That’s our Ruth, one of our two brand new Sammic Scholars for BasqueStage.
And whatever you do, don’t call her a tourist.

Elisha and Ruth are buried in the kitchen at Berasategui, and every weekend they surface to see some of the surrounding beauty, experiencing it as only a local can…in car, winding through the picturesque mountains.

This weekend, we went to visit the Sammic factory in Azkoitia, but before we get to that, we have to talk about….what we ate on the way. Clearly.

We stopped at a SERIOUSLY rural restaurant, and we got the traditional Basque treatment. A bowl of free soup to knock the chill. A choice of first course: mixed salad, ensalada rusa, fried things (above, croquetas and calamari)…and then seconds: roast beef, roast chicken, sole with a hard-boiled egg sauce…. followed by dessert of natillas, arroz con leche, and coffee. All next to a crackling fire.

Stay tuned for the Sammic visit!