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"... On reaching the gate, the doors open as if in wait for me. And they are, for on moving forward and walking around a unique-in-style flowerbed, I reach the main entrance where two smiling young men hurry to welcome me. Within seconds, one of them helps me with my luggage while the other escorts me to the parking place which leads us directly into the house.
The reception hall, a spacious room in a combination of Colonial, Victorian, Provencal Country French styles the rustic country floor tiles, the ceiling wooden beams, the colorful handcrafted windows, … an antique elm door which has been restored caught my eye... on the background, the impressive oak staircase, lit by natural light.
They assume I am tired from the journey, (and I am), and they show me to my room. It is spacious, really spacious. A beautiful canopy decorates the bed, and next to it a wardrobe, a chaise-lounge... all made from solid wood and hand carved filigrees. And there are two, no, three windows overlooking a hectare of gardens surrounding the house; forests, valleys and mountains.
I come down for a meal, refreshed after a bubble bath. I am not hungry and Begoña recommends a warm salad of red peppers and codfish in Vizcaino sauce. ETXEGANA’s cooking comes up to my expectations. With a (homemade) Pacharán liqueur I go out to the glass porch enclosure. I walk among sofas and couches watching a beautifully ornamented room: Italian tapestry, Stuart Tudor mahogany furniture, and a piano, which they promised would be played at night. The meeting room is at the back. I walk out onto the deck to take a seat for a while and enjoy the show of greens the lawn boasts at its best in this heavenly place.
Etxegana is situated at the bottom of the Gorbeia Mountain Mass; it has been classified as a Natural Park due to its natural resources: centennial beech forests, beautiful groves, wetlands, oak forest, karstic mountains... housing goshawks, sparrow hawks, Egyptian vultures, wild cats, dormice, deer... Close to the wildest nature, picturesque country settings that display landscape and cultural values: old mills, hermitages, foundries... A paradise-like environment where you can practice all kinds of activities: bike riding, horseback riding, golf, speleology, archery...
On the first day, I resist the idea of going farther from the house and decide on taking a path by it. Strolling under these impressive trees sets your mind and spirit at ease. Evening falls with its soft orangish sunrays making their way through the oak tree leaves as I go back to Etxegana. I have travelled much and long, but there is a hand fist of places I shall return to, and I shall to Etxegana.""