Musée du Béret et Pyrénées Lac de Gaube

Beret Museum and Pyrenees National Park and it's Lake Gaube.
Saturday was our last USAC excursion and these are the two places we went. The first stop was the Beret museum where we learned how Berets are made and the meaning of them to different regions and people. The museum is located in one of the orginal beret factories so we go to see some of the old machinery. Interesting fact I learned, was that berets are pretty water proof due to one of the processes they go through. Originally after they are sewn they then put them in slightly soapy water and stomp on them to get the wool to meld together, essentially created a water proof hat! Now they of course have machines that do all the stomping. I wonder if the french enjoy stomping, since the same technique is utilized when making wine...
The next part of our trip was to the Pyrenees National park, or part of, since it is huge. We ate a lovely restaurant over looking gigantic falls. The food was superb even though it was freezing and the sun was out. I was wearing an undershirt, a long sleeve, thing jacket, with larger wind proof jacket on top. I was still cold! But I'm strange like that I suppose.
The hike was intense but so gorgeous. Most of the hike was composed of really large rocks, almost like a staircase for a giant. After about an hour hike you come to a clearing and see this gorgeous blue lack, a valley in the distance with a cascading fall, along with a restaurant (thankfully where I bought some coffee).

 One of the original machines for beret making. Unfortunately my photos will not be very good since I realized I forgot my SD card for my camera. So these photos are from my phone.

 On our way to the national park. Taken from the bus.

 Another one from the trip up the winding road.

 Our view during lunch in the national park.

 We set outside at this restaurant.

 Beginning of our hike. The clouds were sitting on top of the mountains as you can see.

 Lac du Gaube! The water was crystal clear with shades of green and blue. If you look off to the left of the photo you can see the water fall. Its like a sliver of white in the picture.

 This was just a park we passed on the way back to Pau.

It was a lovely way to end my time here in Pau. I now have 2 more days of class then head off to Norway. Looking forward to my trek home.

Francis Miot jams, candy, and chocolate

Today was a small little excursion to a jam, candy, and chocolate factory. Along with all these things were a few slightly crude, but funny candies and chocolates. There were molds of chocolate rabbits in questionable positions, along with a large sausage shaped chocolate mound. The jams made at this factory are considered specialties of this region of France. Southern France in particular is known for its jams. They often eat a soft cheese with bread and jam after their meals and often before dessert. In particular Pau and the surrounding Aquitaine region specializes in black cherry jam, which is fantastic. I officially have less than 7 days in Pau.
I've truly enjoyed my stay but ready to do a bit more exploring and start my trek back to my home in San Marcos.

Front of the candy factory building. Not too impressive, but the candy and jams inside!!

 Les bons bons!

Different sugars. I realize I didn't take enough pictures...If you put me in a room with chocolates and candies it's very hard for me to remember certain things.

Went to France, fell in love with Spain...

Possibly considered a traveling affair... First off I did not expect Bilbao to be a massive city-it is. Gorgeous buildings of all sorts and colors towering up to the skies. Most have the picturesque small patios with flowers engulfing them.  The Guggenheim was absolutely amazing. You really go there to see the inside and outside of the building, who cares about the other art inside! There is also the lovely river that goes through Bilbao with enchanting bridges, buildings, and rolling mountains and hills in the back drop.
The journey to Bilbao was a little tricky. You first take a train to Hendaye, France (very close to the Spanish border) you then get off, walk outside the station to a small little station and take that 30mins to San Sebastian, Spain, then find the buses, that look like tour buses, to Bilbao. And the ride to Bilbao was just gorgeous. We were mostly in the valleys of these vast, luscious, green hills and mountains. Vineyards were stuck to the sides of mountains. This was just a hint of Spain; I'll have to go back.
I also discovered that between English, French, and the bit of Spanish floating around we were able to communicate. Although when we first showed up to the hotel and I had replied in French the hotel clerk said something in French, which in turn both of us just stared at him because we were confused. We had anticipated Spanish so the French was hard to swallow at the moment. None the less we just spoke to him in a mixture of french and english.

Our wonderful beds. I got three pillows! I was in heaven.

Our view from our room at night.

Really good salad, very much like ceviche, with smoked cod between the layered tomatoes

Very tasty dessert. the top was like a creme brulee with the crusty caramelized top. then there is a spungy layer and crust layer.

Just trying to get artsy...It's inviting, don't you think.

Once again a day time view from our room. Bonjour Bilbao!

Strange bridge. Bilbao was composed of a lot of different architecture, almost like a patch-work quilt.

Guggenheim museum!

Interesting sculpture outside the museum. There a handful.

Famous spider sculpture along with another strange bridge. The spider even had egg like things in the bottom, a bit creepy.

River that runs through Bilbao

 Generally all the streets in the older part of Bilbao are like this. Houses piled upon houses

each with a small little balcony.

Another wonderful surprise is that the room we got online turned out to be gorgeous! For the price we found it as well! It had its own sitting room, large bathroom, two twin beds, two tvs (we didn't need) and then an amazing view of Bilbao.

Chocolatine or Pain au chocolate

Chocolatine when in the south. If you are unsure what this means, it refers to a croissant with chocolate filling. Another random fact I've learned: no matter what language someone speaks, if they have no teeth it is very hard to understand them. Just nod in agreement, or if you are really unsure randomly change your facial expressions so they think you are in comprehension. And then when you are really confused, their will be this awkward pause when everyone realizes you have no clue what the other person just said, and then you just laugh and move on. C'est la vie, n'est pas?

I have slacked quite a bit; almost as if I were on vacation or something...
This past weekend was our first excursion with the USAC program to the delightful village of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port (almost looks like my name all spelled out,ha!) along with Saint-Jean-de-Luz : the southern Basque Country/Coastline! It is mainly identified with architecture consisting of white buildings with dark read shutters, trim, or other parts. Some typical cuisines known are ham, the poulet basquaise you may have seen in my previous entries, and also chocolate with chillies (very similar to Mexican chocolate).
It is a region known to have one of the oldest written languages and the Basque people once rebelled when France insisted they adopt France and not the Basque language. Over time they settled for signs both in French and Basque. This Basque country extends from the southern most part of France into the north western part of Spain.
Thankfully it was partly cloudy for most of our excursion and unfortunately had been rainy most of the week.
We dined at a wonderful restaurant just next to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port. In this little town there is actually an arched doorway, or what used to be a door. After you go through this you are in this picturesque cobble stone town, shutters and the whole shebang. And don't forget the 45 degree upward climb to the citadel. (guess I have to work those French pastries off somehow) I'll put some pictures of course ( of the food if you've lost my train of thought).
The bus ride was through the most gorgeous rolling hills and mountains, with vineyards plastered to the sides of them, and splashes of a variety of greens. We reached Saint-Jean-de-Luz, missed La Fete du Thon (Tuna festival started in the evening) and found our way through the small city to a wall. Climbed the stairs and voila! a gorgeous beach, chiseled Frenchmen playing volleyball ( I swear I wasn't looking Brian ;o) ) oh yeah, and really nice sand and water. So enough of my jumbled mess of a blog here are some pictures.
I keep thinking about the up coming GRE's and I realize after being in France for three months I'm going to have to learn English again. My brain is Franglish soup.

 Saint-Jean-Pied...

 The entrance

 Restaurant

 Best beet mixture I've ever had

 Best and only au gratin potatoes I've ever eaten. Less cheese more of a stack of creamed but firm potatoes

 Apple tart. Before dessert we got a slice of cheese, bread, and jam. Very specific to the South

 Fresh flowers..

 um the beach of course

 a bit over cast but it cleared out a bit

Lourdes, France

Lourdes is only about 15min away by train, and is known for St. Bernadette, so very popular among Catholics. It has a very neat cathedral situated in the valleys and dips of the Pyrenees foothills. Sylvie proposed to take me today. She had previously mentioned that if I did not get to go with some of the other students that she would take me. She herself is Catholic so she enjoys it. There are a bunch of people from all over the world that come to see the infamous cathedral and holy water that drips from some natural spring form the mountains, out of the base rocks under the church. The church is composed of three different parts. One being underground. In the pictures you may see a football shaped grassy area in the front of the church and that is where the underground cathedral is. It almost seems like a huge parking garage when you walk in and some what creepy.

 water drips down from here and people go up and touch the stone...interesting.

 Underground chapel

 Strange architecture.

 Same river that runs through Pau

 View from the fort/chateaux

 There is the football shape I told you about