It’s autumn which means we’ve been swiftly thrown back into the 3-R’s of la rentreé: routine, rendez-vous and restos (both new and old). And while the start has already proven both exciting and promising, my mind lingers on our time in the Basque Country this summer.
By now I think I’ve made it abundantly clear that the south of France as an escape holds tremendous sway in my house. But that obsession has largely been confined to Provence: Marseille, Cassis, Toulon, Aix-en-Provence and other quaint neighboring towns. Now that we’ve visited Basque country in both France and Spain, our fondness for the southern way of life has grown exponentially. A few reasons why:
1|| The Food
Traveling by belly rarely disappoints but the experience in the Basque region exceeded all my expectations. As a non-pork eater, I was concerned that my options would be limited. Not so: the cuisine is dominated by locally-caught fish and seafood, flavorful stews, cured meats, piperade (a mix of onion, green peppers and sautéed tomatoes spiked with Espelette pepper), pintxos, and other hearty dishes. For dessert, the options are legion: the Gâteau Basque, the Macaron Basque (nothing like the variety popularized by Ladurée) and the Kanouga…
