They Do Love Their Water Sports in San Sebastian Spain

During our stay in San Sebastian last October, we were amazed by the prevalence of water sports that we saw. We knew that the city's beaches are part of its appeal. So we expected to see swimming and surfing, which we did. But we didn't know that we'd see so many people participating in so many different water sports in all kinds of weather.

Sailboats racing about on a rainy day

The weather was beautiful on the afternoon we arrived in San Sebastian. We had expected cool weather, so we did not bring swimsuits on this trip. However, we did roll up our pant legs and wade in the refreshing sea water. As we walked along the beach, we watched several people in kayaks rowing back and forth across the bay. My wife and I both do some kayaking at Island Lake in Minnesota. For us, it's just a leisurely way to get out on the water and enjoy the scenery. The kayakers we saw in San Sebastian were serious rowers. We were impressed by how fast they went.

The next day, the weather turned grey and threatened rain. We carried umbrellas as we walked along the Urumea River that runs through the middle of the city. Despite the unpleasant weather, we saw several rowers sculling up and down the river.

The following day the weather was even worse. We imprudently neglected to carry umbrellas and got rained on during our hike up Monte Urgull (one of 3 high hills that provide vista views of San Sebastian, its bay and the ocean beyond). The rain didn't dissuade us; we were already committed to the hike. But we were surprised to see small sailboats racing back and forth in the bay.

But the activity that amazed me the most was river surfing on the Urumea. Our last day in San Sebastian provided a return to beautiful weather. On our morning walk (intending to hike up Monte Ulia, the second of the 3 hills), I was fascinated to observe how the high tide allowed ocean waves to roll into the mouth of the river. It's a phenomenon I've never seen before. But as interesting as that was, it was even more amazing to see people surfing up river on the waves! They were on stand-up paddleboards which they rowed into the waves as they broke. It was a truly singular sight. (Sorry, no photo. But you can read more about it by clicking this link.)

Sculling on the Urumea River

Travelogue Paris 2017: Getting comfortable in familiar settings

My wife and I have been to Paris often enough now that we sort of feel at home there. Well, if not actually 'homey,' at least familiar enough so that we can wander through neighborhoods with a sense of familiarity. So when we planned our autumn trip to Europe (and Morocco), it was an easy decision to begin in Paris. There's a direct flight on Delta from Minneapolis to Paris. We flew overnight and arrived mid-morning. After clearing customs, we arrived at our hotel late morning. The friendly staff let us check in early. So we had a chance to unpack and relax before setting out. But even if they hadn't, we could have just checked our luggage and gone out to find a cafe for lunch.

The last time we were in Paris, the weather was ugly - cold, windy, rainy, we even had sleet one day. So this trip was sort of a do-over, and the weather was much more pleasant. In mid-October, we expected it to be cool. Normally it would be. But for the 4 days on this trip, we enjoyed unseasonably warm weather.

Our hotel for this trip was Les Dames du Pantheon. We loved it. I gave it 5 stars on my tripadvisor review. Some of the rooms have a view of the Pantheon, and it is very impressive. In the evening, young people gather in the square in front of the Pantheon, and I suppose it could be a little noisy. Our room, facing a side street, was nice and quiet. But for us, the main appeal was the neighborhood. It's close to Notre Dame, The Luxembourg Gardens, the Latin Quarter and many excellent restaurants. But it's far enough out of the hubbub of the Left Bank to also be quiet and relaxing. We also really appreciated the staff. They were friendly and accommodating.

Restaurants: 

Having fun at Aux Trois Mailletz

Aux Trois Mailletz: We have come here multiple times on previous trips to Paris. Usually we just come for the music and generally entertaining experience. On this trip, we decided to also have dinner. The food was good. Nothing to rave about, but flavorful and satisfying. We ordered a bottle of wine, which we sipped with dinner and throughout the evening listening to the piano bar performers. We asked our server to take a photo. As we posed for the shot, other patrons started calling out 'bise, bise!' It took us a while to figure out they wanted us to kiss. (I definitely have to improve my French.)

La Maison de Verlaine: This is a friendly, comfortable neighborhood restaurant that we 'discovered' on our previous trip to Paris. We enjoyed it so much that we paid a return visit in 2017. Still very satisfying and enjoyable.

L'Orangerie: My wife and I saw this restaurant while strolling through L'ile Saint-Louis. It looked appealing, so we made a reservation for dinner. It fully lived up to our expectations. We both ordered off the 3-course menu (a good value for 35 Euros). Our food was delicious and attractively presented. The service was attentive without being obtrusive. We did note that on the night we dined there, most of the other guests were speaking English. A casual conversation with the diner at the next table confirmed that the restaurant is popular with business travelers.

Le Coupe-Chou: The staff at our hotel recommended Le Coupe-Chou for our last night in Paris. It was 3 blocks away and highly recommended. It was just what we wanted. The restaurant was quiet and warm. Service was efficient and accommodating. We both decided to order off the daily menu - 3 courses for 33 Euros. However, I wanted a different dessert. No problem. The server pointed out that I could have the entree and main course for 27 Euros and then order my preferred dessert ala carte. For the record, my dessert was figs poached in red wine and honey. Delicious. Just one observation, however. It seemed like most of the patrons were speaking English. That's not bad, and it certainly isn't a negative as far as a dining experience. But my guess is that locals tend to steer English-speaking guests to a restaurant like this because it does accommodate us. So if you're looking to immerse yourself in Parisian ambiance, you probably won't find that here. 

Figs poached in red wine and honey, at Le Coupe-Chou

Nightlife: 

Besides Aux Trois Mailletz, mentioned above, which was both dinner and entertainment, we also made our way over to Sunset Sunside for a late set after dinner one night. There was a local jazz trio performing some pretty hard-driving music. Despite being jam-packed, the people in the audience listened attentively and appreciatively to the musicians. They were great. We only heard one set and then everyone left. Early, we thought, for Paris. 

I almost decided to get rid of my Jaguar

It was Christmas Eve Day. My wife and I had plans to meet friends for a movie and dinner. I opened the garage door and hopped in the car. I pressed the start button. All I got was a sickening "thunk, thunk." The electronics started flashing error messages on the dashboard. It was obvious that the Jaguar would not be our sleigh ride on this Christmas Eve.

Flashback: When I retired, I bought a new 2014 Jaguar XK. I have coveted Jaguars ever since I became acquainted with them in the mid-1960s, in fact since before I even had a drivers license. But over the years, I always had other, more practical priorities, like paying for college, getting married, buying a house, having kids, saving for their colleges, saving for their weddings, saving for the grandkids colleges ...

Me and my XK

My wife gets the actual credit for the Jaguar that's parked in our garage. She's the one who encouraged me finally to start a dedicated account to save up for a Jaguar. And by the time I retired, it was enough. I debated whether to buy a restored vintage XKE like I fell in love with 50 years ago. But I'm sort of mechanically challenged, and I knew I wouldn't be able to keep an old Jaguar running on my own. The XK model design was reminiscent enough of the XKE. So I decided to get a new one, anticipating that it would be more reliable mechanically.

Don't get me wrong. It's been pretty good. The only thing that's ever caused any serious trouble has been the electrical system.

Eyes Wide Open: I've always heard that the electrical system is fussy in a Jaguar. About once a year, I discover that the battery has drained unexpectedly and without any apparent cause. It happened earlier this fall. When I took the car in to have the snow tires put on (yes, I do drive it all winter in Minnesota), I asked the mechanics to check it out.

The verdict was that the battery was starting to get weak. "It's rated at 800 cold cranking amps, and the meter shows it putting out 600," the mechanic told me. He said that should be ok. But since the car was still at the dealer, he could put in a new battery, if I wanted, for $500. I gulped at that. Yeah, maintaining a Jaguar isn't cheap. But $500 for a car battery? That seemed unreasonable. So, I declined.

Now, when the car wouldn't start earlier this fall, my son-in-law lent me his jump starter. And that worked! The car fired up. I drove it around to recharge the battery, and I hoped that everything was ok. As insurance, I went out and bought a jump starter myself.

Not good enough, apparently. When we got home from a very nice dinner with our friends, I plugged in the jump starter that I bought so that it would be fully charged by morning. On Christmas morning, I went into the garage, hooked up the jump starter, got into the car and pushed the start button. All I heard was the same sickening "thunk thunk" and the electronics went berserk again. Frustrating, but it was Christmas Day. I didn't really need to be driving the Jaguar anywhere. And I knew it would be next to impossible to get someone to come out and help me get it started.

I thought, maybe my son-in-law's jump starter was more powerful. So later in the evening, I went over to his house and borrowed his Stanley JumpIt again. I charged it up overnight. On Tuesday morning, I hooked it up to the car. Much to my chagrin, still no action.

My Jaguar dealer provides emergency roadside assistance, including jump starts. I did have to call them one other time when the battery drained. I knew that it would be a long wait, so I decided to try one more thing. My local hardware store opened at 8 a.m. I ran over there and bought jumper cables. Came home and hooked up my wife's Honda . The Jaguar did turn over. But not with enough oomph to get it started.

Time to call in a pro. I dialed the roadside assistance number. Of course, I waited on hold for 20 minutes, but finally someone came on the phone, took my information, and put in a service call with a local provider. Ah, but now, I started to run into my own schedule conflicts. I had a couple of appointments to take care of, and the time that the auto service guy could come out wouldn't work. So I told them to just wait a day and come on Wednesday.

It was while I was running my errands (in my wife's car) that I had my moment of doubt. "What's the point of having a beautiful, high-powered car just sitting in my garage?" I said to myself. It's 4 years old, just over 30,000 miles. I wondered what I could get if I tried to sell it. But what would I replace it with? I liked the Volvo I was driving when I got the Jaguar. Maybe I'd get a new Volvo. Or maybe I'd shop for an electric vehicle.

Wednesday morning, a tow truck that was arranged by the roadside assistance service pulled into my driveway. It took 3 tries. But finally after 4 frustrating days, the Jaguar fired up with a throaty roar. I guess she'd just been sleeping.

As I drove up the street, on my way to get a new battery, the car surged ahead, as if to complain: "What am I doing on this suburban street? I should be flying down the highway."

I felt that familiar thrill. I'm driving a Jaguar! And all thoughts of getting rid of it evaporated.