It is now well established that the Basques, if not the very first Europeans to set foot on the North American continent, were among the first. Of course, there were already a large number of thriving peoples living there when they arrived, and the Basques certainly interacted closely with them, even developing trading pidgins. None […]
“The future?” exclaimed Kepa, an edge of panic in his voice. “What do you mean, the future?” “Well, why not?” asked Maite, rhetorically. “Our time is the future for Marina and de Lancre, and they’ve both gone there. Why wouldn’t there be zatiak in what we would consider our future?” “But, but,” began Kepa. “At […]
In probably 1996, after I had started this page and met Xabier Ormaetxea online, I visited the Basque Country and Xabier took me to see Butrón Castle. At the time, it was open for visitors, with people in period costume welcoming us and showing us the castle. For me, it was pretty impressive – you […]
It took a few moments for their vision to clear. When it did, they could tell they were still in the airport, but it was drastically different. Rather than the relatively sparse and empty hall they had just been standing in, they now found themselves surrounded by people, lights, and displays. Every nook had a […]
During World War II, the Basque Country occupied a special geopolitical position which provided unique opportunities to contribute to the effort against the Axis powers. The French side was of course occupied by Germany, but the Spanish side remained neutral. This led to networks to get soldiers, refugees, and politicians across the French-Spanish border and […]
“We just got home!” exclaimed Maite as she reluctantly followed Kepa to the white light. “But,” pleaded Kepa, “it’s here. We can’t ignore it.” Maite looked away, avoiding Kepa’s eyes. “There was one, back in California, while you were asleep in the car…” she began. “Zer?” exclaimed Kepa. “Why didn’t you tell me?” Maite turned […]
Happy Monday! The other day I started drawing lauburus and… just… couldn’t… stop… Which one is your favorite? Tell me in the comments! For those of you who might want a vector version to play with, here is a PDF version.
My dad, Pedro Uberuaga Zabala, was from Munitibar, Bizkaia. Or better said, Gerrikaitz. At least, he always referred to his home as Gerrikaitz, not Munitibar. This confused me when I went to visit for the first time because the signs for the town say Munitibar. It turns out that this little town, home to less […]
Remembering my cousin, Egoitz, who died three years ago today, on his birthday. My cousin, Egoitz Uberuaga Aranburu, died yesterday, January 13, on his birthday. He had just turned 33. Like with most of my dad’s family, I didn’t get to know Egoitz until my first visit to Euskal Herria, back in 1991, when I […]
