Basque country, Spain

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Basque country, Spain

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Just having returned, I have to say I now get what waveprof talks about. Bilbao was surprisingly nice and the Guggenheim Museum surpassed my expectations mostly for the building itself. I could live on the ubiquitous small bites (pinxtos) everywhere. Excellent exotic small bites or for the Basque wine (txakoli) for $2US. San Sebastian was wonderful although a little overrun by non-Basques this time of year. Memorable meals, beautiful beaches and the short drive to neighboring coastal towns rivals the Amalfi Coast. The Basque language almost sounded like Spanish to my ears until I realized I could not understand a word. And we completed a pilgrimage to the town of my last name, where my ancestor left in 1670 to the New World. A magical 6 days.
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Re: Basque country, Spain

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TUPF wrote:Just having returned, I have to say I now get what waveprof talks about. Bilbao was surprisingly nice and the Guggenheim Museum surpassed my expectations mostly for the building itself. I could live on the ubiquitous small bites (pinxtos) everywhere. Excellent exotic small bites or for the Basque wine (txakoli) for $2US. San Sebastian was wonderful although a little overrun by non-Basques this time of year. Memorable meals, beautiful beaches and the short drive to neighboring coastal towns rivals the Amalfi Coast. The Basque language almost sounded like Spanish to my ears until I realized I could not understand a word. And we completed a pilgrimage to the town of my last name, where my ancestor left in 1670 to the New World. A magical 6 days.
San Sebastian in August can be hell because it's where a lot of Spain (and a lot of Russia) holidays for August.

Glad you enjoyed your trip. I'm really glad you had a good time. Like downright giddy about it.

What coastline towns did you visit?

How did the visit to your family's town go?

Waveprofa and I have been thinking about you all August hoping it'd go well!
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Re: Basque country, Spain

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TUPF wrote:Just having returned, I have to say I now get what waveprof talks about. Bilbao was surprisingly nice and the Guggenheim Museum surpassed my expectations mostly for the building itself. I could live on the ubiquitous small bites (pinxtos) everywhere. Excellent exotic small bites or for the Basque wine (txakoli) for $2US. San Sebastian was wonderful although a little overrun by non-Basques this time of year. Memorable meals, beautiful beaches and the short drive to neighboring coastal towns rivals the Amalfi Coast. The Basque language almost sounded like Spanish to my ears until I realized I could not understand a word. And we completed a pilgrimage to the town of my last name, where my ancestor left in 1670 to the New World. A magical 6 days.
Just looked at a whole lot of pictures on the internet. WOW, what a beautiful place. Countryside, Beaches, & Cities. I had no idea.
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Re: Basque country, Spain

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WaveProf wrote:
TUPF wrote:Just having returned, I have to say I now get what waveprof talks about. Bilbao was surprisingly nice and the Guggenheim Museum surpassed my expectations mostly for the building itself. I could live on the ubiquitous small bites (pinxtos) everywhere. Excellent exotic small bites or for the Basque wine (txakoli) for $2US. San Sebastian was wonderful although a little overrun by non-Basques this time of year. Memorable meals, beautiful beaches and the short drive to neighboring coastal towns rivals the Amalfi Coast. The Basque language almost sounded like Spanish to my ears until I realized I could not understand a word. And we completed a pilgrimage to the town of my last name, where my ancestor left in 1670 to the New World. A magical 6 days.
San Sebastian in August can be hell because it's where a lot of Spain (and a lot of Russia) holidays for August.

Glad you enjoyed your trip. I'm really glad you had a good time. Like downright giddy about it.

What coastline towns did you visit?

How did the visit to your family's town go?

Waveprofa and I have been thinking about you all August hoping it'd go well!
It went beyond well! We loved the Promenade beach area in San Sebastián and loved the little towns of Getaria and Zarautz...we skipped going further from San Sebastián because coming fron Madrid, we were spending a lot of drive time already. As one approaches Euskadi Herrara from the south it is easy to see how it was so culturally isolated--that must have been quite an undertaking building the highway.

Seeing our town namesake exceeded expectations, starting with a large blue tile sign on buildings with our surname and also in the little town square. We struck up conversations with some residents and I whipped out my US drivers license to prove my lineage. Had a drink in the one local meeting place bar and was introduced all around. One guy had me go outside and play the little game where you toss metal coins into a frog's mouth--a typical Basque game.

The killer app for me were the pinxtos and txakoli, their quality and just how cheap they are.
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Re: Basque country, Spain

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TUPF wrote:It went beyond well! We loved the Promenade beach area in San Sebastián and loved the little towns of Getaria and Zarautz...we skipped going further from San Sebastián because coming fron Madrid, we were spending a lot of drive time already.
That makes sense, and I think I surmised as much when we pm'd. I quite like Getaria, but have never stopped at Zarautz. WIll do next time. If you are ever back, further out the coast Mitriku, Leketio, and Elaxtrobe are all phenomonal too-----although so is the part of the Basque Country technically in France, so the opposite direction never disapoints
TUPF wrote:As one approaches Euskadi Herrara from the south it is easy to see how it was so culturally isolated--that must have been quite an undertaking building the highway.
Precisely Geography + a willingness to compromise (with the Romans, the French, the Castillians). They let (helped) everyone pass through in return for being allowed to do their own thing, and the other side was always willing to take the trade (until the fascist dictator of the 20th century).

TUPF wrote:Seeing our town namesake exceeded expectations, starting with a large blue tile sign on buildings with our surname and also in the little town square. We struck up conversations with some residents and I whipped out my US drivers license to prove my lineage. Had a drink in the one local meeting place bar and was introduced all around. One guy had me go outside and play the little game where you toss metal coins into a frog's mouth--a typical Basque game.
I can't imagine how thrilling that must have been. And surreal.
TUPF wrote:The killer app for me were the pinxtos and txakoli, their quality and just how cheap they are.
They really are that good. Pinxtos put tapas to shame (though I love tapas too). The ability to deliver a composed dish in a small bite or two......it's like a high end restaurant running out unlimited amuse bousches for 2 dollars a plate. Truly surreal. Txakoli is the best cheap/unknown wine in the world, but be careful, it's becoming really popular in NYC....give it a couple of years and it won't be so cheap. But it'll still be good.


DId you daughter get everything from the trip she wanted?

Really glad you had a blast. Really can't overstate how much we've talked/thought about you all month wondering how it was going!
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Re: Basque country, Spain

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Ray wrote: Just looked at a whole lot of pictures on the internet. WOW, what a beautiful place. Countryside, Beaches, & Cities. I had no idea.
Shhh Don't tell anybody!

At least not until my mom empties her bank account next summer to buy her retirement apartment in San Sebastian (which will one day be mine). Gotta keep the prices down!!!!
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Re: Basque country, Spain

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WaveProf wrote:Did you daughter get everything from the trip she wanted?
Yes and more. She is quite appreciative of good food and seeing her giddy over the 20 or so different pinxtos at each place we stopped was a sight. Plus, Elena seems to get served quite quickly by young male bartenders so we never had to wait. We had a sublime meal at Restaurante Rekondo, one of the best meals of our life, and she could not believe the foie gras appetizer...she said it would have cost $100 in NYC. She took pictures :lol:.
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Re: Basque country, Spain

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Lest anybody think pinxtos are just tapas with a weird basque name.....


Image

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The top two are pinxtos from our most recent trip (2013). The third sent by one of profa's students who was among a group to rent a car this summer and drive the Basque coast because they couldn't imagine studying in Spain and not going there after hearing my wife blather for semester after semester :coolshades:


And I include this last one not to include wavetot (though his love of pinxtos was epic) but to show the jamon iberico casually hanging in the background. My kind of place.

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Re: Basque country, Spain

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TUPF wrote:We had a sublime meal at Restaurante Rekondo, one of the best meals of our life.
Have not been there. After looking at their website I'm going to have to remedy that.


San Sebastian is kind of like NOLA only even more consistent (if that's possible).....it's such an intense food culture that it's hard to find a bad meal because the places wouldn't stay in business. Two of the best hamburger places I've eaten at in my life are in San Sebastian, and considering how rarely I eat burgers abroad, that's saying something. Low end to high end, the food there will do you right.



The average Basque man/woman will answer the Basque border extends in a triangle from Pamplona and it's Rioja wine in the southeast, Bilbo/Basque coast with it's seafood to the southwest and inland france around Espelette with its peppers and foiegras to the north. Says a lot when you are defined by food :-D

But if you don't like food, it's got beautiful scenery, mountains, beaches, history, and a distinct culture with its own customs and language relatively intact. Rare for the 21st century. And it usually isn't overrun with American tourists (though that is changing quickly)
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Re: Basque country, Spain

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WaveProf wrote:
TUPF wrote:We had a sublime meal at Restaurante Rekondo, one of the best meals of our life.
Have not been there. After looking at their website I'm going to have to remedy that.


San Sebastian is kind of like NOLA only even more consistent (if that's possible).....it's such an intense food culture that it's hard to find a bad meal because the places wouldn't stay in business. Two of the best hamburger places I've eaten at in my life are in San Sebastian, and considering how rarely I eat burgers abroad, that's saying something. Low end to high end, the food there will do you right.



The average Basque man will answer the Basque border extends in a triangle from Pamplona and it's Rioja wine in the southeast, Bilbo/Basque coast with it's seafood to the southwest and inland france around Espelette with its peppers and foiegras to the north. Says a lot when you are defined by food :-D
Sounds Awesome. Is their Native language completely different from Spanish or French?? Seems like it is. Are they from a different 'tribe' of Europeans??
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Re: Basque country, Spain

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Yes, we also gorged on jamon. Especially at breakfast in our hotels where there were trays of it. I don't know why others were not doing the same. That stuff is $175/lb. in my local Wegmans supermarket.

Prof, we saw and ate even more exotic pinxtos in the square area in Bilbao and the parte viejo in San Sebastián. Stuff like sea urchins, foie gras, exotic mushrooms, squid in black ink.... Another amazing thing to me is that after you are through stuffing yourselves, they just ask you how many you have had and how many drinks, and just multiply by the 1.6 or 1.8€. I don't understand how Spaniards THEN go out to dinner!
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Re: Basque country, Spain

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Ray wrote: Sounds Awesome. Is their Native language completely different from Spanish or French?? Seems like it is. Are they from a different 'tribe' of Europeans??
I don't believe in purity or authenticity in any shape or form, but they are as historically close to being their own "tribe" as any group in europe. Their language (full of x's and q's) is, as best linguists can tell, totally unrelated to any other language in the world. It, along with Magyar/Hungarian is one of only two european languages labeled an "original language" because it has no known source (Babel???).

They also have the highest occurrence of O rh negative blood (27% of population) in the world because they've been so isolated for so long.

This isolation/history/uniqueness is what led to a lot of the ugliest uses of race and authenticity in all of Europe in the late 19th century. But they were on the right side of WWII (most of the french resistance was led by Basques, and a basque unit stormed the beaches in normandy while the basque government was in exile in DC).....and since then, despite all of their nationalism (and at times terrorism), have mostly stayed away from racial purity arguments.....in fact they are some of the most inclusive people in all of Europe (even if highly conservative in terms of religion). To "be Basque" nowadays is mostly defined along lines of either language or, in the words of many Basques, simply to "have an affinity for Basque culture." They tend to live more conservative lives than most in Europe, yet are some of the most accepting of foreigners, homosexual communities, etc etc. Mostly, they just want to be allowed to be Basque. Even though they are super conservative, they fought with the socialists in the civil war because the socialists promised them independence. There's nothing a Basque person is more obsessed with than being Basque. It's kind of annoying, but it's really cute too. And it's what has helped them preserve their culture so much more successfully than a lot of europe......and since they tend to be really inclusive (in the last 80 years anyway), I like it.
Last edited by WaveProf on Fri Aug 21, 2015 1:12 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Basque country, Spain

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TUPF wrote:Prof, we saw and ate even more exotic pinxtos in the square area in Bilbao and the parte viejo in San Sebastián. Stuff like sea urchins, foie gras, exotic mushrooms, squid in black ink....
Squid cooked in its own ink is one of the highlights of my life. I've had it (and enjoyed it equally) in Croatia and Italy, but I never would have tried it if I hadn't been exposed to it in the Basque Region. The Foie gras is phenomonal in the Basque Country. But like I said (for other readers out there), even if you don't like the weird stuff, pretty much all of the food is good.
TUPF wrote: Another amazing thing to me is that after you are through stuffing yourselves, they just ask you how many you have had and how many drinks, and just multiply by the 1.6 or 1.8€. I don't understand how Spaniards THEN go out to dinner!
Most Spaniards fall flat on their faces, only big burly basque men manage to make it to dinner! :)

A major Basque saying is that the approach to life is "a little bit often." In other words, lots and lots of small bits. Many Basque people make a dinner hopping from pinxto bar to pinxto bar with their kids. But they wouldn't dare order more than 1 or 2 at each place. They know what the specialty of THAT bar is and then they move on to the next one to get that place's specialty. Shrimp at one, foie gras at the next, and then maybe some cheese and bread. OK screw the cheese and bread, how about a lamb rib?
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Re: Basque country, Spain

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Ray wrote:Is their Native language completely different from Spanish or French?? Seems like it is. Are they from a different 'tribe' of Europeans??
The professors can elaborate but the only thing Euskadi has in common is the same alphabet. It looks like something your toddler arranged with letters on your refrigerator. I watched a few minutes of Basque TV and my head hurt. Like I wrote earlier, I heard folks speaking it and thought it sounded Spanish-like but the words were gibberish. I learned one simple phrase..."egon on" which roughly means hello...nothing close to "buenos dias".
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Re: Basque country, Spain

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TUPF wrote: I learned one simple phrase..."egon on" which roughly means hello...nothing close to "buenos dias".
To show how different....

Goodbye...

agur vs adios


Cheers

osasuna vs salud


hi

kaixo vs hola
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Re: Basque country, Spain

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I was trying to make myself shut up on this topic, and then literally as I was leaving, I saw a link to this on Twitter (today of all days). Interesting story about the hiking trails, but crazy pictures!!!


http://www.olivertheworld.com/kids-trai ... 9QY.mailto



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Re: Basque country, Spain

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WaveProf wrote:I was trying to make myself shut up on this topic, and then literally as I was leaving, I saw a link to this on Twitter (today of all days). Interesting story about the hiking trails, but crazy pictures!!!


http://www.olivertheworld.com/kids-trai ... 9QY.mailto



Image
Guess I have to try & get a small apt. over there before your mom does. :wink: Is it easier to drive up from Madrid or say someplace in central or southern France?? I know it is a mountainous region.
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Re: Basque country, Spain

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Ray wrote: Is it easier to drive up from Madrid or say someplace in central or southern France?? I know it is a mountainous region.
It's surrounded by mountains, but isn't impossible to drive once you are in it....and you cross the biggest mountains on the interstate (when you enter Euskal Herria).....so car is doable from either direction. Train is equally easy from Paris, Bordeux, and Madrid. For car I'd probably do Madrid just because it's closer than Paris, unless you could fly into Bordeaux or Biarritz.......which would be a good idea actually cause then you could see some of the French Basque Country (St Jean de Luz, Biarritz, St Jean Pied de Port, Espellete) before crossing the "border" into Spain.*

*I place border in quotes not to make any nationalist claims, but simply because as a tourist, culturally, you won't feel like you've crossed a border. The only real difference is what language the locals speak to outsiders (spanish or french). Most locals under 45 speak basque as a first language, and it's starting to come back with the older Basques too. The fascist dictator banned it for decades (much like Cajun French in Acadiana) but it's back BIG TIME. Primary language in all the schools, and the main language you hear at the bars and (as we found out) playgrounds. My son still sometimes says "agur" when he sees a train or plane go by. French Basques have far less hostile thins to say about France than spanish basques do Spain, but the architecture is distinctively basque on both sides of the border, as is the food, and more often than not the language.
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Re: Basque country, Spain

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We met our daughter in the Madrid airport and rented a car with Avis. We drove north on the main highway and stopped in Burgos after about 2 hours for a break and to see the Catedral de Burgos, a UNESCO World Site built in the 1200s+. Then it was another 2 or 2.5 hour drive to Bilbao. San Sebastián is another hour from Bilbao. The speed limit is 120/km-hr for most of the way (72 mph), which believe me is plenty fast enough because the roads are much curvier than my experience in the U.S. There were times when I drove way under the limit just because I was uncomfortable going at the limit. Also, speeding fines can be up to $500 and must be paid on the spot, I'm told. The road turns to toll only north of Burgos and it is expensive. My rental car was a stick shift, which I was comfortable driving but most Americans are not. Diesel fuel and surprisingly fuel efficient...was getting almost 50mpg equivalent. Fuel worked out to be ~$5.50/gal.

BTW, I swear by the Garmin GPS I bought this summer for the trip. It was a model with lifetime map and traffic updates for all of the U.S. and Europe and I made sure it had most recent map downloads prior to departure. It quickly found the GPS satellites at Mdrid airport and I had preloaded my hotels along the way and the towns I wanted to see. Only once did it not have the proper exit numbers near San Sebastián but the highway numbers and turn by turn directions were perfect. It also did things on the fly, like finding the closest gas station near our hotel in Madrid at 7am. Well worth the $250.
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Re: Basque country, Spain

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TUPF wrote:We met our daughter in the Madrid airport and rented a car with Avis. We drove north on the main highway and stopped in Burgos after about 2 hours for a break and to see the Catedral de Burgos, a UNESCO World Site built in the 1200s+. Then it was another 2 or 2.5 hour drive to San Sebastián. The speed limit is 120/km-hr for most of the way (72 mph), which believe me is plenty fast enough because the roads are much curvier than my experience in the U.S. There were times when I drove way under the limit just because I was uncomfortable going at the limit. Also, speeding fines can be up to $500 and must be paid on the spot, I'm told. The road turns to toll only north of Burgos and it is expensive. I paid 22€ leaving the toll road in San Sebastián. My rental car was a stick shift, which I was comfortable driving but most Americans are not. Diesel fuel and surprisingly fuel efficient...was getting almost 50mpg equivalent. Fuel worked out to be ~$5.50/gal.
Yes, gas is expensive in europe and the toll roads in that part of spain can make things expensive. Personally, if I were Ray, I'd take a train into San Sebastian or Bilbo from Madrid or Paris, and then rent a car for the Basque coast for a few days while I was there. That didn't make as much sense for TUPF, but I think it would for a lot of people.

And stick shifts for rental cars are ubiquitous in Spain. My wife had to learn so she could drive us on our honeymoon (the Basque coast was her first day driving stick for "real" and tears were shed). Irony being we bought a stick shift FIAT this spring, I learned too, and now we both prefer manual. But if you don't like manual, don't rent a car in Spain, and if you rent one in France, ask ahead because automatic can be difficult there too (though not as "impossible" as in spain)


If I'd known you were stopping in Burgos I would have recommended the ice cream shop, Sucrem, near the cathedral. We walked through Burgos on the Camino de Santiago, and that is still my favorite ice cream experience in the world....

Yes that's cotton candy on the ice cream. No I don't usually like gimmicks on my ice cream (or usually even "fancy" ice cream). Yes it was that good.
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Re: Basque country, Spain

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Thanks all for the comments on traveling. I'm kind of a Spain Fan, so I'd prob. do The Madrid thing.
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Re: Basque country, Spain

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Edit: drive Madrid to Burgos, 2 hours. Burgos to Bilbao, 2.5 hours. Bilbao to San Sebastián, 1+ hour. San Sebastián back to Madrid, 6 hours with a bio break.
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Re: Basque country, Spain

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Basque Country <3 Food <3

WINE <3<3<3 TXOKOLINA YUMBO
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Re: Basque country, Spain

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JDTulane wrote:Basque Country <3 Food <3

WINE <3<3<3 TXOKOLINA YUMBO
I'm completely confused by this post. Given your Idaho background and your professed love for Basque culture, I'll assume it's a positive post. But I'm truly stumped. Am I that old? :shock: #kidslingothesedays :mrgreen:
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Re: Basque country, Spain

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WaveProf wrote:
JDTulane wrote:Basque Country <3 Food <3

WINE <3<3<3 TXOKOLINA YUMBO
I'm completely confused by this post. Given your Idaho background and your professed love for Basque culture, I'll assume it's a positive post. But I'm truly stumped. Am I that old? :shock: #kidslingothesedays :mrgreen:
Prof, in many Internet formats (like FB, for instance), typing <3 prints a heart. Much like colon/close parenthesis on here gives you :). When you see the heart, you're supposed to think "love."

Got it, Grasshopper? semicolon/close parenthesis

(Oh, and "FB" is short for Facebook) ;-)
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