Day 13

Wednesday. The second saddest (but still great) day of all.
We had donuts for breakfast, but they weren´t the same as ours. I MISS FRESH DONUTS!
For lunch we were treated to ground beef and eggplant mixed and presented in half of an eggplant rind and topped with cheese. It was beautiful. Kind of what some people do with butternut squash.
Mom, you´ll laugh at this... The funny thing is that, along with oysters and fish, I really don´t like eggplant normally. But I do here. : )
You couldn´t taste the eggplant at all because it took on the flavor of the meat and flavoring, and it was cooked so well it didn´t have the normal stringy texture.
And our meal was, as always, accompanied by some wonderful fresh bread. I also had croquetas, which are fried something filled with cheese and chorizo. Delish.
Watched Michael Phelps compete and the bike races begin, which was just spectacular. We laughed when a Spanish biker broke his bike wheel TWICE. The funniest was the first time when it popped off right as he left the ramp. I love every single American in every sport that appears on the tv. And we´re doing pretty good. : )

((Note: Salt water + this hair = crazy! It´s like taming cotton candy. All for the love of the beach...))

Later we joined a tour of the Casco Viejo, or old upper part of Vitoria. Love how the new and old are side by side. Our tour guide was excellent and told us about local stories, history, and art/architecture.
We got to tour the inside of the Catedral de Santa Maria - you can guess what that means - which is being renovated and refortified after some damage to the structure. As our guide explained it, it´s like a very sick person with many illnesses that has to be brought back to health little by little as they examine each one.
We wore hard hats and walked on raised metal platforms. So cool! We learned they had discovered a crypt underneath the cathedral, and saw pictures of the archaeological work being done. I really want to be an archaeologist! Unfortunately we didn´t see the crypt.
Throughout the city we saw evidence of preparations for the 5-day fiesta going on this weekend, from August 4-9. It´s celebrating the city, complete with local traditions. Wish I would still be here!
One member of our tour was the cutest little boy, Vicente. Every little kid is dressed like a little doll or magazine model. This one had curly blonde hair and was always climbing on things or running around, or whispering to his parents in a failed attempt to stay quiet during the tour
guide´s speeches. We were friends.
After the tour Nuria and I went shopping for a while - really good prices - and then walked home. It was breezy, perfect temperature, and there was a little bit of light left in the sky. And everyone was riding bikes.
I could easily see myself walking home to a little apartment with groceries and a baguette in my hands.
*Romantic sigh*
For dinner we had lomo (pork), fried egg, salad, chopped up fried potato, and bread. And a peach.
I don´t know when it´ll feel normal to eat eggs for breakfast again. Or to eat a meal (that isn´t breakfast) without fresh bread.

Tomorrow I will get on a plane, cross an ocean, and end this lovely escapade in Spain. I will gladly embrace the freedom and essence of being an American at home in my native, English-speaking country.
But... I´m leaving half of my heart here. At least. I´m pretty sure by the time I die I´ll have pieces of me scattered all over the world. Because I also left bits in Mexico and Guatemala and Italy and Germany and Argentina and Canada.

Love to all of you. Besos and see you soon.

Day 12

Tuesday we went to Donosti! It´s a beautiful little city by the ocean; we spent the day at the beach. Nuria and I went with 3 of her friends, Arantxa, Maria, and Iñigo. It was supposed to be a much bigger group but some changed their minds at the last minute while we were buying tickets. The bus ride was about an hour and 15 minutes long, passing through beautiful mountains and pueblos. It ended up being the perfect group because there weren´t any other Americans to speak English with... and Nuria has the best friends. : )
We ate bocadillos and any other snacks the moms had packed (we had 1 of ham and cheese and another with chorizo in an omelette, between the amazing fresh bread). We walked, walked, walked til we reached the beach, and found a spot for our towels. It was SO crowded; later found out there was a fiesta (for San Ignacio). We played cards with 2 of Iñigo´s friends, and dipped in the water.
The water was much bluer than the beaches on the East Coast, and clearer too. Where we were the waves were pretty big and it became deep really fast, so we didn´t stay in the water too long.
After a while we walked around the streets facing the water (one area was called La Concha), took pictures and got ice cream.
There was a famous performing arts center right by the water. Learned Donosti is one of the most expensive place to live in Spain. It´s a vacation site, with many homes and hotels for the rich. We stopped in a really nice oyster bar for a drink, since all the regular bars/cafes were so full.
Around 8:30pm we headed to the bus station to wait for our 9:15pm bus. It felt nice to do something fun and spontaneous. The teens here are pretty independent, and know their way around. I love the transportation available everywhere - buses, the Tranvia (local cabel car), bikes. In Vitoria you can walk everywhere.
After our ride home (and a beautiful sunset), Nuria´s dad picked us up from the bus station and drove us home. We had salad, roasted chicken with lemon, and fried potato bits. Yum. Yogurt for dessert.