Few and far between are the “popular” books on the Basque Country that give an overview of the people, the land, and the culture of Euskal Herria. The Basque Histroy of the World, by Mark Kurlansky, is probably the most well-known. Now, Paddy Woodworth, author of Dirty Wars, Clean Hands: ETA, the GAL, and Spanish […]
It was one of the most horrific events in modern warfare. During the Spanish Civil War, at the behest of Franco, the German Luftwaffe bombed the Basque town of Gernika, on a Monday, the traditional market day for the town. They also bombed Durango and, I have read, the town where my dad is from, […]
There seem to be two camps in linguistic circles on the role language has in shaping how we think. I’ve read a number of books by Stephen Pinker, who is of the opinion that the particular language we speak doesn’t shape how we think, that there is a meta-language underneath, common to all of us, […]
Two more points about Euskara that I wanted to mention. First, Renee Marticorena sent me a note about UNESCO‘s new classification of Euskara as unsafe. They have an interactive atlas of languages in danger, which is interesting in its own right, but, with regards to Euskara, shows it to be in an unsafe position in […]
In 1991, I went to Euskal Herria to learn Euskara. My dad is from Munitibar, and my mom’s grandparents were from Leikeitio (her grandma) and Mutiloa (her grandpa). While of course my dad was fluent in Euskara, my mom hadn’t had the opportunity to learn. Her dad, while born and raised in Oregon, also knew […]
On egin dizuela janak eta kalterik ez edanak… May the food do you good and the drink do you no harm. The Basque Country is known for many things, including gastronomy, sports of strength, the Guggenheim, the basseriak, and so on. But, it is also known for good drink. Two indegenious beverages are txakoli and […]
Ahizpak. Sisters. Clearly a good description of Izar and Maite, two sisters who are immensely talented artists. Ahizpak is also the name of their joint studio, in which they showcase their work. Including sculpture, paintings, carvings, jewelry and more, they take their inspiration from their Basque heritage, incorporating Basque motifs such as the lauburu, Euskara, […]
I only met him a few times, in Seattle, in Boise, in Homedale, but he made a lasting impression. Always with a smile and with his txistu at hand, Aita Martxel Tillous always added something special to any Basque gathering, even if it was a bunch of northwesterners gathered in a hay barn, doing their […]
A new tattoo has been added to the Tattoo Gallery. This one comes from Michael Bengoa of Susanville, California. He says it took him a long time to locate someone who could do the type of job he was looking for. Looks like he found the right person. Thanks Michael!
I just got a note from Roslyn Frank, a researcher into Basque prehistory. She found this podcast featuring Mikel Morris, who I recently interviewed. Thanks Roz!
