Bacon, Vacation, Les Basques..... And we're back! After A Bloody Beautiful Time Away

Have I mentioned that the Passage Paradis family have now felt for years like underachievers

because we have never properly visited Spain.

We are trying to make up that deficit with this recent visit to Basque country - staying right on the 

French and Spanish border about half and hour from San Sebastian.

  We learned a lot about these lovely little pigs.  

And the "journey" they take to end up on someone's table ("Ouch!" say vegetarian and sympathizer M./Mlle. P.)

The Basque Country seems SUCH a peaceful, happy place.  I'm afraid we were unable to come up with too much moral outrage about this "nose-to-tail" culinary lifestyle.  Our visit was far too short for sampling all the regions riches.  But we do, do, do - want to go back.  This part of the world is 

hard to resist, as it has BOTH the mountains

AND the sea right outside your back door.  And then there's something else - 

All those Michelin stars....and pinxtos!

 Many will tell you that it's not strictly Spain.  Never mind.  Never mind.  Never mind!