Hello Clotilde, I am a brand new visitor on your blog, and I must say how inspiring and interesting it is. Cooking is not a passion for me, but I am getting more and more interested into it, thanks to all the information you and your blog peers do provide. My family actually moved down between Bayonne and Dax a couple of years back, and we actually went to the restaurant Euzkadi this summer. The pictures you took reminded me how delicious, fulfilling, and not expensive this meal was. We had a great family moment there, and your pictures brought back a flood of memories to me, so thank you. Cheers, Sabine

Summer of 2004 we did this trip. I so want to go back. But I never knew of the perfume...it doesn't smell like the peppers does it?! Our drives over the boarder into Spain were often stalled by the most stubborn herds of sheep and goats - one big billy goat came up to the open car window and stuck his face in!

I love the Piment d'Espelette. It's so fine and so esthaetic!

This is one of the places in France that surprised me the most. I thought it would be dry plains since it is going into Spain but it reminded me more of the rolling hills in England. It is someplace I want to return to and visit in more depth.

Hi Clotilde,

Very interesting report! Just a word to say that the "horses" you've seen were actually what we call Pottok (pronounce Potiok in occitan!).

Bye,
Céline

This was a region of France I never even considered traveling to. I am rethinking my assumptions because you make it all sound so good!

Hello Clothilde,

I love the pain d'épices from Ainhoa. It is so good. You can see photo here :

http://papillesetpupillesannexes.blogspot.com/2005/10/bon-got-daquitaine-un-aprs-midi.html

The horses (or Pottok) look like they have a great life, and a super view.

Clotilde,

I read your blog from time to time and was happy to see this piece on Piment D'Espelette, though I suspect we must be psychically linked, as I wrote about Piment on my little blog a few weeks back! Your posts are always interesting--I look forward to more.

One of my favorite hot pepper!

Hello Clothilde,
when in season, it's the green piment d'espelette, slightly more bitter than a green capsicum, that is used in piperade.
It's also very tasty fried with girolles, potatoes and persillade.

Surely these restaurants are safe from mobs, are they?

not only a food writer! Clotilde you have that wonderful ability to bring a place to life..always thank you, always

Your trip sounds and looks so perfect it seems fake! I love to read your blog and from my drab office in the U.S. it really brightens my day. I can't wait to visit the lovely French country side again!

Alisa - No, my perfume doesn't smell like Espelette peppers (it's a citrusy-woody scent), but they had a really interesting one that smelled like coriander seeds and cumin!

Céline - Thanks for the precision. Those pottok (is there an "s" in the plural?) were everywhere, and I like them better than horses: they look more humble, like poneys.

while looking up something completely different I realized that you have been responding to comments - i was kind of kidding on the pepper thing - and thanks for the info on the phyllo :)

Hi, Clotilde! Agur!

The plural of "pottok" is "pottokak" :)

In Espelette, didn't you try the chocolate of "Antton" (pronounce Ann-tion) They have a speciality of ganache spiced with Espelette pepper. It changes.

Imho, for sure, the Cazenave chocolate factory in Bayonne is a must. A vision, a perfume and a taste of Heaven. Isn't it?

Very glad you enjoied my country! :))

Dan
(In exile in the North of France)

Hi Clotilde,

I'm not sure, but i would put a "s" for the plural. My memories of occitan language are very far (do you know it could be an option for the "baccalauréat"??), but I was a very bad student!

I've checked, and pottokak it is, Dan Dx know his basque all right ! See this :

http://www.zientzia.net/artikulua.asp?Artik_kod=11246

Céline : nothing to do with Occitan, this is Basque, a totally different language, with the reputation of being one of the trickiest ones (I've read quite a lot about it, it's mind-numbing...) Go for Hungarian if you want something marginally less difficult, but in the same category of languages, known as agglutinative languages.

Hi Clotildes's papounet!

Thanks for this precious research and sorry for my mistakes!
I didn't even know what "agglunitative language" mean....
What we learn with food blog is incredible!

Papounet, agur eta mil esker (ndt : salut et merci)

As the saying runs there, Basque language is so difficult that the Devil himself has been unsuccessful at learning it ! :))

Dan