Basques around the world

Hi Basques,

As we explained when the group was formed, we endeavour to keep you abreast of all the most interesting goings on in the Basque Country.

The rain persists, so just as well our news can offer a ray of sunshine!

The best news today is that Bilbao has become the first city to win a Nobel prize! The Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize was launched last year by the city of Singapore in conjunction with the Swedish Nobel academy. By all accounts, the jury was impressed by the Biscay capital’s post-industrial regeneration.

Mugalari, of our Basque Tourism Blogue, has sent us his latest post. This one is entitled Some Places I Like in Bilbao You May Also Like, and suggests nine spots a bit out of the ordinary that could appeal to the more curious visitor.

Also for Pelota fans – don’t forget to check out the latest post on our Dos Paredes, English pelota blog. Tiffany’s latest post has some interesting news about the Final Four of the Manomanista.

That’s all for now.

Gero arte.

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Hi Basques,

We have a cracking item for you today Basques.  You might remember our previous articles about Ahizpak, two American-born Basque sisters from Nevada who moved to Boise eight years ago and started their own design company based on Basque symbolism.

Our latest article about them includes a video about one of the sisters – Maite – who came to EITB in Bilbao to pay us a visit and tell us first-hand about Ahizpak and what they’ve got planned for the upcoming Jaialdi festival.  Check out the article and video.

Meanwhile,  stay up to date with the latest news from the Manomanista with the latest entry on our Dos Paredes – English Pelota blog.

And lastly, much rain with a few sunny patches here and there have their (colourful) advantage, depending on where you’re standing of course! Enjoy these weather photos.

Laister arte.

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Hello Basques!

We hope you are enjoying the weekend!

Tiffany has posted a new item on our Basque Pelota blog ‘Dos Paredes’. This time she tells us that Aimar Olaizola, one of the leading lights of the 2010 Manomanista Championship, last night suffered a serious knee injury in his opening match against Patxi Ruiz.

The eighth edition of the Collection Plant Fair has taken place in Gipuzkoa. Plants from the five continents colored the extraordinary Iturraran Botanic Gardens, in Pagoeta Natural Park (Aia), during the eighth Collection Plant Fair that took place on 24^th and 25^th of April.

And lastly, the best break dancers of Europe met in the pavilion of La Casilla in Bilbao on April 24th. For the ninth consecutive year, the capital of Biscay was the home of the Break on Stage encounter, a must for hip-hop lovers.

See you tomorrow with more!

Agur

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Good afternoon to you Basques.

Well, summer is definitely on its way. Skies here are blue and sunny and the atmosphere is gearing up to a season of festival and frolics.

Talking of frolics, don’t forget AC/DC are playing Bilbao again soon. If you’re nearby and are thinking of going, tickets are on sale from tomorrow.

One of the next musical events in the calender is Donostia-San Sebastian’s Musicial Fortnight, taking place this year between August 7^th and September 3^rd.  Find out what it got in store this year and get a glimpse at the official programme.

In Pelota, Olaizola I beat Bengoetxea VI in the first match of the Pairs Championship, while it looks like our home-grown mountaineer Edurne Pasaban may actually be the first female to scale all fourteen 8000ers.

Not such good news for Osasuna, unfortunately, who now find themselves in the relegation zone.

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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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Hi everyone!

Here is your summary of goings on for today, April 13th:

Find out today about fellow-Basque José Antonio Alcayaga III. José is an American photographer of Basque heritage who has created a group on facebook – Alcayagas del Mundo / Alcayagas of the World – in an attempt to bring together all those who share his surname. So far the group has 915 members, all called Alcayaga!  José’s currently exhibiting 9 of his photos (all taken during a trip to the Basque Country, like this one here) at Talbot’s in Greenwich, Connecticut.

We’ve also got some more news about Egunkaria today: The court also ruled that its closure was unconstitutional, while the five men acquitted have called for a celebration to say thanks for all the support they received over the past seven years. It’s scheduled to take place on April 25th at 11am in Bilbao.

Lastly, Mugalari has posted a new item on our Basque tourism blog ‘Off the Beaten Track’. This time he explains the interesting – or strange – eating schedules of the Basques: you might want to read just to be prepared!

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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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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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Aupa Lagunak!

Casa Rural Lizartzanea has left us a post on the wall of our group in Facebook Basque people all around the world telling us about this country house which is 20 minutes far from Donostia-San Sebastian. Thanks to your contribution!

We have good news for Athletic Bilbao lovers since they climbed to sixth with 42 points, despite being held 2-2 by visiting Getafe in a stormy encounter at San Mames in Bilbao yesterday.

In addition, Bilbao Bizkaia Basket took the lead on the scoreboard with just one minute left to end the game to defeat Cajasol and extend their winning streak to 6 and Caja Laboral was unable to stop all-mighty Barcelona.

To finish with, the best eight bertsolaris from Navarre competed for the ‘txapela’ (winner’s beret) in the Basque Bertsolaritza championship celebrated in Lesaka, Navarre.

See you tomorrow and ondo izan!

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Kaixo Basques, how is it going?

We have something interesting to tell you: San Francisco Basque Cultural Center celebrates 50th anniversary and to commemorate this event a bertso performance will be exhibited at San Francisco Basque Cultural center with four active US bertsolariak and two Basques: Maialen Lujanbio and Andoni Egaña.

Mexican singer Lila Downs presents her latest album in Bilbao. Her latest album Lila Downs y La Misteriosa: En Paris includes her greatest hits and will be presented at Arriaga Theatre in Bilbao on March 15th.

Soprano Maria Bayo will be in Donostia-San Sebastian tomorrow and will perform at Victoria Eugenia Theatre together with the French pianist Maciej Pikulski.

And to finish with, and according to Eustat data, the percentage of Basque civil weddings was up in third quarter of 2009. 2,652 weddings were held in July, August and September 2009, 12% down on the previous year.

That’s all for today, see you tomorrow with more!

Agur!!!

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