What to eat: Basque Country

We went to the Basque region in (large) part to eat, and we weren't disappointed.

We didn't have a single meal in France - the formal dining style didn't suit our needs on this particular trip - but in Spain we had no problem finding really good food with Jasper in tow. We mostly enjoyed casual tapas, or pintxos, but even sit-down restaurants were tolerant of babies in strollers. Unlike dining stateside, kids are neither scorned nor embraced in restaurants and bars. There are no kid's seats, toys or crayons, but there aren't harsh looks when a stroller-pusher walks through the door either. Obviously we didn't bring Jasper to super-fancy restaurants, but other than that we were pretty unrestricted.

It took us a while to figure out the rhythm of a typical day, but I now understand it to be something like this:

Breakfast is small, usually a coffee accompanied by a pastry or yogurt, and it is almost always taken sitting down. Despite a slow infiltration of portable paper cups into pastry shops, to-go coffee is still a rarity.

Lunch is the big meal, and seems to take place somewhere between 1-4 pm. Our hosts in San Sebastien explained that this is the meal they most often cook at home, and it's rarely a small affair. I'd recommend starting out with some Pintxos at a bar - early while they're still fresh - and then eating a sit-down lunch after you're nice and warmed up. Oh and feel free to imbibe, since you'll be indulging in a siesta afterward. It's like tailgating EVERY DAY!

Dinner is late, I assume since people have to pack in extra hours at work to compensate for all that lunching and napping. From what I gather, it usually consists of pintxos or a light meal, and is eaten after 9.

Don't leave without trying the guindilla (little green peppers that aren't usually spicy, but can be), bacalao (salted cod), anchovies/sardines (we're still not sure which are which), Basque cider (unpasteurized, farmy and delicious), and ham. So yeah - try not to be vegetarian.

Here are some highlights. Not pictured but also not to be missed are shots of Getaria, where restaurants lining the harbor grill fresh seafood.

Bacalao from our one fancy date, guindilla, tuna grilled at a tuna festival. San Sebastien.

Pintxos in Hondarribia (first four) and Bilbao (last two)

The rest of our photos can be found here.

what to wear: Basque Country

Before we talk about the actual trip, let's talk about packing, shall we?

coat, shirt, specs, bag, unknown sandals

"Basque Country" sounds so quaint, doesn't it? Well it's not. Even the tiniest towns we visited were teeming with style. Not to worry, though. Much like the food, the clothes I saw were unfussy and basic but well constructed from quality ingredients materials. Every single person was wearing Wayfarers; boxy blouses and straight leg black jeans were de rigueur. Oh, and go ahead and shed your stateside reservations about trends like jumpsuits and harem pants. They were everywhere.

do this "don't"?

From Paris Vogue (via here)...Socks n' Sandals! What? No! Yes??

Verdict: Not in real life. But I love the editorial!

Why did Snoop Dogg go to New England?

Fo' drizzle!

Yeah, I know. I'm hilarious. But seriously, folks. It's been rainy, gray and [relatively] cool in my neck of the woods for the last couple days and I'm LOVING it! I'm totally ready for cooler weather and cozy indoor time, which is why this week's Good & Greedy Picks of the Week are a little fall-centric.

Obviously, my first pick is Bodkin. They're committed to sustainability and whatever, but the bottom line is that they make beautiful clothes. Their fall line makes my heart flutter.

My next pick are these gorgeous boucherouite rugs, via Berber-Arts. If colder temperatures are forcing the party inside, imagine ditching traditional furniture and cozying up on one of these Moroccan "rag rugs." From the Moroccan Arabic bu sherwit, meaning "a piece torn from pre-used clothing" or "scrap," these rugs are recycling at its finest.

I do recognize that it is still August. That gives us at least a few more weeks of outdoor entertaining. So my final pick is Jelloware - pretty, edible cups that you can just toss in the yard (or eat) when you're done with them. They're made from agar agar so not only will they biodegrade, but they'll nurture your garden. Imagine the impact you can make when you need to cut off a boozy guest. "You think you need another drink? Too bad, I ate your cup! HA!"

A quick paraphrase of every unsolicited conversation I had while I was pregnant would go something like this:

Them: "Is this your first kid?"
Me: "Yes."
Them: "Congratulations! It's basically a series of terrible things. It's the best feeling ever! Good luck."

They may have had a point. A week ago, if you asked me what the hardest part of being a parent is, I would have told you that it was getting the baby to sleep. But of course that's not true, because sleep hasn't been a problem this week. This week has been pretty awesome. Don't worry, though, there will be a whole new problem next week. And next week's problem won't be the hardest part of being a parent either.

Because really, the hardest part about being a parent is how vulnerable you become. One day a little alien-looking thing pops out and BAM, your life is no longer your own. Everything you do suddenly revolves around this half-person, who is so totally helpless and you love him so much that you're helpless too. And the weirdest part is that you spend a good chunk of this lovefest consumed with rage. How can this be?

I've said the same basic thing before. But I bought a baby milestone book and it doesn't have room to write things like this, so I have to dump these thoughts into cyberspace. It's a roundabout way of recording the milestone of Jasper learning to sleep, and how every new thing he does is accompanied by a new wave of vulnerability. It's too much to hold in, and I'm told it never ends.

back2school

What kid doesn't secretly love a new school year? Most kids, I'm told, but I'm not buying it. Am I to believe that all kids DON'T sit down in the beginning of August and write out detailed shopping lists and resolutions for the upcoming academic cycle? Likely story!

I loved planning for the fall. A quick flip through any of my childhood diaries will reveal lists upon lists of resolutions like "get all A's," "talk more in class," and "FINALLY get a boyfriend." My shopping lists were painfully specific. I would outline not only the amount of notebooks I'd need, but also width of rule (wide v. college), number of sections, style of divider (plastic or cardboard? pockets or none?) and even acceptable brands. No pencil lead diameter, pen ink color, or loose leaf paper margin could be left to chance.

My lists for clothes were also highly detailed. I'd plan to buy (neon) basics that I could "mix and match," and then a few crazy accessories and details to make each outfit stand out. So an excerpt from a list might look like this:

FALL 1993:

BOTTOMS
3 pairs stirrup stretch pants - black, blue and purple
2 pairs of jeans -basic and acid wash
1 pair navy blue dressy pant
tights - patterned and solid colors
jean shorts for over tights or pants

TOPS
several t-shirts - different colors/Hypercolor and No Fear if Mom lets me
4 button down shirts - plaid
1 blazer
3 v-neck sweaters in different colors
3 cardigans in different colors
jean jacket

I have to say that things haven't changed all that much. I'm not going back to school this fall, but I'm already pretty well stocked up on my wardrobe. Just like 12-year-old me, I set out to buy a handful of basics that I'll wear all the time, plus a few edgier pieces to shake things up. My basics aren't stretch pants from Kohl's now, and my on-trend items aren't (necessarily) Hypercolor or No Fear, but the spirit of the process is more or less the same.

The only thing I'm missing now is any clue as to how to put all this crap together. That's where street style blogs come in. Find a girl with my wardrobe but better fashion sense, throw her up on Pinterest, and emulate when I'm feeling uninspired. Et voilà! Too cool for school.

Urban Cowboy, Girl, and Baby

We had a swell weekend - thanks for asking! We went camping in Brooklyn, of all places, and it was pretty awesome. We stayed at Floyd-Bennett Field, an old airport on Jamaica Bay that's been turned into all sorts of other things including the aforementioned campground. There are about 40 tent spots located right off an old runway and across from a hangar, which is open as a museum but currently infested with fleas. We were a bit disappointed that we couldn't look around, but grateful to have been warned about the fleas...

Above - the flea-ridden hangar. Below, Keith and Jasper bopping around the grounds in my childhood Radio Flyer, Jasper giving me a big kiss.

We pulled in late on Friday night. Jasper went right to sleep and Keith and I sat around the campfire, spinning yarns. On Saturday we decided to recover from our late night by cruising the Rockaways. We went by the beach to enjoy some awesome tacos and fresh juices. Keith had watermelon and I had pineapple/mint, which was probably the best juice of my life. The extreme heat plus the fact that we couldn't shower made us a little sluggish, but it was a good, summery day.

After the beach we decided to walk around Park Slope to grab a drink. While we were wandering around aimlessly we bumped into our friend Jason, who took us to a cute restaurant with good beer and a great backyard. After drinks we headed back to the campground and grilled up some sausages, accompanied by some salads I whipped up before we left. Sadly, though, the lentil salad (below) got ruined by melted ice. Sad. But it looks good, no?

On Sunday we went out to Fort Greene and had a good Moroccan brunch in an AWESOME backyard. The sausage (merguez) was fantastic, but the service was kind of terrible and they were actually playing a Michael Bolton CD.

Our battery died 3 times, so we decided to go home after Jason met us in Williamsburg to give us our final jump. I was a little thrown by how Williamsburg looks these days, but we were able to pick up some good stuff from Buffalo Exchange and a cute kid's store across the street. Overall a fun, albeit dirty, weekend!!