French Basque

The French Basque coast

Saint Jean du Luz

What during the XVII century was the base of the Basque corsairs, has become a relaxed tourist destination of summer. San Juan du Luz is situated in a quiet half-moon-shaped bay with a beautiful sandy beach. It also boasts a historic centre full of colourful Basque houses with wooden latticework. It is the ideal place for families or couples in search of calm under the sun while enjoying the magic of a bygone era.

Although St. Jean du Luz is only 20 minutes from Biarritz and both are famous summer resorts, the atmosphere in St. Jean du Luz is completely different from that of Biarritz, somewhat more relaxed. It’s a busy place, but not crowded, nice but not too luxurious. The old town is made up of beautiful Basque style houses. Many of the buildings date back to the 17th century, when St. Jean de Luz was one of the most important fishing ports in France.

The 17th century was also a time of transition in San Juan de Luz, when the main economic activity shifted from fishing to what was essentially piracy, as the town became the base for Basque corsairs. These corsairs pursued the enemies of France at sea, looting them with the blessing of the king. The corsairs were feared by the English and the Spaniards, who were the involuntary donors of the wealth that reached the small St. John of Light. That was the golden age of the locality and the fortune of that era can still be appreciated today by strolling through its streets.

It was also during the 17th century that the Treaty of the Pyrenees was signed on the nearby Isle of Pheasants, ending a long conflict between France and Spain. As a result of this treaty, King Louis XIV of France married the daughter of the King of Spain, Infanta Maria Teresa, in St. Jean du Luz in June 1660. This royal marriage was one of the most important political marriages in history. The fact that the wedding took place in San Juan de Luz is something that the local people are still proud of today.

https://sansebastiantrips.com/san-sebastian-tours/french-basque-coast/

 

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Sailing in San Sebastian

San Sebastian is a small, picturesque city on the Bay of Biscay, which is where the Atlantic Ocean meets the French and Spanish coasts. The city’s crown jewel is La Concha Bay, a natural harbour which has provided shelter to ocean-bound ships thoroughout the city’s seafaring history, which you can see reflected on the city’s coat of arms – an open ocean schooner with sails unfurled. Until the 17th century, Donostia (San Sebastian’s name in the local Basque language) was one of the most important ports in northern Spain.  Sailing out from the picturesque old port is one of the most authentic experiences you can enjoy in our city.

Sailing

Just like merchants and fishermen have done for centuries, we will set sail in search of adventure. We will head out through the steep, rocky coasts and enjoy the marine life that abounds in this area. We always have fishing rods at the ready in case guests want to set a line for tuna or mackerel. Dolphin sightings are common, and we’ve even seen the occasional whale.  After a delightful sail we will anchor in the bay, which gives us a chance to to have a swim and enjoy a sunny afternoon in the bay with an onboard picnic.

Lunch based on local products

This experience is not complete without a good lunch made of local products. We will make some pintxos, the Basque tapas that have made our city famous and wash them down with a glass of good wine. All this in a privileged setting such as the bay of La Concha. It’s certainly one of the best moments of the day.

We look forward to an authentic experience.

 

San Sebastian sailing

Lunch time in the San Sebastian bay

 

 

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Hiking Peñas de Aia mountain and traditional cider house restaurant

Peñas de Aia, the 1st mountain of the Pyrenees

One of the visually spectacular elements of San Sebastián is its unique setting between the mountains and the sea. One of these mountains, Peñas de Aia, is a mere 15 kilometers from San Sebastian. It is approximately 850 meters (about half a mile) high. It is a rocky mountain of rugged beauty and dominates the city’s horizon. It is considered the first mountain in the Pyrenees from the western end. In addition, it is located in a truly spectacular conservation area, whose slopes are crisscrossed by rivers and punctuated by waterfalls in the rainy season. The views from up there are spectacular – on one side, you have the Atlantic coastline of Spain and France, and on the other, the Pyrenees stretch out before you. On most days, you can see the first snow capped peaks in the distance.

The hike

There are two ways to reach the summit. You can start from the base of the mountain, at the source of the Oiartzun river. From here the climb is hard and steep, but at a good pace you can reach the summit in about 2 hours. The other option is to park the car in an area near the summit on the north side. From here we have a 1 hour walk.

During the ascent you can enjoy the local fauna and flora, like wild horses and sheep grazing placidly on mountain slopes. Our local pride is the Latza breed sheep, which produces the milk that is used to make Idiazabal cheese, one of the best known local products in the Basque Country.

It is an easy route, suitable for all people with a minimum of physical ability.

"peñas de aia hiking"

At the feet of Peñas de Aia mountain. From here we start the hike.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cider house restaurant

After the hike, it’s time to eat! Since we are in the Basque Country we will go to a traditional cider house to eat fresh fish, tender beef, and cheese from the local farms. These foods go perfectly with a tart, lightly carbonated hard apple cider, always poured directly from the barrel. While cider is a very tasty and even healthful drink, it’s easy to drink fast after a hike, so we encourage moderation.

FOOD AND WINE TOURS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

roncesvalles

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Top Cheese cake in San Sebastian

Cheese cake at La Viña in San Sebastián

Bar La Viña is on 31 de Agosto Street in San Sebastian’s old city. It is a very popular spot for pintxos, casual dinners and formal events for tourists and locals alike. Their formula for success consists of using all high quality ingredients. In the last few years the most popular menu item has become their cheesecake. It’s different than a traditional cheesecake, lighter in texture, and impossible to try without getting addicted. A stop at this lively bar located on one of the city’s most historic streets makes the perfect ending to a night out in the city.

I am posting this because many guests are amazed by this desert. They wanted to know how to make it so today I wanted to share the secret with you. Although you won’t have the same lively surroundings with a mix of strangers and friends, the big wooden bar covered with exquisite pintxos (unless you’re quite fortunate), and the thrill of spending a few days in this gorgeous coastal city, you will have this fabulous desert. I’ll leave the ambience up to you to create at home.

Cheese cake recipe

Use a cake pan about four inches deep. The only tricky part is the baking time. Depending on the oven and the pan, the time can vary slightly. The goal is a moist, spongy filling – test it with a cake tester or something similar as often as necessary. Eternal vigilance is the price of the perfect cheescake!

Ingredients:

  • 1kg cream cheese, such as Philadelphia
  • 5 egg
  • 350g sugar
  • 500ml heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon flour

Preheat the oven to 230ºC/450ºF. Mix all the ingridients in a bowl and beat until smooth. Pour mixture in to the cake pan and bake for around 30 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Best enjoyed at room temperature.

And that’s it! Enjoy!

Pintxo tour in San Sebastian

 

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Gastronomic club- San Sebastian

Aizepe is a typical gastronomic club in the Old Part of San Sebastian. It is located between the old port and Mount Urgull. The building was originally contructed around the XVIII century and was first used as a salt deposit for the Dutch merchants given its proximity to the port. During the napolenonic wars it was one of the few buildings to survive the raging fires that consumed the Old Part. These fires were set by the English-Portuguese troops who fought for months against the french invaders.

Today, it is a place for friends and family to get together to prepare the rich local products fruit of this land. The ritual is always the same, go to the local farmers market to buy fresh products, prepare them inside the gastronomic society with friends and finally sit down to enjoy the wonderful dishes prepared in a table that can seat as many or as few as desired.

One of our great chefs, although still in training, is Telmo Ezcurra. He is always willing to prepare something for the rest and makes sure that we have everything. In the Basque Country we believe that the first virtud of a good chef should be this, the desire to please the palate. There is no greater satisfaction for a chef that to see others enjoying that which he has prepared.

Another important chef in our small Aizepe family is Alain Alonso, blogger in Pintxo a Pintxo.   A great chef, also Basque and Donostiarra, a bit less conservative and more innovative in his dishes. He always manages to surprise us with something new hidden in traditional ingredients.

In addition to these noteworthy chefs that one can find in the kitchen at Aizepe, there is another group of people, of friends and family who also contribute an invaluable ingredient to the success of a dinner. It could be someone who brings the freshest ingredients, or who acts as somelier, setting the table, preparing coffee or even small bits of advice given in the kitchen. All together everything insures that things go perfectly.

This little article has made me realize how important it is to share life and its small joys with familie and friends. I can assure you that there are few places in the world like the gastronomic club to celebrate this sacred basque ritual of sharing a table with those we hold dear.

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River fishing in the Basque Country

In winter, it is still possible to go river fishing in the Basque Country.  Close to San Sebastian there is one in particular that has great trout all year!  

The day was mostly cloudy which makes it perfect for river fishing.  We began the day fly fishing but with only a few nibbles and nothing to put into our basket. The brown trout on this river is quite large and so it is difficult to catch them with light equipment. 

In this photo, you see E.W.H, a professional rugby player on the Biarritz Olimpique team https://www.bo-pb.com/ , and his father.

 

french basque coast

Fishing in san sebastian

 

Around 2pm we decided to stop and enjoy a light lunch on one of the picnic tables along the riverbank.  We munched on local products such as cured ham, fresh bread, cheese and wine….perfect for restoring our strength to continue fishing.  I’ve always thought that a good picnic is paramount to a successful day of river fishing.  After lunch, we decided to change our technique and began spin fishing.  It wasn’t easy, but we finally caught three great specimens of brown trout.  
Around San Sebastian, there are many rivers with abundant trout.  In spring the season expands to include all rivers and it is the best time for this sport.  I would love to take you on a fishing excursion with San Sebastian Trips!

 

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La tamborrada festival in San Sebastian

La Tamborrada festival in San Sebastian, or San Sebastian Day as known to English speakers, is a holiday celebrated only in San Sebastian on the day of their patron saint every year.  The celebrations begin at midnight on the 20th of January with the ‘izada’ in the Constitution plaza in the heart of the old part when the donostiarras (citizens of San Sebastian) hoist their city’s blue and white flag.  It is at this moment when the ‘tamborreros’ (drummers) from Gaztelubide gastronomic society and representatives from other gastronomic societies and groups begin to play the famous melodies of basque compositor Sarriegui that will be played nonstop for the next 24 hours.

french basque coast

 

The story begins in 1836 when a carnival band from San Sebastian started the tradition of celebrating the day of the city’s patron saint by marching through the streets playing music.  At first the participants dressed up in costumes but later they dressed in the uniform of the soldiers that were present in the city.  The first uniforms were designed using the Guipuzcoan battalion uniform template of the War of Independence which were notably influenced by French military fashion of the time.  As the festival grew with the number of participants, so did the variety of the military uniforms.

 

In the 21st century the festival has evolved into a representation of the expulsion of the French soldiers in the 19th century and highlights the city’s gastronomic culture as well.  Today you can find tamborreros dressed as cooks, sometimes carrying lifesize forks and knives!

 

On this day it is practically impossible to not see one of the so called TAMBORRADAS marching through the streets of San Sebastian.  There are now more than 125 such groups each with between 25-50 drums and 20-50 barrels used as drums accompanied by a music group and majorettes, called cantineras.  Additionally, there is also a special parade of tamborradas from the city’s schools that begins at city hall in the morning hours.

 

At midnight, 24 hours later, the tamborrada of Union Artesana is in charge of retiring the city’s flag in the Constitution Plaza, a ceremony known as ‘la arriada’ signaling the end of the festival until the following year.  It is an emotional moment for all Donostiarras and to be there in person is a once in a lifetime experience that all of us can share.

 

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Cider house restaurant

Introduction

The defining characteristic of the Basque Country is, undoubtedly, the culinary traditions. The best accompaniment to a special meal is, of course, a special drink. Which brings us to the celebrated local beverage: hard cider.

For centuries, this simple drink has been made from nothing more than apple juice, pressed and fermented according to the traditional practice.

From mid March til the end of April, a celebrated Basque ritual is the txotx season (pronounced “chatch”), people visit the cider houses when the year’s harvest is ready.

Most of the cider houses are located in the northeast of the province of Gipuzkoa, in traditional towns like Astigarraga, Hernani, Urnieta, and Usurbil. The die-hard ones keep in line with strict traditions, where people still eat standing, heavily dressed to ward of the winter chill in these large, old buildings. The more modern ones have indoor heating and plenty of seats at long, wooden tables to be shared among that day’s visitors.

The cider houses tend to charge a fixed price for the typical meal: codfish omlette, fried cod with peppers, a wood-fired t-bone steak. For dessert Idiazabal cheese, quince paste, and walnuts. Of course, this is all accompanied by as much cider as you can drink, direct from the wood casks on the walls.

Traditionally, the cider houses gave customers the opportunity to do a taste comparison from the different casks to choose the one they preferred. In Basque, a “txotx” is a small wooden stick, such as the one used to seal the wood cask in olden times. From there comes the tradition of yelling out “txotx!”. Signalling that a new barrel is about to be opened. In this unique tasting ritual originated the custom of customers bringing their own food and ingredients so that they weren’t drinking on an empty stomach. Today’s set menu of a codfish omelette, fried codfish with peppers, and of course, fine Basque meat grilled to perfection is based on these traditions.

 

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