Today was a laundry, shopping, oil-change, etc., day. When finished, we found one more thing in Idaho, besides potatoes, and certainly the most interesting--The Basque Museum and Cultural Center, with its manager, Wendy. A bonnie lass immigrant from Scotland, Wendy is irrepressible, witty, charming, and very knowledgeable about Basque culture. Eskerrik Asko (Thank you), Wendy.
We walked around the "Basque Block"of Boise, though not everything was open for touring. The Basque cross, generally used as a symbol of prosperity, was embedded in paving stones surrounded by the surnames of Basque families.
The Basques emigrated to this area during the 1840s gold rush. Those who did not make their fortunes became sheepherders and were isolated on the plains for months at a time with their flocks. During the cold winter months they stayed in boarding houses in Boise, such as this one.
A Basque market with the Basque flag.
A view from the mountain foothills outside of Boise...
...taken on our way to Table Rock, once used by Native Americans as a lookout, now the home of cell towers, antennas and a gigantic, white cross (barely visible on the far right edge of Table Rock). It is easier to see at night when illuminated.
I know that Jim will need an "oil change" by this point. I hope you found some good synthetic to re-fill after swapping out the old filter too. God, he would run pretty sluggish when he didn't have his oil changes in the old day ... I can only imagine how ugly this must be at his advanced age now!
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