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!
Fresco Tours, based in Spain, is a tour company that offers tours of Spain. One of their tours, Basque in the Glory Tour, is centered on that part of the Camino de Santiago that passes through the Basque Country. Going from Hondarribia, through San Sebastian, Orio, Zumaia, and Deba to end at Bilbao and the […]
A while ago (I’m still way behind on answering emails), Jose Antonio Alcayaga III wrote me. He had just gone to Donostia, Euskal Herria as part of the University Studies Abroad Consortium (USAC) via the University of Nevada to learn euskara. Born and raised in Stamford, Connecticut, his father, from whom he gets his Basque […]
Andy Franco recently learned of his Basque roots and, since then, he has really immersed himself into all things Basque he could. A blacksmith, who owns Calico Forge in Nampa, Idaho, he was an integral part of the recent exhibit at the Basque Museum in Boise on Basque whaling. Andy forged the harpoons and other […]
This past week, there have been two major events in the Basque Country. First, on Sunday, March 1, elections where held in the Basque Country (as well as other parts of Spain) for the Basque Parliament, the body that governs in the Basque Autonomous Community (BAC) comprised of Bizkaia, Gipuzkoa, and Araba. Since the formation […]