Basques around the world

Good afternoon Basques from a very – very – rainy Basque Country.

We’re almost drowning here from all the rain, and some parts of Biscay are even experience floods. Let’s hope it doesn’t get any worse.

Despite the miserable weather, we’re still celebrating… following Real Sociedad’s promotion to the first division, the latest fabulous sporting news is that Vitoria’s basketball team, Caja Laboral Baskonia, are now ACB Champions following a nail-biting match against rivals Regal Barcelona.

For those of you who haven’t heard of Ipuina Kontatu, today there’s a special item about the documentary which was filmed by American Emily Lobsenz. Emily discovered the Basque Country by chance, fell in love with the place and has now made a documentary. The title – Ipuina Kontatu – means ‘telling stories’, which is a clue to the format of the film, entirely based on first hand accounts from Basque shepherds, fishermen and many more typical figures.

For those of you struggling to learn Euskera – and even those who aren’t it’s really worth your while to check out the posts written by Cody Beaudreau and Megan Otteman, two Americans from Boise currently at the Barnetegi in Lazkao… real eye-openers.

Share on Facebook

Kaixo lagunak!

The prominent American trumpeter and jazz composer Wynton Marsalis recorded together with the virtuoso flamenco composer Paco de Lucia ‘Vitoria Suite’ from July 20th to 22th, 2009, paying tribute to the Basque capital Vitoria-Gasteiz. The 2CD album will be finally released on Tuesday, June 7th.

Sunday June 6th saw the start of ‘Visible Donostia 2010‘, the first LGTB Festival of Culture aimed at lesbians, gays, transsexuals and bisexuals in Donostia-San Sebastian.

30 young adults have been selected for ‘Gaztemundu 2010‘. The Basque Government directorate for Citizens and Basque Communities Abroad have decided who can participate in this year’s edition. Among them Chileans, Americans, Argentineans and Colombians.

Caja Laboral defeat Real Madrid 64-56, will play ACB finals. The Basques won the fifth game of the series and will play Regal Barcelona for the ACB championship.

To finish with, we have two new posts in two of our blogs:

In Basque Pelota blog: Manomanista: Xala trumps battling Asier to reach the final. The scoreline, which seemingly suggests an easy victory for the favorite, fails to tell the true tale of a match where nothing came easily. Xala was put under huge pressure.

And in Learning Basque blog:  Reflections of a Boisean learning Basque in Maizpide Basque School in Lazkao, Guipúzcoa.

Agur!

Share on Facebook

Arratsalde on!

A few items today to bring you up to date with goings-on around the Basque Country this week.

Today you can read about Cody Beaudreau, an American learning Basque in the Basque town of Lazkao. He tells us of his first impressions of the Barnategi where he’s studying.

Lots of sports news, the most recent being the result of Caja Laboral Baskonia’s match against Real Madrid. Read about the nail-bitingly close match which led to a fourth play-off this Friday.

STOP THE PRESS: the North Korean World Cup squad are wearing shirts manufactured in none other than Basque town Mondragon. Find out how home-grown brand Astore made it onto the mysterious Far Eastern side’s kit.

The third sports news today, well… it’s not often we bring you news about Donostia-San Sebastian side Real Sociedad, especially since their demotion to the 2nd division. Well, they may just be promoted this weekend so watch this space…

By the way, if you’re going to be spending time in the Basque Country this summer, you’ll want to know which of our beaches have received blue flags for cleanliness. You have 3 to choose from…

That’s all for now.

Gero arte!

Share on Facebook

Hi everyone!

How are you?

As you all know, a volcano eruption in Iceland spread volcanic ash in the atmosphere and for this reason all Basque airports closed on Sunday. Nevertheless, they opened again on Sunday evening.

On Saturday, Alba Berlin spoilt Bizkaia Bilbao Baskets Eurocup dreams. The Basques were defeated 77-70 on the semi-final game of the Eurocup final four, held in Vitoria-Gasteiz.

Despite all predictions, Lagun Aro CBC defeated ACB Readers Regal Barcelona 71-60 and Splitter led Caja Laboral to 80-86 win over Fuenlabrada.

On Sunday, Athletic Club Bilbao held to a scrappy 0-0 draw at home to Zaragoza.

Thanks to a deal between Mushroom Pillow and True Panther/Matador, the band from Zarautz Delorean have released their latest work ‘Subiza’ worldwide.

Takashi Murakami presents ‘Superflat new pop culture’ exhibition until June 19th at Okendo Culture Center in Donostia-San Sebastian (Gipuzkoa).

Enjoy your day

Agur!

Share on Facebook

Hi Basques –

We’re made up today (really happy!) as the Basque Country and/ or Basques have been receiving praise and accolades from every corner.

Firstly, chef Eneko Atxa has just been named Chef of the Future by the International Academy of Gastronomy, which awards the title to only the most promising the innovative of cooks.

Elsewhere, UK national newspaper The Guardian has been singing the praises of our cider and cider houses. Check out what they have to say and find out which sagardotegis they’ve named in their top ten.

And last (but not least) another couple of famous Basques, Javier Aguirresarobe – cinematographer on films like The Road – and Mikel Urmeneta (he of Kukusumusu t-shirts and so on) have received the Universal Basque Award from the Basque Government and Caja Laboral.

We feel like winners today – except for Athletic, who lost 2-0 to Valencia last night. Well, you can’t win ‘em all!

Share on Facebook

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!

Share on Facebook

Good afternoon Basques,

Due to some technical problems yesterday we didn’t send you our usual update of news from our Basques All Around the World group, so here’s a summary of events from the past couple of days:

The biggest news today is about Basque president Patxi López’s meeting with Brazilian President Lula da Silva. His trip of the South American country has brought some positive economic news.

The latest edition to our Basque Country Live Blog is Jess Soodeen, a Canadian with no Basque heritage except for the historical links between the Basque Country and her mother’s native Newfoundland.  Find out how this connection brought her to our shores.

Chef Najat Kaanache, born in the Basque Country to Moroccan parents, is currently in Chicago as part of a three-year trip to learn from the world’s best chefs. Read about her odyssey.

If you’re following the Basketball Euroleague, some bad news I’m afriad as Caja Laboral crash out against CSKA Moscow.

Lastly, if you happen to be in the Basque Country this June, AC/DC will once again be playing Bilbao. Not a few people were left disappointed last year when tickets sold out in minutes, so this year’s gig at the massive San Mames stadium hopes to cater for all.

That’s all for now.

Bihar arte-

Share on Facebook

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!

Share on Facebook

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!

Share on Facebook

Lontzo wrote today to tell us about Mattin Noblia – an American-Basque chef living in San Francisco who’s planning something special to raise money for Haiti.

Another turn up for the books was some interesting news about the sex-lives of Basque people: are they satisfied or not and how often do they..? Click here if you want to know!

Late artist Robert Rauschenberg makes a second posthumous outing at the Guggenheim in Bilbao. His last exhibit was over a decade ago, but he always had a special relationship with the Foundation.

Read about how an EITB news item and video made it halfway across the world and even featured in the Wall Street Journal, plus a bit of bad news now for sports fans about Caja Laboral’s last match.

That’s all for today!

Share on Facebook