Every year in April, bicycling dominates the Basque Country as the Euskal Herriko Itzulia – the Tour of the Basque Country – brings riders from all over the world to compete for the txapela. The 2023 edition just concluded, taking riders through six stages that started in Vitoria-Gasteiz and passed through Labastidia, Leitza, Santurtzi, Amorebieta-Etxano […]
After what seemed like forever, they finally made it to shore. Even in the daylight, even in modern Donostia, they wouldn’t have known the layout of the coastline, but in the dark and in the past, they had no clue where they were going. They just wanted to get away from the island and the […]
One of my more memorable experiences during my first trip to Euskal Herria was a visit to the Aitor knife factory. My dad’s brother-in-law worked there and took me to see the multitude of machines they used to make these storied blades. I got to meet the designers and the people on the floor actually […]
By Lisa Van De Graaff Burnt Basque cheesecake has become a family favorite for us, especially for Blas who has requested it for his birthday cake three years in a row. It is an unusual and oh-so-rewarding experience to smell the burnt top and savor the texture combination of paper thin crunchy char and thick […]
Before Kepa could protest, Maite stood and walked onto the beach. She tried to appear weak and wobbly, but her stumbling was less of an act that she wanted to admit. The long run and the gash on her arm had drained her more than she had expected. She let out a soft cry to […]
The Santiago de Compostela Cathedral, the burial place of Saint James the Great, is one of the most important pilgrimage destinations in all of Christendom – during the Middle Ages, it was one of the three great Christian pilgrimages, along with Rome and Jerusalem. While pilgrims can take many paths to reach Santiago de Compostela, […]
By John Etulain Like many other Basques before and after him, my father, Miguel “Mike” Etulain, came to the United States and made a notable life for himself and his family. In 1952, he arrived in the United States where he worked for his Uncle Juan Etulain in Sunnyside, Washington. Juan was getting out of the sheep […]
“The British? The Portuguese?” exclaimed Kepa. “What the hell is going on?” Maite heard what almost sounded like a sigh in the back of her head. “Do they teach you nothing at school?” mused Garuna almost dryly. “In 1813, the British and Portuguese besieged the city to expel the French occupiers.” “Dammit!” cried Maite. “What […]
Robert Uselton just sent me a few photos that I wanted to share. One is his recreation of the Hand of Irulegi, as a gift to a friend. The other is a street scene in Bilbo of an elderly gentleman walking by a cafe. Thanks for sharing, Dutch!
The French Revolution and the subsequent reign of Napoleon was a tumultuous time that led to significant changes in and to the Basque Country. Before, the three provinces of Iparralde – Lapurdi, Zubero, and Nafarroa Beherea – had enjoyed some level of self-governance. For example, Lapurdi had the Biltzar, which was effectively a local parliament. […]
