Basques around the world

Good afternoon.

First up, ‘Basque’ member David Larrabee has sent us this interesting link: http://sacred-texts.com/neu/basque/index.htm, which throws up some interesting items on Basque legends.

Jon Warren has written an interesting entry into his diary which he’s posted on our ‘Discover the Basque Country‘ blog. Get an insight into Jon’s gastronomic adventures.

Jon’s partner on the new ‘Discover the Basque Country’ tour, Basque expert Paddy Woodworth wrote to tell us that the new venture has received coverage in two important US sites, as well as the good news that they have already received their first bookings.

Further news on our Dos Paredes pelota blog: This weekend, Group A will compete in the Manomanista, with Martinez de Irujo still the hot favourite. Find out the line-up here.

And on our Basque Country Live blog: read about adopted Basque Angela Linskey who left her home in Yorkshire almost 40 years ago and now runs an organic farm on renewable energies producing fruit jams and jellies. Also see some spectacular photos of Angela’s farmhouse Naera Haundi.

The debate rumbles on following Restaurant magazine’s publication of this year’s top 50 eateries: find out why Basque chef Juan Mari Arzak was indignant at the decision to rate ‘El Bulli’ in second place.

Ondo ibili!

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Good day Basques,

Welcome once again to our blog, we love to have you!

Well our other blog writers have been busy bees lately; Pelota fans now have a total of 3 more posts to read about the latest on the Manomanista competition.

Meanwhile, our Basque Tourism blog contributor Mugalari has kindly made a list of not 10 but 11 “Must Sees” in the Basque Country.

We’ve got a really special item about a new short film entitled Artzainak: Shepherds and Sheep, by US Basque Javi Zubizarreta and his colleague Jacob Griswold, about the bygone age of the Basque shepherds who emigrated to Idaho and other areas of the west. Zubizarreta and Griswold look into the hardships suffered by men who left their country in pursuit of a better life.

We’ve got some updated news about the Basques chefs – Aduriz and Arzak – who made it into Restaurant magazine’s Top 10 best eateries in the world, and remember we told you yesterday about the San Prudencio celebrations in Vitoria-Gasteiz? Today you can see a video of yesterday’s opening ceremony.

Enjoy!

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Hi there –

Loads of Blog news today Basques.

Firstly, we’ve got a brand new blog written by English San Sebastian based chef Jon Warren. Jon runs a company called San Sebastián Food, a world-class bespoke food and wine travel company. You might remember we told you about him teaming up with Paddy Woodworth, to offer small group visits around the whole Basque area. Jon’s blog – entitled Discover the Basque Country – will take you behind the scenes on a series of these tours.

Our other (Basque) food lover Tamar Marino’s latest post on our Basque Fed blog takes her into the heart of the Basque Country and its food as she tells us about her trip inland.

Our Pelota-loving Londoner Tiffany has written two important posts about the latest happenings in the Manomanista. After favourite Aimar Olaizola’s serious injury at the weekend, it looks as though Arretxe will be stepping into his shoes.

Tomorrow is an important day for Alava – San Prudencio is their saint’s day and they celebrate it with style and gusto. Find out why mushrooms and cooked snails will be so important to the province tomorrow.

As we’re talking about food, you might know that El Bulli is no longer officially the world’s best restaurant – it’s been taken over by a Dane. Two Basque restaurants – Mugaritz and Arzak – are still in the top ten.

That’s all for now.

Agur.

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Good day to you from an overcast Basque Country, that promises sun, sun, sun tomorrow.

Many of you will not realize that this is an important date for the Basque Country. Today – April 23^rd – marks 30 years since the autonomous parliament was set up. Activities have been organized for the rest of the year.

We’ve got a weekend packed full of culture starting today in San Sebastian. Firstly, the Rompeolas festival has already started.This is an initiative organised to drive the city’s candidacy to be European Cultural Capital in 2016 and its 2 main ingredients are culture and citizen participation. The bells of the city were rung earlier to day, calling the people to come along and join in the fun!

Meanwhile, the 8^th Human Rights Film Festival also kicked off today, with a week of feature lengths and shorts about current social issues from all around the world.

Don’t forget to read our Dos Paredes blog as Olaizola II, twice a former winner of the Manomanista Championship is the red hot favourite as he goes up on Saturday against Patxi Ruiz.

And if you like baseball, do you remember Mark Kurlansky, who famously wrote about Basques in his book “Cod: A Biography of the Fish that Changed the World”?  In his latest book, Kurlansky traces the origins of the sport to the Dominican Republic.

And as spring is fully upon us, the Basque Country once again promises to be a great destination for a long weekend this May and into the summer – and also one of the safest!

Have a good weekend.

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Hi Basques –

Firstly, a correction: José Alcayaga (the US-Basque photographer) kindly wrote to inform us that his photo exhibition is on in Greenwich Connecticut and NOT New York! Thanks for that José.

Otherwise, if you’re curious about Basque history you should definitely read on:

This Thursday and Friday (April 15^th and 16^th) at the University of Nevada in Reno is the 9^th Annual International Conference. This year the title is “War, Exile, Justice and Everyday Life, 1936 -1946” and includes an interesting section on Basques caught up in the civil war and in exile.

Back in the 1960s, one such Basque exile – Gotzon Elortza, then residing in France – would sneak across the State border to film his land and people, knowing it would help keep the language alive. Three documentaries by Elortza – the first ever to be filmed in the Basque language – are now being re-mastered.

Fittingly enough, this Thursday also sees the start of the Zinebi International Short Films and Documentaries Festival, which offers two months of films in the categories of shorts and documentaries – check it out if you can.

Some great news if you’re looking for a cultural holiday to the Basque Country – author Paddy Woodworth and chef Jon Warren have teamed up to offer you a unique Basque adventure. The first one will be this July between 5^th and 8^th and includes a trip to San Fermines in Lesaka, Navarre.

Bihar arte!

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Hello Basques!

Good afternoon from a rainy Bilbao, where forecasters are predicting waves of up to 4 metres later this evening.

Mugalari has given us another insight into Basque Tourism on our ‘Off the Beaten Track’ blog, this time about the port town of Algorta. Also, don’t forget to check out the brochures by Fresco Tours on the Basque Country.

Bea Echeveste wrote yesterday to tell us about Kepa Junkera’s article for local newspaper Deia, as he makes his way round the States: check out his blog and see what he makes of the place.

The Guggenheim Bilbao Museum has just announced an exhibition of works by Henri Rousseau opening this May. If you’re in the Biscay capital today and hoping to see some jazz, Charlie Haden and his quartet are playing the Teatro Campos Elíseos.

Enjoy the Easter weekend.

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Hello Basques-

As you will know, Easter is a special time in the Basque Country. Whether you believe or not, there is no denying the impressiveness of the processions and actuations that go on around much of the territory. The most famous of all takes place in the Biscay town of Balmaseda and there is an article and video about this for you to enjoy today.

If you’re thinking of visiting over the weekend, there’s a report about this Easter’s weather as well as a gallery of photos to accompany it.

Important sports news today is that Bizkaia Bilbao Basket have made it through to the Final Four of the Eurocup, despite a 6-point loss to CEZ Nymburk.

Tiffany has sent us her latest update, reminding us about tomorrow’s Pairs Championship Final. Unfortunately she’ll be away and unable to keep us updated, but she has given us some important information on how to keep abreast of developments.

Happy Aste Santua

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Hi Basques,

Good news if you’re planning a trip to the Basque Country this Easter, as the weather promises to be settled with mostly blue skies. Maybe while you’re here you’d like to visit the Chillida works on show at the Ysios bodegas in Laguardia, or see the ‘Pamplona Encounters 72 Exhibition’, which recalls an amazing artistic movement that took place in the Navarre capital in 1972.

If you’re coming in May you’ll be in time for the 5^th ‘Basques and Dance’ Gala, which this year will be headed up local ballerina Lucia Lucarra, and feature two other Basque dancers from Biscay.

American travel company and group members Fresco Tours have written on our wall to tell us about a talk being given today in Florida by Professor Leonard Bloom entitled ‘The Mysterious Basque People of the American West, Spain and France’. If any of you make it, we’d love to hear about it.

Sports news from our English Pelota specialist Tiffany is about Saturday’s final of the Campeonato Parejas Promotion.

Meanwhile, yesterday wasn’t such a great day for Basque football or basketball as Athletic lost to Atletico Madrid and CSKA Moscow thrashed Caja Laboral.

That’s the news for today.

Ondo pasa!

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Good afternoon Basques-

It’s nearly the weekend here as we look forward to San José on Friday…

Meanwhile, there’s been some interesting posts on our Basque People Around the World wall.  It turns out that even as far back as 1960 an American – keen on Jai Alai – was determined to produce a Basque-English dictionary. Strangely enough, he was a White House police official!

Our Irish readers will be interested to know that the second edition of the Royal Basque Language Academy’s cultural magazine Erlea includes a special feature on Ireland, its history and literature, thanks to the collaboration of writer-journalist Paddy Woodworth.

Taking a break from rebuilding the kitchen at his famous Mugaritz restaurant, Basque chef Andoni Aduriz turned up in Australia yesterday to promote his restaurant at the Melbourne Food & Wine festival.

Also out in Australia is Zarautz’s Aritz Aranburu, who got to the third round of the Drug Aware Pro Championship in Margaret River. Compatriot Eneko Acero wasn’t so fortunate.

Lastly, for events coming up in the Basque Country: tickets have gone on sale for the Urban Dance competition Break on Stage, held every year in Bilbao. Making an appearance at this year’s event is, among others, London’s DJ Renegade.

That’s the news for today – Ostegunarte!

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Good day to you Basques from a beautiful sunny day in the Basque Country,

Some important news from the basketball court today, three matches to be precise. The good news is that Bizkaia BB managed a nail-bitingly close win over Murcia, though the same could not be said for Caja Laboral in their match against Asefa Estudiantes or Lagun Aro GBC against Xacobeo Blu:Sens.

An exciting new exhibition comes to Bilbao’s Guggenheim Museum, which is displaying the work of Anish Kapoor, one of the most influential sculptors alive today. Read about the exhibition and see images of some of his works here.

And if you’re feeling peckish, American Tamar Marino provides her latest installment on the Basque Fed blog. This time she tells us about the importance of peppers in Basque cuisine.

Lastly, a couple of items we forgot to mention yesterday: Firstly, Athletic Bilbao’s draw against Sporting Gijon and the Basque tuna boat ‘Txori-Argi’, which escaped a pirate attack in the Indian Ocean.

That’s all for now. See you Tuesday – Asteartera arte!

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