Books, Euskadi, History

Guernica by Dave Boling

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The bombing of Gernika has become an integral part of the greater Basque experience, quite possibly of Basque identity itself.  Every Basque, whether born in Bilbao or Boise, knows what happened in Gernika.  Reproductions of Picasso’s Guernica can be found in even the simplest of basseriak in the rural Basque Country, in places where modern art hangs on walls centuries old.

Even so, while some of us may have grandparents that lived during the bombing, or ancestors who fought in the war, most of us have a more abstract, more cerebral connection to the bombing of Gernika.  This is one reason I so highly recommend Guernica by Dave Boling.  Boling’s first novel, Guernica recounts the events of the bombing of Gernika through the story of two families and three generations. Boling knows we are all aware of the basic historical facts, and so he begins by showing us that these two families have been devastated and the rest of the novel is spent introducing these characters to us, leading us up to the bombing.  This is one of the few books where I was actually anxious for what happened next.  I knew the bombing was coming, but I didn’t know how it would affect these particular characters, who would survive, who would die, and who would be damaged.  Boling does a great job of developing characters that I cared about, especially as vehicles for me to better understand the tragedy that was Gernika.

An interesting and very effective device Boling uses is to interweave the drama of his fictional characters with the historical events unfolding around them, events that they have no inkling of, but which will dramatically affect their lives.  We visit Jose Antonio Aguirre, the first lehendakari of Euskadi; Picasso as he reacts to the Spanish Civil War; and even Wolfram Freiherr von Richthofen, the man who orchestrated the bombing itself.  We thus get some context for the storm that soon assails the protagonists, almost without warning.

There were a few little quibbles I had, as a few things sounded odd to my ear.  For example, some of the women are given the surname of their husbands, something that doesn’t happen in Spain.  And the characters, from the heart of Bizkaia, refer to the Basque Country as “Pays Basque” which also seemed very out of place.  But, Boling had respected Basque scholars go through the manuscript and I wonder if this is more my own lacking.

I’m not going to reveal any more of the plot, as I don’t want to give away the ultimate fate of these characters that we grow to care about as they themselves grow, before, during, and after the bombing.  Let me just say that as a characterization of events that were both horrific and defining for the Basques, Boling does an admirable job of bringing a human face to events that are otherwise incomprehensible.

If you’ve read Guernica, please share your thoughts!

Nor Naiz Gu Gara

Nor Naiz, Gu Gara: Henar Chico

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Nor Naiz, Gu Gara (Who I Am, We Are) is a series aiming to explore the meaning of Basque Identity around the world, both within Euskal Herria as well as in the diaspora. For an introduction to the series, look here, and for a list of the previous entries, look here.

About three years ago I wrote an entry on Basque identity for my blog on the eitb.com website, “A Basque in Boise”, where I shared my feelings about being Basque, right after being accepted into Euzkaldunak, Inc. (Boise’s Basque Center). Some of my thoughts remain the same, although luckily, a lot has changed since then.

I was born and raised in the Basque Country, but my parents weren’t, and I’ve always struggled with that. I’ve always felt a bit ashamed. I did attend ikastola (Basque school) and studied Basque there, but that was the extent of my involvement with the language and the culture. I grew up during a time when ETA was very active and we’d have terrorist attacks virtually every week. I was – still am – disgusted by them and I removed myself from things like AEK (Basque acronym for “Coordination for Alphabetization and Teaching of the Basque language”) and Basque dancing because many people I knew that supported those ideas belonged to those groups. I realize know how stupid I was. I can’t believe I once associated ETA supporters with Basque culture just like the rest of the people in Spain.

I felt even more embarrassed after moving to Boise, home to a huge Basque community. At that time I was barely able to carry on a conversation in Basque and many times over the years I had to explain to people why I didn’t speak Basque despite being from the Basque Country. Part of it, like I said before, was my fault for not making more of an effort to learn the language while I had the chance, but living in an area of the Basque Country where people predominantly speak Spanish didn’t help either. But it wasn’t just lack of language that made me feel that way.  It was the lack of a Basque bloodline. I used to feel that people who were born here in the US, people who have never even been to the Basque Country, have the right to feel “more” Basque than me because their great-grandfather happened to be from Gernika, Azkoitia, or Lekeitio.

I was 21 when I left Bilbao and I thought that being from the Basque Country would automatically open the doors to everything Basque. My first contact with the groups in Boise was Oinkari Basque dancers. I thought it’d be great to finally learn how to dance and make friends at the same time. I didn’t realize how tight those people were, though. Then, feeling like I wasn’t Basque enough didn’t help either. I couldn’t find my place, so about a month after I started the classes, I gave up.

Living abroad for the last 15 years has changed my views on the Basque Country and has helped me find my roots, especially since my kids started going to “Boiseko Ikastola,” the Basque language immersion pre-school. I realized how important it was to make sure that they were integrated from an early age into the Basque community, that they develop a pride in being Basque, and that they forge long-lasting connections with other Boise Basques. Throughout the years I’ve come in contact with most of the Oinkari dancers, and I get them. Many are even my friends now. I want my kids to have the same in their lives, a group of people with the same interests and backgrounds, so we go to Basque dancing practice every Tuesday, Euzkaldunak’s monthly dinners, and Basque festivals. I play in the women’s pala league and I’m part of the new advanced Basque language class offered by the Basque museum.

Being accepted into Euzkaldunak, Inc. was a turning point on the road to finding my identity. It wasn’t just the fact that I was now officially part of Boise’s largest Basque organization, but how it happened. I had received an email from the secretary saying that she needed to verify my ethnicity before she could go forward with the application. When I asked what exactly she needed from me she told me not to worry, that the verification only applied to Basque-American members to-be. Knowing that I was born in the Basque Country was all she needed. It was that simple. All of a sudden I realized I was the only one stopping myself from enjoying what I am. Reading my friend Jabier’s response to “Basque Identity” only reinforced that newfound clarity: I was not alone in my identity struggle. So I got over feeling embarrassed and took an active role in learning Basque and getting involved with the Basque community.

Some days I find myself still fighting with identity issues, but I don’t let that bother me as much as before. There are many ways of feeling Basque, and mine is just one more.

My name is Henar Chico, I was born in Bilbao, Bizkaia a while ago. I moved to Boise at 21, and I love it! Good city, good people, good weather, and one of the largest Basque communities out there. I have two kids, Andoni (7) and Maitane (6). I work for Hewlett-Packard full-time as a Technical Software Consultant and do translations as a side business.

Euskadi

And not to be outdone… Vitoria-Gasteiz is European Green Capital

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First, Bilbao wins the “Nobel prize” of cities.  Then Donostia is chosen as European Cultural Capital. Not to be outdone or left behind, Vitoria-Gasteiz, capital of the province of Araba and of the Basque Autonomous Community, has been chosen as the European Green Capital 2012.  Vitoria-Gasteiz was chosen because of its environmental policies, including its public transportation infrastructure and parks.  As a Green Capital (previous winners were Stockholm and Hamburg), Vitoria-Gasteiz also has some new challenges to live up to as it continues down the green path.  These include a further increase in the use of public transportation as well as a decrease in water usage.

The prize is meant to highlight efforts of cities to develop a more sustainable and “green” approach to their functioning.  It is meant to thus inspire other cities to follow similar practices, to learn “best practices” from one another, and to therefore increase the overall quality of life of all cities in Europe.

The Basque Country is certainly on a role with all three provincial capitals being recognized for significant efforts.  Zorionak!

Euskadi

Harnessing tides for power

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A very interesting development from the Basque Country.  With all of the concerns related to climate change and dependence on foreign oil, people are looking for new ways to extract energy from where ever possible.  The Basque Country is known for its waves — just ask any surfing aficionado.  And while not as famous as nearby Mundaka for surfing, Mutriku is still valued for its waves.

Thus, it makes perfect sense to try to harness those waves for power.  Hence, the world’s first multi-turbine breakwater wave power station has been built in the port of Mutriku.  This power station can generate 300 kilowatts of power, about enough to power 250 homes.  It just went online yesterday.

Some information about this initiative to harness power from the tides is here along with a news release about the station. And here is a video about the station.

Mutriku breakwater station

While the US argues and bickers about the future of green technologies, it is nice to see other places pushing forward.  I realize Spain has huge economic problems, but this seems to me a step in the right direction.

Euskadi, News, Travel

Basqueing in the Glow of Two Basque Cities

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(I couldn’t resist the pun.)

Some big news for the Basque Country’s biggest cities.

First, Donostia has been chosen, along with Wroclaw, Poland, as one of the two European Capitals of Culture in 2016.  EiTB has the news here. This means that for the year of 2016, Donostia will host events that highlight Europe’s cultural heritage, presumably from a Basque perspective. Each year, two cities are chosen from two candidate countries, so Donostia beat out other Spanish cities, including Burgos and Cordoba.

Not to be outdone, Bilbao became the first city ever to be chosen as Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize, otherwise dubbed the Nobel prize for cities (this was announced in May… guess I’ve been a bit out-of-touch).  Again, EiTB has the news. Bilbao was chosen, at least in part, for its efforts to regenerate and renew the city from its industrial past.  Specifically, from the Prize’s website, “Bilbao has shown that strong leadership and a commitment to a systematic and long-term plan, based on solid processes and supporting infrastructure, are key factors to the success of a city’s transformation.”

Here is a video highlighting Bilbao.

I first visited Donostia in 1991, when I began a year (well, closer to 10 month) studies abroad in the Gipuzkoan capital.  While it seemingly rained the entire first 6 months I was there, I still fell in love with the city, the life style of the Basques, and the Basque people.  I spent more than my share of evenings in the Parte Vieja and walked along La Concha to class, which has to be one of the best strolls in the world.  I returned some years later with my wife and was amazed at how much had changed.  Near the Cathedral, they had expanded the pedestrian-only zone and filled it with outdoor cafes.  They had also built the cube, which I understand is a bit of a controversy for such an elegant city.  But, they also cleaned up Gros beach, which when I was there was only used by the surfers.  Donostia keeps getting more beautiful with time.

During that first visit to the Basque Country, while I spent a lot of time in Bizkaia visiting family, I only made it to Bilbao once or twice, and that was centered on El Corte Ingles more than anything to do some shopping.  It wasn’t until a few years later, visiting a friend who took me to the Running of the Bulls, that I got to know the city a bit more.  Bilbao is certainly transforming itself, cleaning up the river, building signature architecture, and positioning itself as a true equal of Donostia in terms of a wonderful city to visit.  The Siete Calles in the Casco Viejo is simply a great place to wander, to explore the twists and turns, discovering new shops and bars.

I certainly look forward to seeing what these two awards will do for these two cities.  And I look forward to many more days of exploring two of the most interesting cities I’ve had the pleasure of seeing, though I might have some small bias.

Euskadi, Politics

How the last election breaks down by region

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In his blog, Ricardo Ibarra posted an infographic taken from El Correo that shows the breakdown of the last elections by region within the Basque Autonomous Community, an image shamelessly stolen from him and reposted here (click on the image for a bigger version).

It is interesting to see how things break down.  Gipuzkoa went overwhelmingly for the new party, Bildu.  Bizkaia is more traditionalist/conservative and went more for EAJ/PNV.  Araba is a mix of pretty much everything, though still a majority of EAJ and Bildu.

One thing I find interesting is that Araba is strongly Bildu along its border with both Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa, which maybe makes some sense — those regions would have maybe the strongest Basque identity.  But, that didn’t happen so much in Bizkaia.  While there are pockets of Bildu strength, it isn’t reflected in the border with Gipuzkoa, for example. Not saying it means anything, I just find it an interesting observation.

Euskadi, People

A 6-year-old in Franco’s Basque Country

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The Basque Country has changed dramatically since the time my father left for a new life in the United States.  Not only politically, with the death of Franco, the activity of ETA, and the rise of the Basque Autonomous Community, but socially, as well, as the Basque people have taken their culture into the 21st century with the big green recycling tubs, punk music, and wifi.  How would it be for a 6-year-old, accustomed to life in the United States, to just be uprooted and replanted in the Basque Country of the 70s, with Franco still ruling and Guardia Civil on every corner?

That is just the life Mark Bieter describes in his blog posting My Life Under Franco, capturing life the way only a 6 year old can (well, or a grown man remembering life when he was 6).  From the ever-pervasive Ducados to the terror of a kid starting school when no one knows his language, or vice versa, Mark does a nice job of drawing you into the life he experienced those many years ago.

Politics

New party, Bildu, very successful in regional elections

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It wasn’t long ago, in fact not even a month ago, that Spanish courts had ruled that a new party in the Basque Country couldn’t stand for elections held just yesterday.  Bildu (Gather in English), a coalition of nationalist and left-of-center groups, was formed when Sortu (Create in English), another attempt to form a new nationalist party, was banned.  Bildu itself had been banned by Spanish courts all the way to the Spanish Supreme Court.  However, the Spanish Constitutional Court ruled that the party was legal and allowed it to stand for elections (I am not knowledgeable enough about the Spanish judicial system to know how these two courts are related).

The key, in my understanding, is that Bildu rejected violence.  However, Sortu had done the same, but was still ruled to be an incarnation of Batasuna, widely viewed as ETA’s political arm.  I am not entirely clear on what the difference between Bildu and Sortu is (except maybe the Constitutional Court never ruled on Sortu?).

In any case, today saw the first elections in which leftist nationalists were represented by a political party since the early 2000s when Batasuna had last been allowed to run.  And, their success has been nothing short of amazing (see this EiTB article).  Of all of the political parties represented, they received the second most votes (second only to PNV; 25 vs 29.9%) and the most seats in government (907 vs PNV’s 822) (I assume the disparity between number of votes and number of seats depends on where the votes were cast).  Even in Nafarroa, which has recently been pushing to reduce Basque influence within the province, saw Bildu get about 11% of the vote.

After the PNV lost power in the Basque Autonomous Community to Patxi Lopez and the PSE-EE, it will be interesting to see how this new swing to the left and to another decidedly pro-nationalist party will affect things in the Basque Country.  It is also amazing that a party that, until very recently, was banned is the choice of so many people.  It makes you think that a large number of voters didn’t have a voice they felt represented them.

I’d be very interested in getting some reaction from people in the Basque Country about their view of the meaning of these election results as well as more insight into the history of these parties.

Euskadi, Food, Travel

Rick Steves takes you to the Basque Country

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If you’ve never been to the Basque Country and are considering your first visit, you might have no idea of where to start your tour.  Or if you’ve been several times to see family, you might want to break out of the routine of visiting the family baserria and find something new.  Rick Steves, “America’s leading authority on European travel,” has a segment on the Basque Country which gives the standard overview of the Basque Country, but also gives a few glimpses into areas off the beaten path, even if he doesn’t stray from the main attractions of the Basque Countries. And, of course, he samples the local cuisine, giving some new things to try.  In particular, he delves into the pintxo bar-hopping scene, which any visitor to the Basque Country absolutely must experience. He also delves into some odd tangents, such as growing marijuana.  His tour takes him from Donostia to Gernika to Bilbao to Bainoa and finally to St-Jean-de-Luz.

The segment is available for free here on Hulu.

Food, People

BasqueStage: Cooking in the Basque Country

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I just stumbled onto this by pure accident (sometimes, spending too much time just surfing the web does lead to serendipitous discoveries).  Basque Stage is part project, part contest, with the goal of teaming up young chefs with world-renowned chef Martin Berasategui, owner of his signature restaurant in Lasarte-Oria, Gipuzkoa.  Basque Stage will award two scholarships for young people to journey to the Basque Country and learn from Berasategui.  If you are into cooking, sounds like a marvelous opportunity.

Basque Stage has a channel on the video site vimeo, where they share recipes for things like kokotxas and bizcocho.  Two students are at Berasategui’s restaurant right now, learning from him and sharing what they learn for the rest of us to see. The two students are Athena Thickstun and Tracy Chang.  They are also blogging about their experiences in the Basque Country, Spain, and France — links can be found on the Basque Stage site.  The next two students, who will start this July, have already been identified, Marco Bahena and Cameron Rolka.  But, it looks like this is an ongoing effort, so you still have your chance.

The project is sponsored by Sammic, a company in Gipuzkoa that produces equipment for the food industry.