We awoke to a rainy, windy day, which we all thought was perfect  for reading. Nick and I took out our Kindles and settled in. After awhile, Agnès asked me what I was reading. She became very excited when I told her that it was one of the books in the No. 1  Ladies’ Detective Agency series, which are set in Botswana, and feature a charming group of regular characters . She told me that she has read every book in the series. We began to talk about other series of books by the same author, as well as series we both enjoyed by other authors. We both love The Chronicles of Brother Cadfael series, featuring an herbalist  monk in the 12th century. And all four of us have read The Inspector Montalbano Mysteries books, set in Sicily. She brought several of the books down from her bookshelves. We marveled about how much we both enjoyed all of these books.

For dinner, Agnès prepared a delicious roast chicken  with green beans. While Agnès and I had talked about our favorite book characters, Nick and José-Maria discussed technology, both new and old.

The weather was much better the following day. The four of us took a long walk along the coast, seeing sunbathers and swimmers. Then the four of us went to a nearby town for our midday meal. We shared a charcuterie that included types of salami, ham, pate, cornichons,  and peppers. Nick ordered a hot squid dish, while I had salade fruits de mer that included clams, mussels, shrimp, and smoked trout. All were absolutely delicious.

In the afternoon, José-Maria asked Nick to photograph each room of the house,  and Nick was very happy to do that. Then Agnès, José-Maria and Nick went for a swim. As we would be leaving very early the next morning, I asked Nick to take a photo of the four of us.

The next morning, José-Maria drove us to the airport. We said very fond farewells. On our first day together, José-Maria had said that we have been friends for forty-eight years, and we should have a special get-together for the fiftieth anniversary of our friendship. I sincerely hope we will!!!!

In conclusion, we thank José-Maria and Agnès; Rick Steves Tours; our excellent guide, Todd; our delightful co-tourists, especially Linda, who was originally my Basque buddy and is now my good friend. I thank Dr. Mark Fletcher, who enabled me to walk without pain by replacing my hip. And I thank everyone who enjoyed our blog and photos!

When we returned home, the was a message for me from Ancestry.com. They have determined that I am 1% Basque!

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