Circle Tour 13: Gernika and Beyond

 The last day of cycling! We hugged our gracious hostess goodbye.
Sadly the picture I took of her sitting at her desk was so blurry I cannot use it. I'm borrowing this farewell group photo and don't know who to credit. María Isabel is standing next to me.

The last send off for the cyclists:

María Isabel  highly recommended adding a few kilometers to our route so we could see the most beautiful sights yet. It was a beautiful day, so we did just that and went on to famous Elantxobe.

This spectacular vertical disposition of the old downtown makes Elantxobe one of the most peculiar ports of the Basque Coast. Narrow hilly streets and stepped/tiered corners surround a scanty port area. The urban center maintains the character of the ancient Basque ports. Among the buildings of major import the Neoclassic style of the 19th century is predominant, such as the Town Hall, restored in 1981, or the large house on Kale Nagusia 38. Other enduring samples are the fishermen's dwellings with glazed wooden galleries in vivid colors.

In addition to the port area and the magnificent views of the Atlantic coast, we were fascinated by the historic church downtown.

I enjoy reading all the plaques and inscriptions that tell the story of this ancient structure, like when the bell tower was added, where each piece came from and when it was added.

The photo on the left was a team favorite, captured by Allison.

I was really looking forward to our next stopping place, the famous Gernika--the focal point of Basque history. We had been there three years earlier. Our host, Alberto, gave us a wonderful and very informative tour. In fact I wrote four blog posts to cover that experience: Gernika-Lumo; Gernikako Arbola; Plaza de los Fueros; Paseo por Gernika.
On that occasion, however, we were unable to go into the Assembly Hall as it was temporarily closed to the public. This time we were privileged to tour the historic building. Unfortunately I have so few decent photos of the many sights. Suzi, one of our team members who was very committed to documenting the experience photographically, has a wonderful collection for that day, June 14, that you will really enjoy.                              
I think I was caught up reading everything I could. So I would have been looking down at the table display of the large stained glass ceiling overhead.

The vans had trouble finding a parking spot in the city, so could not linger and go to other important sites.
The cyclists, however, did not have that problem and were able to view the mosaic replica of Picasso's Guernica, which depicts the horrors of the bombing of the city on market day on April 26, 1937.

We had planned to find something to eat in the city but that was not possible due to the parking problem. So we kept going until we found a suitable place where we had a lovely time.

The circle was completed that afternoon when the cyclists arrived at the Holiday Inn in Derio, near the Bilbao airport.

Charlie's van had trouble finding the place.

Sara's friends, Ana's family, rode around in circles as well trying to locate the hotel's strange access arrangement. It was a happy reunion, nevertheless.

Ana, Hemmick's Basque daughter, and her parents

We left the bulk of our luggage in a couple rooms and headed back to San Sebastián for two more nights.

This post took longer to put together, because life has been so full and also because there was a lot to process, I had fewer notes (and my memory is fading perhaps?).

2013 Week 37: Back to school-year routines

Still enjoying the beautiful days and variety of produce and flowers of the season while easing into the activities of a new school year like helping with junior church and joining the college students for Sunday School and evening fellowship.

I got back into a couple exercise events this week--tap and zumba.

Our lovely tap teacher posing for the photo

 Michael worked (played?) in his studio again, first time since we got back from Europe! 

He learned much from talking to one of the artists at the Penrod Arts Fair last weekend and was eager to get started sculpting with a new medium--wax.

Also on Monday, Mother invited me to the first ladies fellowship of the fall--a soup and dessert meal and Bible study.
I stayed overnight at her place. Finally got to bed at 1:30 a.m. after updating the Hoyt-family album. There were more old photographs to insert for each of the ten siblings. I don't remember where, when or how they came to me, but I find them very interesting.

Before leaving the area Tuesday morning I went by the cemetery to see the recently placed gravemarker.

Sadly birds fly into our windows, fall and die, an average of two a day.

Pobre pajarito

Wednesday, however, we remembered the many fellow humans who died on 9/11 and pray for those who in our day face oppression, torture, death, or war.
Daughter Leah joined a rally on the I69/SR26 overpass nearby. (I am borrowing this photo from FB and don't know who to credit.)

Remembering 9/11 Victims/Bikers Against War in Syria (Leah on far right)

The family tree, that tells our life story and speaks of God's faithfulness, has a different look with the summer vines. It was time to take another picture.

In the midst of Friday's errands we stopped for lunch at a favorite eatery nearby--Payne's, and later dropped by Leah's new place to note all the changes and artistic touches.

Water while waiting for food; art in the WC (water closet) at Leah's

Today, Saturday, I am spending the day cleaning and preparing for Diane's 60th birthday celebration tomorrow. There is a fresh bouquet of flowers from Victory Acres on the table. An audio book plays while a work. But now I am taking a break to finish the weekly Project 365 post. 

2013 Week 36: Festivals and Between

I'll start with Monday, the grand finale of our town's Labor Day festivities. The day begins with a Fun Run and a 5K, then there's the grand parade that brings in many out-of-town visitors. Quite a big deal for a small town.
I like to support the return of the 5K (the second annual after 20+ year absence), and I did okay (a little under 40') for not having run a race in a year! And, sure, I won my age category by default, but I was mighty sore most of the week.
Mike is on the committee to bring the greenway through our town and eventually join up with the trailheads in Gaston and Jonesboro. Some of us family members supported the effort by walking/riding/handing out candy and brochures following the banner.

The rest of the day was rather quiet. We even saw a very good movie: The Butler.

Michael worked on building a cover for the generator and finished it Tuesday. I spent most of two or three days writing and completed another day of our Circle Tour of the Basque Country: on to Lekeitio.
I was especially pleased this week to clear my desk of numerous piles. How long will that last? Hmmmm...

I am borrowing the photo Sam posted on Facebook as a reminder of how grateful we are that Kristie and the boys are okay after their accident on Thursday. The car didn't fare so well, but they are good at finding deals and are busy searching for the best replacement.

Friday we took Diane to the Matthews Covered Bridge festival. We were not there as vendors like other years. I had a good visit with the friend who comes up from Kentucky every year. She had no competition, no other potters there this time.

Saturday we went to a very prestigious art festival in Indianapolis, The Penrod Arts Fair, "one of the nation's largest single-day arts fairs", also touted as "Indiana's Nicest Day." Daughter Leah came along and we had a very enjoyable time, though rather blown away by the unending variety and creativity of the 350 artist vendors. (Or was it the prices that blew us away?)

On our way out through the Museum of Art we walked by Robert Indiana's sculptures entitled "Numbers."

Circle Tour 13: on to Lekeitio

The day we left San Sebastián dawned cold and wet, so I donned my rainy-day uniform: layers + scarf + my world jacket.

 We were looking forward to seeing some of the special places we had visited on our previous trip on the Northern Cantabrian coast and hoping to meet friends with whom we had corresponded. However, it was not to be.
This is what we saw for mile after mile (or should I say kilometer after kilometer.)

And this is what we missed, documented three years earlier in these posts: Zarautz and Getaria; Basque Farm Country. The weather was gray and unpredictable back then too. For further entertainment you can watch our friend Dane try his hand at Pelota vasca, (Basque hand ball).

In due time we arrived in Lekeitio, a quaint fishing village.

It was somewhat complicated to park the vans and carry our luggage up to the 17th century hotel where our team took over the entire building--Hotel Palacio Oxangoiti (on the right). You can read about it in this article in the New York Times.

Directly across from the hotel was the town hall, el ayuntamiento.

And across the plaza an imposing fifteenth century cathedral.

It was rather late by the time we sorted out who would stay in what rooms, each one unique in this modernized remodeled house built in 1674. The girls were excited to share a suite and probably had too much fun that night and not enough sleep. ;-)

By the time we set out to find something to eat the row of restaurants on the waterfront had just closed their Menú del día. It was, after all, 4 p.m. We did, however, find one that would serve us.

The Wait-la espera

Ensalada rusa, my first course

When I settled in our room I found the one proper double bed so far in our experience on the Spanish side of the Basque Country.

I stepped out on the small balcony and was surprised to look down just in time to see the cyclists ride in!
 Video of cyclists arrival in Leikeitio

María Isabel, our delightful hotel manager, had arranged for a dinner to be served at a nearby restaurant.

A wonderful meal and evening with our friends ended our twelfth day in beautiful Basque Country.

2013 Week 35: People!

First, let me update you on son Sam who was quite ill last week. Sunday, after the second visit to the ER the night before and a stronger pain medication, he began to improve slowly. He is feeling okay now, though they still haven't gotten to the bottom of what happened to him and he won't see a neurologist till the end of the month.
We kinda laid low that day, no photos, however I have one I took when I was at their place Saturday. I was so surprised to see a small wool patch blanket I made years ago and forgot about completely.

At Monday Night Meal we had several guests. Even though Hannah (on the right) was visiting all the way from New York, I think baby TJ took center stage.

Uncle Elijah and Aunt Kayla with TJ; Grandma Gina with TJ; 'Auntie' Hannah

Tuesday I was invited to a wonderful 70th birthday tea for a dear friend of many. Here she is reading the words each of us chose to describe her.

Joyce

Wednesday I got to meet the new family dog. Ruff is Skye's dog.

In the evening we had many come to an open house for a family that serves at a camp in Honduras. They brought their oldest daughter to Taylor, so this is their first photo as a family of five, minus Ellie.

Williamsons

Look who arrived Thursday evening? Oh, actually this photo was taken Friday after moving Jared into his third-floor room in the dorm at Anderson U. Sara's feet were soooo tired!

Saturday, the big day--the bloggy-friends reunion!

Sara all dolled-up waiting for the friends to arrive.

So here we are: back row--Just a Southern Girl (my SIL, Kim); oldfangled (my DIL, Karen); Bug's Eye View (Dana); ...make music from your heart to the Lord. Eph. 5:19 (Sara); and me on the front row (why on earth did I wear yellow?!)

The Blogging Friends

Some shots of our wonderful day:

The counter was covered with food all day, lots of salads and grilled vegetables, and more.

Kim and I prepared some salads, the men took over from there, and the women chatted non-stop!

The big table was the center of a variety of activities: conversation, crafts, food, games, even baby crawl space.

Today, Sunday, we said goodbye to Sara and Jared, hopeful for more wonderful times like these.