Easter Sunday in New York City. I am so happy I decided to extend my stay for another month back. Although I realize I only have a full week left, it is going to be a great final week! Today, we are going to spend Easter at the Basque Club. Both Cyndi and Pat were quite excited about this idea,
We kicked off the day attending mass at Our Lady of the Rosary, the church I attended most of my Sundays in New York. There is a sign on the building next door with the name St. Elizabeth Ann Seton on it. This is the name of the Catholic Church in Ontario, California, and I often wondered why her name was there. St. Elizabeth Ann Seton is known as the founder of our country’s parochial school system. She was also the first American to be canonized by the Catholic Church. I now know that the building next to the church is where she lived for a brief time.
After mass, I proudly took the ladies to the bus stop, where we would board to head to the Upper East Side. I say “proudly” because it is only recently that I ventured on other busses to other areas. I was beyond excited for Cyndi and Pat to go to Pierre and Gran’t’s home, and, as I expected, they loved everything they saw. We enjoyed a couple of cocktails and then took a cab to Greenpoint, the town where the Basque Club is located in the borough of Brooklyn. We would have a late lunch/early dinner at the Eusko Extxea (the Basque Club). The Club was hosting a meal beginning at 3 p.m. Reservations were mandatory, and once the maximum was reached, no one else would be allowed. The President, Elisa, had told me she was limiting the attendees so no one would be crowded or uncomfortable. A unique idea for Basque events.
The club had a great turnout, and everyone was so welcoming. Seating was arranged, so we stood around our table and enjoyed the company of the many who approached us and introduced themselves. When I went to speak to Elisa, she hugged me like two old friends would. From the get-go, the event just felt good. And what really made me happy was how welcome Cyndi and Pat felt. I find Basques can seem standoff-ish… not because they’re not accepting, but because Basques can be timid, almost shy — I think. Once the door is open, however, they are indeed very welcoming, very warm, and very loving in general.
One of the ladies who introduced themselves to us was Alycia Legaretta. As it turns out, she is not Basque but married Juan Legaretta, a Basque man. Pierre found out during the course of the day that Juan was a butler and driver for the Shrivers. Yes, Maria Shriver’s parents, and whose mother, Eunice Shriver, was JFK’s sister. Pierre thought it was a good idea that I interview him, and by the end of the day, they had agreed to come to The Sonder on Thursday, with photos in hand, to be interviewed. They are pictured below.
An early dinner was served, but the food was brought in from the outside. Although the Club has what appears to be a nice kitchen, the stove does not work. They are hoping to make the repairs sooner than later. There was plenty of food, but the paella stood out to me. It was excellent, and the wine flowed. One thing: Everyone gets their money’s worth at this club. It was a wonderful Easter.
After spending a great day at the Basque Club, we needed a nightcap, so (as I recall) we went around the corner. Or maybe we went across the street? Who knows. What I do know is that Temkin’s Bar is a great little neighborhood spot…where everybody knows your name. Actually, I think they knew our names by the time we left.