Spanish Hooky- a coffee in the port

Its in my nature.
Part gypsy, part hobo, part 19th-c traveler.
I live on a boat.
I travel for a living.
I dream in technicolor and surround-a-sound.
I have one foot planted on water, the other in the garden.
Sometimes I channel Mark Twain, wearing an apron.
I am at ease in this world.

Ok, so enough with the lifestyle haiku. This is my way of introducing a new feature here at French Kitchen Adventures. I call it Spanish Hooky.

The best part living in Europe is that in the time it takes to drive from Seattle to Portland, I drive from France to Spain. That means Goodbye baquettes et cafe au lait, Hola cerveza y pintxos! Today I drive off to Northern Spain- west coast-- the Pais Vasco (Basque Countries to you!) and la Rioja for a week of exploring the insides of some of the most interesting and beautiful houses, hotels and... restaurants in all of Spain. Like this- the new City of Wine building by Frank O Gehry for La Marques de Riscal in La Rioja.

photo credit

So when you see Spanish Hooky think: calamar, bacalao, jamon, antxoa, aceites... I'll meet you in the bar on the sea for a cortado...

a great way to start the day.

My True Valentine Boy.

2007
Sorry all you hot, panting animals.

My heart barks out for another.
He is big, and sweet, and eats like a pig.
He talks back, growls good night and then snores.
But at the end of the day when I say "Good Boy" for the one hundredth time,
I know I really mean it.
Nobody's perfect, but he's pretty close.

2008

Happy V-day, Bacon!
(Celebrating one year and one month together!)

Faux Twitter

I can't seem to find the time. Training Bacon to ride a bike. Hanging a curtain rod. Fixing a toilet. Two down and two to go. Eating bread and wine for dinner. Good French bread and great Madiran wine. Skype, Blog, phone, cell, email, website... Unplug. Quiet. A night bird calls out across the canal. Twitter.