Viva La France! and last night in San Se

Today started with a quick drive over the border into France.

Since the GPS was only loaded with a map of Spain, we were armed with a set of detailed yet inaccurate google maps directions to find our way. After a few wrong turns, a stop for help in a McDonalds, and an attempt to flag down a mailman, we made it to our destination-- L'Auberge Basque-- a country inn with a beautiful restaurant.

We were only a half an hour away from our hotel in Spain, but it was like a different world. A very similar scenery, but a totally different attitude.

We ordered a 1/2 bottle of locally produced wine and chose the three course menu du pays. First up was a gaspacho with silky foie gras in the center surrounded by cubed beets, crunchypotato crisps and tiny slivers of granny smith apple.

The second course was a plate of tender, melt-in-your-mouth lamb chops over a polenta that rivaled the best cheese grits the south has to offer. The dish was dotted with small round slices of an okra-like green pepper with a kick.

We added a cheese course and then had dessert, which was a sliced peach lightly cooked and soaked in something almond flavored, piled high with delicate hills of powdered sugar and whipped cream running through it.

Yum.

View from the table:

We took a walk around the grounds of the inn,

and then drove into the beach town of St. Jean de Luz.

Along the boardwalk, we found the usual beach shops selling sandals and postcards and wonderful views

And French people in bathrobes.

Behind the boardwalk, we found the marina and the old town.

It was very apparent that we were in France as the streets were lined with cafes, and the pastries looked much more delicious, including this meringue that I just couldn't pass up:

Not to mention this guy wearing a beret:

From here we drove over to the Western side of the beach to check out what appeared to be an old lookout or fort with waves crashing against the sides of the walls.

After a scenic drive back to San Se, we joined in the daily tradition of the locals, the paseo, or stroll along La Concha beach

all the way to the very end to see the Chillida sculpture, Comb of the Wind or El Peine del Viento. There was a huge crowd to watch the sculpture at high tide and sunset. As the waves crash into the shore, the water shoots through the sculpture resulting in a slow moving mist.

It's a bit hard to explain in words, so I tried to capture it on video:

By the time we made it back around the beach, the sun was starting to set.

So we decided to start our final night of pinxtos hopping in San Sebastian at La Cuchara de San Telmo, which we had heard great things about.

While Alona Berri was known for its presentation, La Cuchara was all taste. We had a glass of txaxoli, a taste of beef cheeks (similar to brisket), a creamy risotto made with squid ink, lightly fried bacalo, and a ham-wrapped scallop. Each pinxto was better than the last, and we probably could have ordered several more, but we had to re-visit our favorite, El Fuego Negro, one more time.

We repeated the mini kobe burgers, tried their cod dish, which was served over curried cauliflower puree, and had a crab with avocado mousse and liquorice ice cream--a perfect ending for our eating-fest in San Sebastian.