the warmth dissipating. Calmness covered all as it stood facing the racing tempest. Late last night some of the more maniacal local kids decided to go surfing on the beach. It was a joy to watch although I think that some of their mothers were less than pleased.

Basque of the day:- crazy :: zoro

from St Jean de Luz to Bilbao

Moving further afield this weekend we left St Jean de Luz to visit Bilbao. Bilbao is a true hidden gem. It is steeped in history, industry, culture and cuisine (they say there is evidence that food was being cooked in Bilbao 10,000 years ago). Of course there is also a plethora of art museums. Prior to the Guggenheim the city was visited by few but since it burst onto the big screen in The World is Not Enough it is on the trail. Deservedly so but thankfully it has retained its soul. The old town is a real gem. Bustling narrow streets flow with bars and restaurants. Revellers enjoy Rioja, pinxtos and more formal dining. I opted for fried squid followed by pig cheeks in wine, fabulous.

The Guggenheim is quite simply splendid. From the moment you see the Frank Gehry design it is captivating, a real visual feast. The ground floor houses permanent installations, the second is dedicated to a theme or artist (Frank Lloyd Wright at the moment) with the third floor showing art from the vast global Guggenheim collections. If you have a spare day it is well worth getting lost here.

To begin to appreciate Bilbao you need more than a day, and certainly at least one night. Nightime is when the city seems to come alive. Walking along the river past the opera house and into the old centre the city feels like a melange of Rome, Paris, London and Edinburgh. A true European feast. It is unreservedly Basque having been at the centre of Basque nationalism for centuries. We are already planning our next visit.

Basque of the day:-art :: erti

sunny again in St Jean de Luz

St Jean de Luz is having not so much an Indian summer but an African autumn. After a wet start November is proving to be unseasonably hot. With temperatures up in the mid twenties I couldn't resist spending the day on the beach. Granted, there weren't many of us but that made it all the nicer. The sea isn't as warm as it was a few months back but it is refreshing.

The local trawlers are busy scouring the bay. The are collecting seaweeds that they sell on to cosmetic companies. A nice wee sideline. With autumn comes bigger weather and the surfers are out every day. St Jean de Luz is one of many surf destinations along the Basque coastline. Although it doesn't have the gravitas of Biarritz or Les Landes on the surf circuit there are two spots in the bay where you can catch waves. I am still playing about in the easier mid section while more intrepid surfers head out to the point break.

Basque of the day:- by the sea :: itsasaldean

meanwhile, back in St Jean de Luz...

A busy interlude from life in St Jean de Luz. Arriving just in time for a dinner party in London on Thursday I barely slept before meeting friends for breakfast and then lunch. Friday afternoon was spent at the National Portrait Gallery before heading to see Rachid Taha at the Festival Hall - undoubtedly the best concert I have ever been to. After the concert we drove to Canterbury where I rested, ate and drank with friends for twenty four hours then caught a flight to Scotland to see family, visit a couple of castles and eat a haggis supper from the chip-shop (salt and sauce) before heading back to St Jean de Luz. I slept most of yesterday.

Today I have enjoyed being back in the sunshine and reacquainting myself with my preferred pace of life.

Basque of the day:- friends :: adiskide

remembering in St Jean de Luz

In St Jean de Luz today everything stopped at 1100. Around four hundred people met with an army squadron at the war memorial. A band accompanied several Basque hymns before the mayor addressed the gathering. Police stopped traffic while the bells tolled the eleventh hour. After the silence local school children read the names of those Basques from St Jean de Luz who have fallen fighting for the country over the last century. The squadron stood rooted throughout. Comparing the children reading out the names and those in uniform carrying guns there really seemed to be very little age difference.

I recently made a visit to Guernica/Gernika. It is a fairly average looking town that hides well the true importance and horrors of its history. For centuries the seat of the Biscayan assembly met under a giant oak tree in the centre of town. It is constantly replanted as the parent withers and has become symbolic of the traditional rights of the Basque people as a whole. The trunk of one of the original trees is now protected while its offspring take root nearby.

On April 26, 1939 Francisco Franco, frustrated by the Basques' refusal to meet his demands, used the Nazi luftwaffe to annihilate the town. The Germans used the sortie as an experiment for their terrifying incendiary bombs. The unarmed population had no hope of escape. Those that survived the bombs were mown down by pursuing fighter planes.

The massacre is remembered in Picasso's painting and more recently in a wonderful book by Dave Boling, both called Guernica.

Basque of the day:- tree :: arbola

St Jean de Luz waves

The sun came back today in St Jean de Luz, albeit fleetingly, somebody forgot to tell the sea that the storm was over though. Looking back up into the mountains I caught a glimpse of the first snow of winter. I'd hate to have been caught up there over the last week.

As I walked along the clifftops I thought about the coming week. The 70th anniversary of the beginning of WWII. It reminded me that St Jean de Luz was heavily occupied during the war and paid its own price.

Nazis came and went, drinking in the same watering holes used the C17th pirates that went before them and the tourists that came after. Perched high along the clifftops are inumerable German pill boxes, each ominously facing out to sea. Some are tiny, others enormously labyrinthine. They have been blocked up now but it is good they remain to remind us of what could have been.

During WWII the famous Comet Line passed through the Basque country into St Jean de Luz. Grounded airmen shot down behind enemy lines were helped to travel secretly through France by the Resistance. Once in St Jean de Luz they made their way through the mountain passes into Spain before being ferried back home to Britain. Many are reported to have stayed in the rooms above Le Corsair, the supposed Nazi drinking club of choice. It is a good bar.

Basque of the day:- to have a narrow escape :: ozta ihes egitea lortu

gusty St Jean de Luz

The weather is showing no signs of abating in St Jean de Luz. Unless you are an extreme sports fanatic, the surf is excellently dangerous, it is wiser to be indoors at the moment. I had little sleep as my wooden shutters were taunted endlessly throughout the night by the untiring gales. Thankfully the downpour didn't commence until I was back from my early morning bread run. I have now battened down the hatches, cranked up the heating and am not intending to leave my candlelit warmth for the remains of the day.

Basque of the day:- storm :: marruma egin

weather in St Jean de Luz

The storm in St Jean de Luz is beginning to become fun. After spending the last few days joking with locals that the weather had become very Scottish, today I had to insist that it was most definitely Basque. The sun was streaming first thing this morning. Walking along the coast I could see a huge weather front out at sea. One brave soul was out windsurfing in the gusting winds. The moment the tide changed it must have given a shout to the front. 'Oi up, time for you to unleash hell!' The weather responded immediately, racing in and within moments the tranquil landscape had been transformed by the tempest. Walls of rain drove in off the Atlantic and people huddled in cafes seeking shelter. I assume the windsurfer made it back to shore.

We do get fantastic weather here. Good and bad. Being nestled in the far corner of the Bay of Biscay, weather coming in from the Atlantic is coralled along the north of Spain and down the west of France. Here it hits the Pyrenees and all hell can break loose. The seasons can be extreme. Big snowstorms followed by raging heat followed by hurricanes (seriously, we had one in January). Locals joke that in any given you day you may need to change your mode of dress five times, it's not far from the truth. The biggest plus is that the mountains, sea and forests are rich with life.

Basque of the day: what will the weather be like tomorrow? :: nolako eguraldia izango dugu bihar?

matador in St Jean de Luz

Cultural pursuits are back underway in St Jean de Luz. I have just returned from three hours of dancing. Now that sounds all good well were it a disco after several bottles of wine. However, when it's at lunchtime, involves flamenco and rumba, and means I have to pretend to be a matador in front of twenty women it is a far more daunting prospect!

Having graduated (without honour) from the beginners sevillanas class I am now being taught dancing way above my ability. Being the shape of an ex-rugby type doesn't help either. I still do the sevillana class as a warm up but the flamenco rumba is where it's at. I get to hold my shoulders back, click my fingers lots and look overtly proud as a bevvy of lasses do their stuff around me. Top stuff!

The only challenge is the actual dancing. I've never been particularly shy and like to think I have a modicum of rhythm. Today Fabienne demanded I master clicking my heels three times a second with each foot one after the other. I can just about master two a second, three is just silly. Next week I am getting to dance with a hat, whatever that entails?!

I'm not sure if it's my age but after class each Friday I have the same sort of high buzz I used to get after playing rugby or a good days skiing. The local flamenco season is warming up and from this month on there are soirees most weekends. If you'd told me I'd be doing this and enjoying it so much when I was still working in London I'd never have believed you.

Basque of the day:- shall we dance? :: dantzatu nahi al duzu?

St Jean de Luz paddling

It is still raining hard in St Jean de Luz. That's three days now. Given there was a full moon when it started the chances are the dour weather will stick around for the lunar cycle. The winds are whipping up too, excellent waves. I fear another surfing adventure coming on.

Struggling a bit today. Had a boys night last night to watch a football match, Lyon v Liverpool. Was torn. I prefer French teams normally but the wife's family are from Liverpool. Luckily it ended in a draw. Am not normally a football fan but it was a good excuse to get to know the chaps better. Will opt for a rugby match next time.

The local children are back to school today after their mid-term holiday. They are relishing being able to jump in so many puddles, much to the consternation of their mothers. You can't beat jumping in puddles but I am clearly not as expert as these kids.

Basque of the day:- puddle :: putzu

November in St Jean de Luz

I have now been living in St Jean de Luz for a year. I have had more adventures in that time than I could have imagined. I am also astonished that in the course of a year so many people have visited Basque Bylines and from so many places (over 60 countries at last count). Thank you!

Nothing is more cyclical in the Basque country than the weather. If it is warm for a couple of days with an increasingly strong, balmy southerly wind then it is bound to rain hard very soon. Couple that to the month of November and you can guarantee lots of precipitation. So far this month has not bucked that trend. Saturday and Sunday on the beach, the rest of the week beneath a wooly jumper. The forecast won't encourage tourists either.

Still no news on whether our demonstration in Bayonne resulted in success. There has been a large run on 'meat' pies in one of the butchers following last week's pigeon cull, I am sure this is wholly unrelated.

Basque of the day:- anniversary :: urtemuga

pigeon patrol in St Jean de Luz

Today the pigeon catchers were out in St Jean de Luz. There is a problem by the end of the summer with the flying beasties. They are nothing like their countryside cousins who are clean living and taste delicious. The urban variety are simply scavengers and even I wouldn't eat them.

After laying their trap, poisoned grain, the trappers played a waiting game. They waited, and waited. The trap was laid some two hours ago and still the pigeons sit in the trees above. Even they seem to know there is no such thing as a free lunch.

Basque of the day:- pigeon :: urzo

art in St Jean de Luz

Whilst walking along the coast near St Jean de Luz the other day I got a bit of a shock. Rounding a headland I was greeted by a hundred large jellyfish floating in the air. Well that's what I think they were meant to be. Attached to enormous poles the jellies were each some fifteen metres in length and swayed gently in the clifftop breeze. I think there is a planned invasion of the Basque country afoot. Wiser thoughts on the subject welcomed.

Basque of the day:- jellyfish :: marmoka

marching near St Jean de Luz

Yesterday some ten thousand people massed near St Jean de Luz in the town of Bayonne. The demonstration was to defy new plans to build a tunnel through the Pyrenees and in so doing, destroy many villages' soul. It was a successful march that wound through the delightful old town. Given sensitivities over all things Basque demonstrators had been urged not to display overt Basque sentiment for fear of rousing passions. A rather feeble proclamation.


Despite the authority's efforts, and although we demonstrators refrained from politically motivated Basque chants, there were a myriad of large signs in Basque, traditional music was played as we walked and many people were speaking the language (I had to explain why I wasn't able to which was a challenge).


There were of course some politically motivated people in the crowd distributing leaflets about Basque people who were being wrongfully held in prison. In any other circumstance I would have thought them militant but during the last century there have been thousands of people wrongfully imprisoned or worse still, disappear. The Spanish and French governments have done their best to expel all things Basque but the harder they try the stronger the culture becomes.


Basque of the day:- demonstrastion :: manifestazio

Basque rally

St Jean de Luz has been a hive of activity this week. Everybody has been coralling friends, family and neighbours. This afternoon as many Basque people as possible (plus friends) will descend on Bayonne. We will be demonstrating against the wanton destruction of countryside by those who place efficiency before heritage, euros before respect. If building of the proposed LGV goes ahead I fear that it will cause problems the authorities hadn't wagered on and will lose them much support of the people.

IF YOU ARE IN THE BASQUE COUNTRY TODAY

PLEASE GO TO BAYONNE CENTRE FOR 1700

VOICE YOUR SUPPORT!!

Basque of the day:- LGV :: boom boom

breakfast in St Jean de Luz

The first hour of sunlight is one of my favourite times in St Jean de Luz. I try to get out for a run just before the sun rises, heading up a sleepy Rue Gambetta, past Ravel's house, back along the promenade and up to the little hill at St Barbe that sticks out into the ocean. If I time it right I catch a wonderful glimpse deep into the Pyrenees while the air remains crisp and clear.

Having spent most of my life living in cities it is still a shock to see such vast views everywhere I look. When I lived in cities I was concerned with my immediate vicinity, down here I have so much to take in that any concerns readily dissolve. It is a joy.

St Jean de Luz is nestled deep in the Basque country, right in the corner of the Bay of Biscay where France meets Spain. There are often many aeroplane contrails lining the sky, and they all seem to take a similar change of direction directly above. I imagine such a perpendicular geography makes an easily identifiable landmark, reminding pilots of their route.

First thing in the morning it is a busy route for long-haul flights from Spain, Africa and northern Europe but thankfully they are all flying so high there is no noise pollution, only Etch'a'sketch scribblings. All those people heading to so many destinations oblivious of the worlds beneath them.

Basque of the day:- big :: handi

St Jean de Luz kindergarten

A friend from St Jean de Luz seconded me into babysitting duties today. Rather than sit around playing a game or watching a movie I took her children for a walk up the nearby mountain, La Rhune. After packing a wee picnic we set forth carrying two sets of binoculars in search of monsters and dragons. I quickly realised that children have significantly more energy than adults, I was exhausted by the time we got onto the hill proper.

The mountain is exactly the shape a child would draw: conical with jagged rocky edges. The weather was fine and we made good progress. Autumn has finally arrived and the trees offered a magnificent display of burnt reds and oranges. Butterflies flitted by readying themselves for winter, gathering sustenance and seeking shelter.

La Rhune is home to an abundance of wild ponies. They are very inquisitive creatures. They are also plentiful, I had expected to perhaps see one or two, I counted at least twenty. I fear I may have caused a problem by proclaiming they were the dragons we were seeking, the youngest of the children was very tearful and hid behind me whenever a pony came near. I was a little wary and made sure we kept in front of them, they looked like they pack quite a kick.

The views from the mountain are terrific. On one side the Atlantic stretches into the distance. with the coastal towns of Biarritz, St Jean de Luz and Hendaye clinging to the edge of its shores. On the other side the Pyrenees rise into the skies. It is quite a breathtaking contrast.

We walked close to the message that was burned into the mountain-side demanding that the authorities resist ruining the landscape by building a tunnel straight through the mountain. How anyone could even contemplate destroying this astounding beauty is beyond me. I just hope that the demonstration in Bayonne this Saturday makes those in power think again.

The Basque country continues to surprise me, it is one of the most beautiful regions on earth. We returned home safely to hot chocolate and cookies, but no sign of any monsters.

Basque of the day:- beauty :: edertasun