I woke up to a beautiful day. It was Saturday so I felt a sense of freedom; a free day. I still have the “weekend mentality” after working for so many years. I had plans to meet Pierre & Grant at an event at the New York City Basque Club, Euskal Etxea, located in Brooklyn tonight.
After doing a few chores (sounds so “Little House on the Prairie,” doesn’t it?) I decided it was too beautiful a day to stay inside, so I decided to walk the Brooklyn Bridge. Not only would this get me closer to my destination, but I could also make reservations for my next set of company at Cecconi’s. I’ve learned that going in person puts me a step closer to getting a table with a view of Manhattan.
The walk was perfect. There were a lot of people and the weather could not have been nicer for a February.
Not wanting to walk in the dark, and it does get dark by 5 p.m., I arrived at Cecconi’s a bit early, made the reservation, and decided to have a drink. By myself. At the bar. Contrary to popular opinion, this is NOT something I do. Ever. It’s not that I’m opposed to the idea, but it would be different if I liked the taste of alcohol. I actually don’t, and certainly not enough to sit at a bar alone to have one. I love the socializing part of drinking. There is nothing better than spending hours in a bar with a friend, sipping on a Dirty Martini. Do I like the taste of a Dirty Martini? Not especially. But the combination of talking about anything and everything, the ambiance and being with a friend is everything.
But this bar, this location, this time in my life, well, I couldn’t think of a better way to kill time than to have a drink, sit back and truly appreciate the fact that I have been living a dream. How fortunate am I? And, don’t think I don’t appreciate it!!! As people with marble countertops say, “Don’t take it for granite!”
When I was done I called a cab to Greenpoint (northern part of Brooklyn) and was on my way to meet Pierre and Grant at a bar near the Basque Club. From there we walked into what I call a true “party atmosphere”. It was not the typical Basque function I am used to: tables set for a meal with everyone at the bar getting those before-dinner drinks. It was like walking into a nightclub. The event was called “pintxo pote.” I am assuming “pote” refers to wine because what I saw lined up against the two side walls were appetizer-type foods (pintxos) and wine. We paid one price at the door and helped ourselves all night long. The room was filled with many people. I am assuming they were Basque or friends of Basques. Most of the crowd was on the younger side. It was one big cocktail party — my favorite type of party.
When we first walked in we were approached by Kristiane, a girl from the Chino area who is now living in New York. We were completely surprised to see her. A few minutes later we were approached by another young lady who asked me if I was Marianna. She then looked at Pierre and asked him if he was Pierre. We were dumbfounded. As it turns out, this young lady, Katrina, is a daughter from someone both Pierre and I know quite well. Veronique (Katrina’s mother) was originally from Chino, married a Basque man, moved to the Basque Country and is now in Northern California. Katrina was born and raised in the Basque Country, but is now living in Princetown, New Jersey, and working for a French company. She was absolutely delightful and we all spent the entire time together. Her English is excellent!
It was wonderful being at the Club, being around other Basques, and being able to spend time with the Club president, Elisa Vidasolo Ancona (pictured below).
