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. The Garat brothers tried to maintain that unique position through the changes rocking France, and even proposed a unified Basque Country at one point. The Garat brothers (younger left, older right). Photos from Wikipedia (younger and older). Dominiqu ..read more

A long while back, I posted an announcement about Hank Nuwer’s novel Sons of the Dawn. He sent me a review of his novel by the writer David Allspaw which, much to my embarrassment, I never got to sharing. My apologies Hank. And I really, really need to read your book! Sons of the Dawn Review By David Allspaw             I have never traveled to Idaho.  My familiarity of the state extends only to its rolling foothills and famous potatoes, which I hear are delicious.  I do not doubt that it is a gem of the American West (as the n ..read more

Waterfalls capture our imagination. Somehow, watching water crash hundreds of feet down the side of a cliff fills us with wonder. Indeed, last summer when we visited Costa Rica, waterfalls were one of the main attractions. The Basque County has its own share. I might have thought there would be even more grandiose waterfalls in Euskal Herria, given the mountainous terrain and the copious rain, but these still look breathtaking. Some waterfalls of the Basque Country. Top left: Salto del Nervión (photo from FascinatingSpain.com). Top right: Cascadas de la Tobería (photo from minube.com). Bottom ..read more

Kepa and Maite waited in line to board the ferry to Santa Klara island. The whole time they kept seeing flashes of light coming from the peak of the hill that formed the island. The Adventures of Maite and Kepa is a weekly serial. While it is a work of fiction, it has elements from both my own experiences and stories I’ve heard from various people. The characters, while in some cases inspired by real people, aren’t directly modeled on anyone in particular. I expect there will be inconsistencies and factual errors. I don’t know where it is going, and I’ll probably forget where it’s been. Why am ..read more

Despite its relatively small size, the Basque Country seems to produce a disproportionate number of leaders and innovators. A prime example is the world of fashion, where two world-renowned designers – Cristóbal Balenciaga and Paco Rabanne – got their start. Rabanne, who’s mother worked for Balenciaga, viewed himself as a disciple of the more senior designer. However, Rabanne pushed even further beyond the boundaries of fashion – a revolutionary who brought new materials to his designs. Paco Rabanne with two models. Photo from Architectural Digest. Paco Rabanne, as he was known professio ..read more

Today, I’m sharing a number of interesting items that have been sent to me over the last… well, I don’t dare say, as some of these have been sitting in my inbox for far too long. I hope you enjoy these! The musical group Amaterra released a video for their song Izan ala ez izan – To be or not to be. A simple question, but what about the answer? Everyone will find their own. hartea is Joseba Lekuona‘s site for his unique art which combines stone and gastronomy. Using stones from the Basque Country and beyond, he creates what he calls “Conceptual Tableware,” with the goal of “elevating gast ..read more

The Basque Country has several very distinctive festivals. I’ve written about La Tamborrada and the fiesta of San Juan, but perhaps one of the most unique fiestas involves the Joaldunak. Dressed in sheepskins and tall pointy hats with massive cowbells hung on their backs, these men, and now women, march between the towns of Zubieta and Ituren in Nafarroa. Other revelers dress in outlandish costumes, representing the evil spirits they all want to drive away. The Joaldunak from Ituren. Photo from Wikipedia. The Joaldunak are part of festivities that take place in the north of Nafarroa, primaril ..read more

It was a few days later. Maite and Kepa were strolling along La Concha in Donostia. The sun glistened off of the water in the bay, which slowly lapped at the beach. People were spread out everywhere. Kids were splashing in the water while their parents sat back under umbrellas, watching them. More than a few people were sunbathing and Kepa’s eyes kept wandering to the topless women scattered here and there on the beach. The Adventures of Maite and Kepa is a weekly serial. While it is a work of fiction, it has elements from both my own experiences and stories I’ve heard from various people. The ..read more

Portrait of Alfonso Justo Garde Marcilla at age 18 in his United States Army Air Force uniform (Courtesy of the Garde Marcilla family). This article original appeared in Spanish at EuskalKultura.eus. Interrogated in Budapest “Alfonso Garde, Corporal, 3835273.” Those were the only words that came out of his mouth in response to the demands of his interrogator. Under the Geneva Convention, a prisoner of war only had to provide his name, rank, and serial number. “Alfonso Garde, Corporal, 3835273.” The enthusiasm with which he had enlisted in the Air Force a year earlier at Fort Bliss, Texas, flew ..read more

Sometimes during my foraging of the Internet for interesting stories about Basque culture, I come across a cool tidbit like this week’s fact about Yolande Betbeze. Almost all references to her note her Basque ancestry. However, this is a case where I can’t really confirm her Basque heritage – it seems that her first immigrant ancestor came from nearby, but not necessarily from, the Basque Country. Regardless, given how ubiquitous the references to her Basque background are, I’m moving forward with writing about her. Portrait of Miss America contestant Yolande Betbeze surrounded by her music, t ..read more