I never expected to connect with my heritage in Idaho. But in the heart of Boise, I found a wonderful place called the Basque Block, a collection of restaurants, shops, memorials, and a museum, all celebrating the large Basque population in the area. My home province in Spain is in Santander, right next to the Basque provinces and I find that much of my family culture especially food, is Basque influenced. So in order to honor my heritage, I tried all the food I could. From tapas to croquetas to saloma sandwiches to exquisite rice pudding, I made sure I left with a sampling of all that was available.
I learned in the museum that the berets my grandfathers wore so often are a typical cap worn by the Basques in their daily lives. And so, I purchased a miniature version to decorate my Christmas swan, Pavlova. Just a little holiday ritual we indulge in every year.
With tummies full we ventured out to the Birds of Prey Center in the high desert where we were able to see many unusual birds such as eagles, falcons, and condors. The California Condor exhibit was especially remarkable because they are housed in a cave-like structure much like their normal habitat and spend much time on a large snag. If you stand and watch, you can see them spread their wings which have a nine foot span. Unbelievable! Perhaps the most interesting bird was the African Eagle whose beak and feet change color according to their mood; kind of like a feathered mood ring. I found myself wishing that some people had this feature so I could read them better.
We even had time for a little thrifting in the afternoon, something we miss from home. We really enjoyed Boise. It seems to be a very environmentally conscience city with bike trails, parks, and river walks.
We are also finding different ways to co-exist in our tiny space. It is a challenge because everything single thing has to be put away every single day or there is not enough room to move around. There is not the luxury of waiting until later to finish something up. However, we are finding that living sparsely can give a degree of freedom as long as we have our television and computer. Oh, and the iPhone, of course.
We are now headed out on the Oregon Trail once again and will soon cross into Oregon and gain our last hour.
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1 comment:
Your comment about putting every thing away every day reminds me of my sister living on a boat. Straightening up was never a strong point with her before, but it is now!!
Happy Travels!
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