Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Gernika's Fair

Some information about the traditions in Euskal Herria via EITb:

Last Monday of Gernika

There is a market in the Basque town of Gernika-Lumo every Monday in the year but last Monday of October this town hosts the most important fair in Bizkaia.

The big fair in the historical capital of Bizkaia has a ‘proper’ name: ‘Last Monday of Gernika’. The celebration of the Basque Championship of fruits, vegetables, flowers, cheeses, txakoli (Basque white wine) and honey is one of the most important fairs in the whole Basque Country, with more than 100,000 visitors. People usually crowd the centre streets of this village around the 900 stands.

The activity begins early in the morning. The producers come at 8:00 hours. Between 9:00 and 10:30, the jury classifies the products so that the exhibitors can start selling their products. Pasacalles (parades through the streets) and bertsolaris (improvisers of verses in Basque) enliven the day.

After the awards ceremony in front of the Mercurio Fountain (13:30 hours), the exhibitors clear their stands at 14:00. The festive atmosphere goes on in the afternoon with the celebration of Basque pelota matches.

Few traditional surviving market

The Gernika-Lumo Monday Market is one of the few surviving traditional markets in the Basque Country, used by professional agricultural producers and sales intermediaries. The latter are a peculiarity of rural Euskadi, and they operate as distributors of Basque produce, visiting all the farmhouses and buying produce from those who would otherwise not actually go to the town market, and this perpetuates the tradition of the small non-professional producer.

The market place is Plaza de Gernika, Calle Don Tello, near the bus and train station. The building has a trading area of 4,960m2, divided into a covered open area and a closed area. The covered area accounts for most of the market area, and every Monday there are 280 stalls selling local produce, fresh greens and vegetables, fruit, flowers and plants, Basque cake and bread, sheep’s cheese, goat’s cheese and cow cheese, chickens and rabbits.


.... ... .

Monday, July 30, 2007

Youth and Conflict

This article about how youths cop with the political conflict in their homeland was published at the BBC page:

'Think about your friends, not the conflict'

Young people from parts of the world like Lebanon, the Basque area of Spain and Palestine have been in Wokingham on a youth exchange. BBC Radio Berkshire's Henry Kelly spoke to them.

"I never imagined that London is like it is, with small houses."

Nekane, a nursing student from Bilbao, spent a day in London as part of a week-long youth exchange taking place in Wokingham.

She's from the Basque area of Spain and has been brought together with young people from countries like Turkey, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, Jordan and France for the week.

The idea is that everyone gets to talk about citizenship, share each other's experiences, and learn a bit more about people they would never normally meet.

"I've enjoyed it," says Nekane. "We're learning that we must find some common link.

"Both parties must give something. Communication is very important and in the Basque country, communication between the Government and ETA isn't there.

"We always think we have big problems in the Basque country but we know the Palestinians have bigger problems. We're similar in our situations."

Borders and friends

Hanin lives in Ramallah, in Palestine. She's still at school but harbours a desire to study psychology at university. She agrees with Nekane.

"As a group we try to tell other people from different countries how the situation is in Palestine.

"I try to explain how bad our situation is, how we suffer on the check-points. We spent twelve hours on the border when we came here and had a very bad time.

"We can't go anywhere. You have to pass through three check-points to get to different countries."

Hanin admits she has no Jewish friends and doesn't know any Israelis. She has never, to her knowledge, met an Israeli.

So would she like to? "Well, why not?" She says.

'Closer together'

And Ruba, from Lebanon, reckons the only way to stop that kind of conflict is with more talking.

"The problem in Lebanon is there's a lack of communication and trust between Lebanese parties," says Ruba.

"Now I'm learning to tolerate diversity more and accept people with different backgrounds and perceptions of the world.

"Lebanon is a cocktail of everything in the world and we can make it happen, we can come closer together."

The youth exchange on which Ruba, Nekane and Hanin find themselves is funded by the European Commission, and arranged by the council in Wokingham.

Youth worker Detta Regan told us what the exchange has involved.

"We've done so much. We've had various workshops - this morning the Palestinians did a workshop on security. We've been to London, and we've been canoeing, cycling and team-building.

"Today we've got an arts day. But in between we've had discussions about the areas that make up citizenship, like identity and security."

'Extraordinary' experience

Detta has plenty of experience working alongside young people in areas like Lebanon and Palestine, and says bringing them together is crucial - for British teenagers as much as those travelling from abroad.

"It's really important that young people learn an understanding of each other. So many people have no idea where these countries are and it's an opportunity to sit and talk about it.

"Then they might not think of Lebanon as a place of conflict, they'll think of the friends they've made there."

As Ruba, who lives around 30 miles from Beirut, observes, travelling to Wokingham is bizarrely the easiest way to meet her near neighbours.

"The whole experience is extraordinary. Palestine and Syria are the closest countries to Lebanon and we don't have the chance to interact together.

"Even having the opportunity to meet our neighbours, along with people from England and the Basque Country... it's the whole experience.

"In Lebanon we love life and like to enjoy our time, but you don't know which car will blow up. It's just irritating to know that there's all this conflict and you don't know when we'll live in peace again."

.... ... .

Gastronomic Museum

Euskal Herria takes pride in its cuisine, so it was just a matter of time for a museum to house its gastronomy's wealth. This article comes to us via EITb:

The Basque Museum of Gastronomy

The rooms contain kitchens from different periods and models of machines designed to improve food preparation. The Museum is also the headquarters of the Basque Academy of Gastronomy.

Located at the very heart of the small town of Llodio, in Alava, on the banks of River Nervión, the Basque Museum of Gastronomy is housed in Zubiko Etxea, a stately three-storey building with a large garden area.

The Museum aims to show a representative range of different culinary spheres, both domestic and professional. The rooms contain kitchens from different periods and models of machines designed to improve food preparation. Next to the machines are the food handlers, i.e. chefs, confectioners and waiters, dressed in typical costume. On a more individual level, the most important Basque chefs are represented, along with the gastronomic societies and the peculiar phenomenon of the gastronomic guilds. The Museum also has a library-conference room, which houses a specific collection of gastronomic texts and also contains an exceptional collection of restaurant menus from all over the world.

Contents

Domestic and professional kitchens from different periods and of different styles, a restaurant dining room with references to famous chefs and restaurant menus from all over the world. The Museum is also the headquarters of the Basque Academy of Gastronomy.

Address: Zubiko Etxea Maestro Elorza, 11
01400. Llodio (ALAVA)
Telephone: 94-672.43.30
Opening Hours: Fridays and Saturdays: 17.30-20.30
Sundays and Bank Holidays: 11.00-14.00
Visits by prior arrangement: Thursdays and Fridays: 10.00-14.00
Entrance: Free.

.... ... .

Friday, July 27, 2007

The Loiola Meetings

Well well well, what Zapatero and Ibarretxe have been denying for the last few months. This article comest to us via EITb:

Nationalists, Socialists, Batasuna almost signed deal during truce

According to information EiTB accessed, the three parties held 11 meetings at the Sanctuary of Loiola from Sep to Nov 2006, a few months after ETA declared a cease-fire, in an attempt to agree on political normalisation.

The Basque Nationalist Party (PNV), the Socialist Party (PSE) and outlawed Batasuna were on the point of reaching an agreement in November within the framework of the talks held following ETA's cease-fire declaration.

The agreement contemplated the creation of two dialogue tables, one in Navarre and another in the Basque Autonomous Region, and their main target would be to reach an agreement on political normalisation.

According to information gathered in a document on PNV's internal assemblies the Basque Communications group EiTB accessed, the contents, calendar and methodology of the tables were already defined in a text. The agreement came to nothing, according to the document, because Batasuna suggested the modification of two core points, and PNV and the Socialist Party didn't accept so.

Eleven meetings, all of them at the Sanctuary of Loiola, from September to November 2006. The aim was to reach an agreement to constitute two parties' tables: one in the Basque Autonomous Region and another in Navarre following this year's local and provincial elections. Those tables would set a definitive agreement for political normalisation.

The only copy of the agreement signed by the three political parties would be taken to the Vatican, as EiTB could know. The negotiators in the meetings were Josu Jon Imaz and Iñigo Urkullu for the PNV, Jesus Egiguren and Rodolfo Ares, sometimes Jose Antonio Pastor, for the PSE, and Arnaldo Otegi, Rufi Etxebarria and Arantza Santesteban or Olatz Doñabeitia for Batasuna.

On October 31 last year, PNV, PSE and Batasuna defined a document entitled "Foundations for dialogue and political agreement." There the national identity of the Basque Country was recognised, it defended that Spanish State institutions must respect the decisions taken by Basque citizenship on their political future, and guaranteed Basque citizens' rights would be gathered in international judicial regulations.

Likewise, it undertook to promote the creation of a common institutional body for the four Basque territories within the Spanish State with executive and legislative regulations, and judicial agreements voted in a referendum would be incorporated.

There was one more deal, furthermore: holding a conference for peace and dialogue in December organised by the Basque Studies Society Eusko Ikaskuntza that would be the starting point to form the tables.

Furthermore, in January 2007 a delegation of the Socialist Party of Navarre would have joined the negotiating commission. In summer the tables would have been constituted, and in two years the agreements reached would have been ready for their legislative ratification and referendum. According to the document, the problem came up in November, when Batasuna shattered the advances as it suggested important modifications of the agreements reached.

Even if the PNV attempted a middle-way suggestion, the agreement was not possible. The last meeting took place on November 15.

.... ... .

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Is Mayo Back?

Cycling News has a piece on Iban Mayo's possible comeback as one of the leading contenders in cycling competitions.

Here you have the article:

Tales from the peloton, July 18, 2007

Iban Mayo: Temporary return to form or genuine GC contender?

After several years in Tour wilderness, the Basque GC hope Iban Mayo was regarded by very few as a possible winner of the race. However, he's very much in the mix after two strong days in the Alps. Cyclingnews' Shane Stokes considers Mayo's chances.

As the Tour de France resumed Tuesday morning in Val d'Isère, there was an upsurge of interest in a slender rider from the Saunier Duval-Prodir team. Four years ago, Iban Mayo was seen as one of the most likely challengers to Lance Armstrong's crown but since taking a stage win on Alpe d'Huez and finishing sixth overall, he has done nothing of note in the French race.

That all changed on Sunday. Mayo stunned the peloton when he finished second to Michael Rasmussen on the Tour Alpine stage to Tignes. He attacked in the final kilometres of the climb to leave others such as Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne), Frank Schleck (CSC), Cadel Evans (Predictor - Lotto), Andrey Kashechkin (Astana) in his immediate wake. Alberto Contador, Levi Leipheimer (Discovery Channel), Carlos Sastre (CSC), Oscar Pereiro (Caisse d'Epargne), Andreas Klöden and Alexandre Vinokourov (Astana) were even further back, highlighting his strong performance.

It was a surprise for the fans and a huge morale boost for himself. "I'm satisfied with the way in which the stage unfolded," the Basque rider told the media on the Tour's rest day in Tignes. "I was the first to cross the finish line after Rasmussen, who had opened a large gap, and I really enjoyed that moment. Being in the spotlight during the Tour as I had been in the past was one of my greatest ambitions, and my dream has now come true. The original goal was scoring a [stage] win, but once I realised it wouldn't be possible, I chose to reach the highest spot I could."

Mayo's Tour woes started in 2004 and came only a matter of weeks after he dominated the Dauphiné Libéré. He had won the prologue and the stage four time trial to the top of Mont Ventoux, beating Tyler Hamilton, Oscar Sevilla and Lance Armstrong in the general classification there. However his form collapsed in the Tour and he pulled out. In the months after that there were rumours that he had mononucleosis; his next big win did not come until stage 6 of the 2006 Dauphiné, two years after his last success in the same race.

The fervent Euskaltel - Euskadi supporters seized on this and hoped that he would perform well in last year's Tour de France. However, once again, he withdrew. The enigmatic rider returned in August and won the fourth stage and the overall classification in the Vuelta Ciclista a Burgos then, frustratingly, had a relatively anonymous showing in the Vuelta a España.

The rollercoaster ride was hard to understand. At the Spanish Tour, the talk was that Mayo was a complicated person who, perhaps due to the burden of expectation, was unable to apply himself properly and fully realise his talent. When he left the Euskaltel Euskadi team at the end of the season, it was seen by some as a sign that he could no longer accept the pressure of leadership.

However, something is clearly different since his move to Saunier Duval-Prodir. He rode the Giro d'Italia this spring and, despite being several kilos overweight, won the 19th stage to Terme di Comano. It was his first Grand Tour stage victory since the Alpe d'Huez win in 2003.

Mayo was asked on Monday what differences there were as regards the build-up to this year's Tour. "With regard to training, there haven't been many. I just tried to do things right so that I was in good shape when I came here. Perhaps I didn't feel the pressure this time. Taking into account how things had turned out to be in the past few years, I had nothing to lose.

"My victory at the Giro d'Italia boosted my morale, and some days before this Tour, I noticed that I was okay. But you're never sure until you hit the road and face a race like yesterday's. Since the early stages, I've feeling all right. However, it's only when you measure yourself up against the big guns that you can tell whether you're really in good shape or not."

Mayo was also asked about the stage to Tignes, and also if Tuesday's final Alpine stage could be one to eliminate Vinokourov as an overall contender.

"Yesterday's final pass was tough but not useful to make a selection. Besides, we were running into the wind, and this helped balance forces. Perhaps I expected Sastre or Menchov to be part of the leading bunch, but the rest were all there: Moreau, Valverde, Contador. These are the big names."

He then correctly assessed that Astana's leader would be vulnerable on stage nine. "As for Vinokourov, it's quite obvious that he has to be left behind tomorrow, because then there's the time-trial for him to make up for losses. He has shown what a great rider he is, so you can never think his chances are over. We could have ruled him out yesterday, but then each rider minded his own business."

Mayo started the ninth stage in third place overall, 2'39" behind Michael Rasmussen's yellow jersey. He once again rode strongly, climbing well on the Galibier and finishing fifth into Briançon. And while Alejandro Valverde edged ahead of him thanks to a faster finish plus the time bonus achieved there, Linus Gerdemann's collapse means that Mayo remains third overall, 2'39" back.

When he's on top form, he's a stronger time trialist than the Dane. He should therefore take time out of him in the 54 kilometre Albi TT next Saturday and could move closer to taking the maillot jaune. He'll also have the benefit of fanatical Basque support in the Pyrenees. However, he knows only too well the pressure of chasing a top result in the Tour, and says that he will take each day as it comes.

"Will I go for the GC? Well, I'm not obsessed with it. And I'm not saying that to shake the pressure off my shoulders, because I don't really feel like that this year. Quite the contrary: I'm having a great time," he stated. "This Tour is different because there is no clear leader so far. This means that any rider feeling well and confident can make it. So yes, in this sense, I am ambitious.

"The only thing I need is not having any physical problems, because if I'm fine, then I feel fully confident. But experience has taught me what the Tour is like. Anybody can have a bad day in France."


~ ~ ~

Praileaitz Woes

This is the problem when monetary profits are placed above cultural heritage.

Please read this article appeared at EITb:

Life

Praileaitz Cave

Basque Government protects Praileaitz cave

07/18/2007

The Aranzadi Association, which investigates the galleries, thinks the measures taken are not enough, the whole slope should be protected, because there are still many galleries that have not been analysed yet.

The Basque Government Council declared the Praileaitz cave in the coastal town of Deba Culturally Qualified Monument. The new designation won't interrupt extractions in the quarry, though it will limit the use of explosives.

The Aranzadi Association explained that the new restrictions are not enough to guarantee the conservation and maintenance of the already known caves and those that are still unknown. The Association says it should be taken into account that Praileaitz caves have the most antique cave paintings of all the Basque Country, dating back over 18,000 years.

The new designation divides the cave in five areas, each one with a different protection degree. The 1st Area, inside the cavity, is an area of maximum restriction where only scientific activities related to the archaeological site and the paintings will be carried out. The second area is 50 metres away from the entrance and is completely restricted to every activities. In this second area explosions and mechanic stone extraction are banned. The 3rd area extends from the 2nd area to the road that goes to Deba, where building and industrial activity are totally banned to maintain the forest alive. Nevertheless, the Cultural heritage service of Guipuzcoa's County Council can approve different types of activities.

In the 4th and 5th areas, there are more doubts among the defendants of the caves. The 4th area is within the 100 metres surrounding the caves and, although the use of explosives is banned, cuts and stone extractions are allowed. Far from the 4th area the quarry will function as usual, using explosives.

For Aranzadi it's not enough

For the members of the Aranzadi Association, entrusted with the archaeological investigation of Praileaitz, the measures to protect 50 metres of the cave are not enough. In their opinion, the whole slope should be protected, because there are still many galleries that have not been analysed yet and "new caves could be found." According to Aranzadi, the measures still "suppose that someday 18,000-year-old paintings can be destroyed."


~ ~ ~

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

The Spoof : Rejected Aliens

A bit of humor at the expense of the Basques.

Here it is:
Archeologist Discover Basque People are Alien Rejects

Barcelona, Spain (IP) - Archaelogist Dr. Faqian EcheZaballa (DR. EZ) has found conclusive evidence that the Basque people who occupy an area between France and Spain were definitely thrown out of an alien flying saucer thousands of years ago.

He explained that the Basque language has no relationship to any other earthly language and that Basques are far too independent and hard headed to have European roots. Also the acronym E.T.A. originally stood for Extra Terrestial Alien and it is unfortunate that the current day ETA has given the Basque people a black eye (ojo negro) through their violent activities.

Another indicator of his theory is the Basque's uncanny ability to navigate which led them further and further from the coastal waters of Spain and into the North Atlantic waters where they successfully caught Cod and developed preservation technology via salting methods. Dr. EZ speculates that the Basques found the fishing grounds before landing on earth by looking out of the windows of their host's ship.

At some point the Basques wore out their welcome with their host because of their ornery and stubborn ways and were forced out in the Pyrenees mountains where their hosts mistakenly thought that the Basques would remain landlocked. Eventually the Basques found a narrow passage in and out of the mountains. The passage was so narrow that would-be Moors invaders in the eight century could only enter single file and could easily be destroyed as they tried to enter the Basque stronghold. The Basques were also fierce capitalists and that is in sharp contrast (with all due respect says DR. EZ) to other Europeans who seem to favor more socialist philosophies.


~ ~ ~

Squids and Elvers

Time to time one needs to lighten up a bit so I am glad that EITb published this note about two of the must famous Basque dishes, one of them my all time favorite.

Here it is and... enjoy your meal:

Gastronomy

Traditional Cooking

Strange-looking Basque dishes

07/17/2007

There are at least two local dishes that never fail to catch the eye of the outsider: squids and elvers.

One of the two Basque dishes that never fail to catch the eye of the outsider is squid cooked in its ink, hence the not very typical black sauce. But don’t be put off, you’ll love it. The black sauce which accompanies the squid, and which is made of its own ink, is unique.

The recipe has spread throughout the Basque Country, and is considered one of the true masterpieces of our cuisine. It can be found using the news browser at the top of the page using the key work “squid”.

The other one is elvers, baby eels that look a bit like worms. Elvers are another dish which only very few countries eat. Fried with a hot pepper in an enamelled clay dish, they are absolutely delicious. They are prepared by simply frying them in oil, garlic salt and paprika, but unfortunately their scarcity is converting them into a very expensive dish.

It’s traditional to eat them on the evening before San Sebastian Day, but their scarcity and astronomical price is obliging establishments to use surimi substitutes.


~ ~ ~

Saturday, July 14, 2007

Interview with Segi Members in Ireland

This interview was published at An Phoblacht (thanks to them news about the facts regarding the Basque conflict reach the English speaking web surfers):

Repression, criminalisation no solutions to conflict

Basque conflict will only be resolved by negotiation – SEGI

Segi, the Basque youth organisation was banned by the Spanish judge, Baltasar Garzón in February 2002. Previously, Garzón had banned the two Basque youth organisations that preceded Segi – Jarrai and Haika. Forty two youth, members of the executive of the groups, were charged with membership of ETA, as Garzón considered that supporting the right to self-determination of the Basque people is not only illegal, but criminal.

The case descended into a farce when another judge of the Audiencia National – the Spanish version of the Special Criminal Court, considered that Garzón’s arguments were not valid and released all detainees, after handling them minimum sentences for membership of illegal organisations. However, 19 of the 23 released were again imprisoned last February, after the court changed the initial sentence. The new decision of the Audiencia National took place only weeks after ETA planted a bomb in the carpark of Madrid airport.

The increasing repression suffered by the Basque pro-independence movement and the immediate imprisonment linked to membership of any of the banned organisations is the backdrop to the decision by two members of Segi who visited Ireland early this month deciding not to disclose their identities. During their Irish visit, An Phoblacht’s SALLY GALLAGHER spoke to the Segi representatives.

What is the reason for this visit to Ireland?

We came to help organise the trip that members of Ógra Shinn Fein are going to make to the Basque Country in September

How is your relationship with Ógra Sinn Fein?

The relationship with Ógra is a few years old already, and we consider it something important as they are an organisation very similar to ours, with common areas of work. This allows us to share points of view and reflections on our political projects. It is also very important for us because they have the experience of the kind of peace process we are working for. Even when in many aspects the situation in Ireland is different, their experience is something we can learn from.

Could you describe the situation faced by the Basque youth movement at the moment?

The situation is that, since January when the Spanish Special Court declared SEGI a terrorist organisation, we have been prosecuted for our activities. Our former leader is serving a six-year jail sentence. We cannot even put up a banner or a poster in the street because we risk being identified by the police, sent to Madrid, being charged with membership of a terrorist organisation and being sent to prison. But even in this environment people keep organising, SEGI keeps working and fighting but we have to take measures, like not publicising our identities, so as not to facilitate the police in throwing us in jail.

What were the arguments used by the Spanish courts to label SEGI as a terrorist organisation?

The truth is that we do not believe there was any judicial basis for it. From our point of view it was a straightforward political decision. SEGI is dangerous for them, as we fight for a political project, we support independence for the Basque Country, and we are socialist, so we fight the Spanish and French capitalist imposition in the Basque Country. What they were trying to achieve was to end our struggle and to take us off the political scene.

But, why at this particular moment? SEGI or the previous youth organisations have been active since the 1980s. So, why now?

I think it was a consequence of the Spanish Popular Party being in government. They took the decision that as part of their strategy of oppression against the Basque Country they would attack the political structures of the Basque pro-independence movement. What they were trying to do was to establish that everything is ETA, so every single political organisation or social movement working for the national and social liberation of the Basque Country were accused of being an integral part of ETA.

This allowed for their criminalisation and opened the door to their illegalisation. And within this strategy they have proceeded against numerous political and social organisations. The first to go through the whole procedure has been JARRA/HAIKA/SEGI which are the different youth organisations that have been active in the Basque Country. Labelling us a terrorist organisation is the last step in this process.

Has the fact of being declared a terrorist organisation had any effect in the work of the youth movement?

Not really. I am not going to deny that we are afraid because labelling an organisation as ‘terrorist’ is a major step. But the truth is that there has not been any gap in our work. People keep organising in the colleges, towns, cities. We keep working. We keep fighting in the streets. The fact is that when we were declared illegal for the first time, some five years ago, we had a rough time as we had to accommodate our work to a new reality – our way of working had to be adapted to the new situation. But a lot of time has passed since then and we have improved a lot. So when they declared us a terrorist organisation last February, people did not feel that the situation had changed that much as we were already illegal.

But six years in jail is a long time. Being harassed by the police is one thing but going to jail is something totally different, especially when you are a teenager.

As I said we were already an illegal organisation. We were supposed to be a clandestine organisation. Even if being declared a terrorist organisation is qualitatively different, the truth is that during the period from which we had been declared illegal until last February, we had time to overcome our fears and got ready to face that situation.

Yes you can face a six years long or an even longer jail sentence but the truth is that we were facing similar ones before. I think that when people have a clear idea of what they are they fighting for and they hold their principles dear, they are ready to take the risk.

Now that ETA’s ceasefire is over, after 14 months, how does SEGI see the future?

We were hopeful with the situation up to recently, not only because of the ceasefire but also because we could see how the social and political situation was changing in the last few years. There was a majority in the Basque Country looking for a change, and ETA seemed to have taken into account those social and political conditions as it took the decision to use the ceasefire to approach a new scenario where the political conflict could be solved in a political way. But the reality was that for over a year the Socialist Party in the Spanish Government – with the help of the Basque Nationalist Party PNV – resisted taking any step towards the resolution of the conflict. The negotiations have been constantly stalled by these two parties. They did not seem to be ready to approach a solution based on the two main factors that caused the conflict in the first place – territoriality and the right to self-determination.

Even if everybody agrees that the conflict has political roots, they were not ready to negotiate a political solution to the conflict. The left pro-independence movement put on the table a political proposal to end the conflict. This proposal was based on those two factors that were the key to the conflict, but the Spanish Government and the PNV said no to the proposals and failed to come up with an alternative.

And now?

Batasuna’s political proposal is the key to the solution and we need to publicise the proposal among the people in the Basque Country. Once a majority knows the ins and outs of it, we will have to try to push all the political parties to negotiate, because we know that the solution will come from negotiation. There is no other way. Repression or criminalisation are not solutions.

In this new scenario what is the role of SEGI?

Our aim is to fight for, and build up our independence on a daily basis, while trying to gather as much strength as we can around the pro-independence Basque movement. But at this moment in time we also see it as our responsibility to publicise the content of the political proposal for the solution of the conflict, among youth. Now, during the summer; that will be our main line of work and we will keep working on those issues that we usually do such as housing, students rights, etc.


.... ... .

Friday, July 13, 2007

Playing the Diabolic Box

This article about Basque music was published at Straight:

Basque rhythms infuse Tapia eta Leturia tunes

Tony Montague

The type of accordion you play may affect your chances of getting into heaven. When Basque musician Joseba Tapia was six years old and showed interest in playing traditional dance tunes on the squeezebox, his family and the local priest became nervous about his choice of instrument.

"An uncle made me a present of a plastic accordion, and I was able to play a fandango with it," recalls Tapia, on the line from his home near San Sebastián, in northern Spain's autonomous Basque region. "Everybody thought, 'This little guy has something in his blood.' But they didn't want me to take up the diatonic accordion, as the instrument was considered bad in that society. The Catholic Church had strong objections because it led to dancing, which of course led to other things. It was given the name el fuelle del infierno [the bellows of hell]."

Tapia–who leads the quartet Tapia eta Leturia–was persuaded to take up the spiritually safer chromatic, or piano, accordion instead, and for many years he dutifully played mainly classical music. But he longed to get his hands on the diabolic box, which he heard at fiestas in small towns and villages in his mountainous homeland. When Tapia was in his mid-teens his father relented, and an uncle taught him trikitixa. The Basque word refers not only to the diatonic accordion itself (which is also used in Cajun music), but to a particular type of folk dance and the tunes created for it.

"Trikitixa is just one kind of traditional music in our culture," explains Tapia, speaking in Spanish. "We play two rhythms, basically–the fandango in 3/4 time, and the arin-arin in 2/4 time."

In the late '70s, Tapia gained local fame as a young trikitixa player whose fingers flew over the keys with blistering speed and accuracy. He teamed up with virtuosic pandeiro (tambourine) player Xavier Leturia in 1984, and together they drove dancers into Dionysian frenzies while somehow avoiding excommunication. "At first we were playing only in Guipúzcoa, the province I come from, and rural towns in the highlands. But soon we were doing concerts, weddings, and parties all over the Basque country."

The pair didn't limit themselves to traditional folk. Their 1995 self-titled disc draws on reggae, rap, punk, and the radical rock scene in their homeland. Tapia has launched a solo career that includes performing modern Québécois songs translated into Basque, and an album that features Basque songs, many of them unpublished, from the Spanish Civil War era.

When Tapia eta Leturia come to the Vancouver Folk Music Festival this weekend, however, they'll be playing the old-style trikitixa–with a fresh twist. Despite the name the duo is now a quartet, with the addition of Arkaitz Miner on fiddle and mandolin and Jexux Aranburu on keyboards.

"We were the first group to expand the traditional trikitixa duo of accordion and tambourine, and it gives our sound much more depth and variety of textures and harmonies. We play the dance music I grew up with, though also some new compositions. In such ways we keep pushing forward the music we love."

Tapia eta Leturia plays the Vancouver Folk Music Festival on Saturday (July 14).


.... ... .

Sunday, July 08, 2007

Picon Punch

This article was published at the Wall Street Journal:

The Basques' Beverage

Eric Felten

ELKO, Nev. -- A few friends of mine have driven through this town, a way station on the lonely highway between Reno and Salt Lake City. Each made the mistake of stopping to eat at one of the grim, dim casinos on the main drag (one of which, the Commercial Casino, features the stuffed carcass of a giant polar bear, a towering old fellow who looks positively perplexed -- and slightly embarrassed -- at having ended up in a dusty glass case in Nevada). Settling for casino grub is a profound mistake, because just a couple of blocks over is a string of venerable Basque restaurant/bars where the hungry traveler would be fêted with heaping plates of steak piled with sautéed garlic, and where a desert-crossing thirst is satisfied with the traditional "basco" drink, Picon Punch.

One of those welcoming spots is called The Star, where I found myself surrounded by cheerful men speaking Basque -- a language unto itself, and decidedly unlike either Spanish or French. When my Picon Punch arrived, Andy Lejardi and Anastasio Arriaga switched to English to ask what I thought of the favorite drink of Basque-Americans -- and to offer a warning that the Picon Punch can sneak up on you.

Mr. Lejardi left the Spanish Basque country in 1969 after an obligatory stint in Francisco Franco's army. Like young Basque men for a century before him, he came to Nevada to herd sheep. Now retired, he lives across the border in Idaho, one of some 50,000 Old World Basques and their descendants who, according to William Douglass, author of "Amerikanuak: Basques in the New World," live in the Western states. Mr. Lejardi noted that the Picon Punch isn't much known in the Old World Basque country, where the most distinctive local drinks are a sloe-berry liqueur called patxaran and the sweet herbal izarra.

Mr. Arriaga pointed out a couple of small wiry men at the end of the bar. "They're from California. Very tough," he said with admiration. "Woodchoppers." Toughness is a singular Basque quality and is reflected in their sports -- feats of strength and sheer exertion. Chopping wood is a staple with Basques, but the signature basco sport is the hefting and schlepping of crushingly heavy weights. The woodchoppers were in town to compete at the National Basque Festival, much of which took place in Elko's streets and parks last weekend. But before the tough guys got to take their whacks, there was dancing.

Taking to the street were boys dressed in white shirts and pants with red sashes around their waists and jingling bells strapped to their shins; the girls were in green skirts, red aprons and white blouses and scarves, their legs cross-gartered. They danced with garlanded hoops to the skirring of an electrified accordion; the steps looked like a distant cousin of the Highland Fling. From the sidelines, mothers of the dancers tossed back their heads and let loose a ululating yell that got its start as a Basque war cry: "Ley-ley-ley-ley-ley-ley-ley-ley-ley-ley-ha-ha-ha-ha-hooooooooooo!"

There were more berets being worn than on New York's 52nd Street during the height of bebop.

The next day I went back to The Star to see how its Picon Punch is made.

The drink takes its name from the brand of the central ingredient, Amer Picon. "Amer" is the French word for "bitter." Gaston Picon concocted his own aperitif of bitter orange peel, herbs and alcohol as a tonic, and started bottling it commercially in 1830. But Amer Picon hadn't been doing boffo business in the States of late, and the brand abandoned the New World. Fortunately, there is a worthy substitute, Torani Amer, now the staple for Picon Punches.

The Star's bartender, Miguel Leonis, puts a stemmed goblet on the bar and fills it with ice. After putting in a healthy dash of grenadine, he fills the glass with Torani Amer, leaving just enough room on top for a float of brandy. He takes a twist of lemon and rubs it around the rim of the glass before tossing it in. "Some people add club soda to water it down a little," says Mr. Leonis. "But we don't. This is the real deal." The result is a delicious cocktail with a subtle orange flavor that isn't so much bittersweet as perfectly balanced between bitter and sweet.

The real deal is still possible because, shortly after Prohibition, R. Torre & Co., a California firm making flavored syrups and liqueurs, came up with its own version of Amer Picon to sell to the many Basque restaurants in San Francisco. Torani Amer is now the only liquor marketed by the company, which focuses instead on its Torani syrups for baking and flavoring coffees. Amer isn't a big business line, but it is a steady one -- especially since Amer Picon took a powder. Ask for Amer Picon at your local liquor store, and you're almost sure to come up emptyhanded -- unless you're lucky enough to find a dusty old bottle languishing on a back shelf. Unfortunately, ask for Torani Amer and you will likely be just as frustrated.

Some California liquor stores, such as BevMo and Wally's, regularly stock the liqueur, and shops in northern Nevada have naturally heard of the stuff. But otherwise your chances of finding a store that sells Torani Amer are slim. That doesn't necessarily mean it can't be acquired. Anybody can push a bottle of Grey Goose or Smirnoff across the counter at you, but the store worth giving your everyday business to is the one that will make every effort to acquire rarities when you need them.

Better yet, if you ever find yourself between Salt Lake City and Reno, stop in at The Star or the nearby Biltoki Restaurant and enjoy a Picon Punch in its natural habitat -- a treat as rare as the Basque language you will hear spoken all around you. Should you want to join in the conversation, raise your glass and say, "To your health": Zure Osagarriari.

Picon Punch

2½ oz Torani Amer (or Amer Picon)
½ oz grenadine
¾ oz brandy

Pour grenadine and Amer over ice in a stemmed goblet and stir. Top with a float of brandy. Rub a twist of lemon around the rim of the glass, and then toss it in.





.... ... .

Tuesday, July 03, 2007

Nagasaki in Gernika

This note was published at The Japan Times:

Nagasaki opens A-bomb exhibit in Guernica, Spain

GUERNICA, Spain (Kyodo) An exhibition showcasing the tragic consequences of the U.S. atomic bombings of Japan in World War II has opened at the Guernika Peace Museum Foundation.

Sakue Shimohira, a 72-year-old survivor of the Nagasaki atomic bombing in 1945, made a plea during the opening ceremony last week for the world to abolish nuclear weapons.

"Please make Nagasaki the last site of an atomic bombing so that no more atomic bomb sufferers will be produced," she said.

The national peace hall in Nagasaki decided to hold the event in Guernica in the belief it is "suitable to convey the horror of the atomic bombing" in 2007, the 70th anniversary of the aerial bombing of Guernica, which inspired Pablo Picasso's famous painting of the same name.

The Basque city was bombed by Nazi Germany's aircraft on behalf of Gen. Francisco Franco for several hours during a crowded market day.

Introduced as a "peace ambassador," Shimohira talked about her experience in front of about 80 people.

A 43-year-old coffee shop manager said he was stunned by her speech.

"Thinking about victims, I feel overwhelmed," he said. "I also feel indignation toward those people who killed this many people. I would like to tell my two children what I heard."

The note is a follow up to the one we reproduced back in May.

.... ... .

Monday, July 02, 2007

Oxford Murders

Sorry, nope, this is not some sort of police report from Oxford, this is about the new film by Basque director Alex de la Iglesia. To learn more read this article appeared at EITb:

Entertainment

Alex de la Iglesia

Basque film director starts filming The Oxford Murders

02/07/2007

The film will be entirely in English and relies on the starring of Elijah Wood (Lord of the Rings). The filming will take place in England during nine weeks.

The film will be in English and count on the starring of Elijah Wood (Lord of the Rings). The filming will take in England during nine weeks.

The Basque film director Alex de la Iglesia (Bilbao) started the filming of The Oxford Murders, a film adapted from the novel Los crímenes imperceptibles (Imperceptible crimes, translated into English as The Oxford Murders) by the Argentine writer Guillermo Martinez.

The director's blog will keep us up to date of the filming project.

The movie, entirely in English, relies on an international cast led by Elijah Wood, John Hurt, Leonor Watling, Julie Cox, Anna Massey, Alex Cox and Dominique Pinon. During nine weeks the filming will take place in London and Oxford.

In this thriller, a professor of logic and a graduate student investigate a series of bizarre, mathematically-based murders in Oxford. Each new death is linked to a different mathematical shape. It seems that the killer can be stopped only if someone decodes the next symbol in the sequence.


.... ... .

Euskera in Iparralde

These are such great news, check this out, comes to us via EITb:

Life

Promotion of Basque Language

Historical agreement to promote Basque language in Iparralde

02/07/2007

The Basque Government and the Public Office of the Basque Language of Iparralde (Northern Basque Country) signed an agreement to collaborate in linguistic issues. An economic fund of €1,450,000 was fixed for 2007.

The Basque Government and the Public Office of the Basque Language of Iparralde (Northern Basque Country in the French State) signed in Baiona an agreement to collaborate in linguistic issues. Both institutions qualified the agreement as historical, as it makes official an institutional collaboration that goes beyond juridical and administrative borders.

The agreement signed by the Basque Government and the Public Office of the Basque Language will make possible a linguistic policy that promotes the Basque language in Iparralde.

In March a call for projects will be announced, to be financed with a €1,450,000 fund, a fund to which the Basque Government will contribute €450,000.

In 2007 several joint initiatives will be carried out such as the 4th Social-linguistic Survey of the Basque Country and the collaboration in research on toponyms and education.

The agreement institutionalizes a relationship existing since 2003, when the Councilor for Culture signed a first protocol with different French institutions. The recent creation of the Public Office of the Basque Language opens the path to a historical transfrontier collaboration.

A mixed commission will follow up the evolution of the projects. Today's signed agreement will be valid until 2010, but has to be ratified every year.


.... ... .

Cobeaga in the USA

This note comes to us thanks to EITb:

Nominated for the Oscar

Basque short film director Borja Cobeaga is already in the US

02/07/2007

Éramos pocos (One Too Many) has been nominated and awarded 70 prizes in 200 festivals worldwide. One of the most important awards it received was the Best Comedy at the Aspen Shortsfest.

Borja Cobeaga, Basque short film director, has travelled to the US in order to promote his work Éramos pocos (One Too Many). Next February 25 he will compete at the 79th Oscars Annual Academy Awards within the short films (live action) section.

The video is 15 minutes long. Borja Cobeaga wrote the script alongside Sergio Barrejón, and they tell the story of a father and a son. When the wife abandons the father, he decides to take his mother-in-law home from a residential home for the elderly with his son's help, so that she becomes the new cleaning woman. Actors Ramón Barea, Mariví Bilbao and Alejandro Tejería play the main roles.

Éramos pocos has been nominated and awarded 70 prizes in 200 festivals worldwide. One of the most important awards it received was the Best Comedy at the Aspen Shortsfest.

Cobeaga's work is included in the Kimuak 2006 catalogue that the Culture Department of the Basque Government annually boosts. The Culture councillor, Miren Azkarate, stated that it is not a coincidence that another short compiled in Kimuak was awarded two years ago, and now Cobeaga's.


Good luck to him!

.... ... .

Euskera For Visitors

Summer is here and soon thousands of visitors will be enjoying the tourist attractions that Nabarra offers so, here you have a handy crash curse into the Basque Language:

Useful information about the Basque Language (Euskara)

We mention here some useful words for visitors when they visit Gipuzkoa. Obviously, the idea is not to teach "Euskara in 10 lessons".

The Baskon language is used for everyday activities

Euskara is not difficult to pronounce, and we point out here some of the most important differences in relation to Castilian.

* g: ge and gi like gue and gui in Castilian, respectively. For example, in Gipuzkoa.
* tx: like ch in Castilian; for example, "coche" (car).
* ts: similar to tx, but softer.
* tz: similar to zz in Italian, in pizza.
* x: similar to sh in English, in show.
* z: s sibilant.

It is useful to remember that because Euskara is an inflected language, the words we list here may have different suffixes depending on the case in which are used, for example:

* etxe ............home / house
* etxearen ........belongs to the home / belongs to the house
* etxea ...........the home / the house
* etxeko ..........of the house
* etxean ..........at home / in the house
* etxetik .........from the house
* etxera ..........go home
* etxerantz .......towards the house

Courtesy Vocabulary

# Adiós, saludo, hola,...Agur............. Good-bye, greetings, (hello.. )
# Hola...............Kaixo................... Hi
# Qué tal?............Zer moduz?.............. How are you?
# Buenos días.........Egun on................. Good morning
# Buenas tardes........Arratsalde on........... Good afternoon
# Buenas noches.......Gabon................... Good evening
# Hasta mañana........Bihar arte............... See you tomorrow
# Hasta luego.........Gero arte................ See you later
# Por favor...........Mesedez.................. Please
# Perdón!............Barkatu!................. Sorry!
# Gracias..........Mila esker, eskerrik asko.. Thank you
# De nada..........Ez horregatik......... You are welcome, my pleasure
# Sí.................Bai........................ Yes
# No................Ez......................... No

To Understand Signs (in alphabetic order)

# Afaria................Cena ..................... Dinner
# Albergea..............Albergue .................. Hostal
# Alokatzen da..........Se alquila .................. To let, to hire, to rent
# Aparkalekua...........Aparcamiento................ Car park
# Autobus geltokia....Estación de autobuses ...... Bus station
# Badabil...............Funciona ................... In running order
# Bazkaria..............Comida .................... Lunch
# Botika................Farmacia ................... Chemist
# Bulegoa...............Oficina .................... Office
# Eliza.................Iglesia ..................... Church
# Emakumeak, Andreak....Señoras .................... Ladies
# Enparantza............Plaza ...................... Square
# Etorbidea.............Avenida .................... Avenue
# Ez dabil..............No funciona ................. 0ut of order
# Ez erre...............No fumar ................... No smoking
# Gizonak...............Hombres ................... Gentlemen
# Gosaria...............Desayuno .................. Breakfast
# Har eta Jan.........Restaurante autoservicio .... Self service restaurant
# Hondartza.............Playa ......................Beach
# Hotela................Hotel ..................... Hotel
# Irekita...............Abierto .................... Open
# Irteera...............Salida ..................... Exit
# Itxita................Cerrado ................... Closed
# Jatetxea..............Restaurante ................. Restaurant
# Kaia..................Puerto ..................... Port
# Kalea.................Calle ....................... Street
# Kontuz!...............Cuidado! ................... Caution!, look out!
# Komuna................WC ........................ Toilets
# Liburudenda...........Librería ..................... Book shop
# Liburutegia...........Biblioteca .................... Library
# Ospitalea.............Hospital ...................... Hospital
# Pasealekua............Paseo ........................ Promenade
# Posta bulegoa.........Correos ...................... Post Office
# Sarrera...............Entrada ...................... Way in
# Salgai (dago).........Se vende ..................... For sale
# Tren geltokia.........Estación de tren ............... Railway station
# Turismo bulegoa.......Oficina de turismo ............. Turist Office
# Udaletxea.............Ayuntamiento .................. Town Hall
# Udaltzaingoa..........Policía Municipal .............. Municipal Police
# Zabalik...............Abierto ....................... Open
# Zinema................Cine ......................... Cinema

In Bars (how to order)

# Ardoa.............. Vino....................... Wine
# Ardo beitza........ Vino tinto ................ Redwine
# Ardo beitza bat.... Un vino tinto............. A red wine
# Beltza bat.......... Un tinto................... A wine
# Bi ardo gorri...... Dos claros ................ Two rosés
# Hiru ardo txuri ... Tres blancos.............. Three whaes
# Lau garagardo .... Cuatro cervezas .......... Four beers
# Bost-kafesne...... Cinco cafés con leche .... Five white coffees
# Esnea.............. Leche....................... Milk
# Kafe utza ......... Café solo .................. Black coffee
# Kafe ebakia....... Café cortado............... Coffee with a little milk
# Patxarana......... Pacharán............. Pacharán(afnuityanis)
# Sagardoa.......... Sidra........................ Cider
# Tea................ Té............................ Tea
# Txakolina ........ Txakoli ......... Txakoli (sharp-tasting Basque white wine)
# Ura................ Agua........................ Water
# Ur minerala....... Agua mineral ............. Mineral water
# Zuritoa ........... Vasito de cerveza.......... Small glass of beer

Baskon Vocabulary In Place-Names

Many of the place-names mentioned here have to do with their physical description. Therefore, it could be useful to know some of the words most frequently used.

# .aga ................. lugar de ................. place of
# Aitz or haitz ........ Peña..................... Rock
# Aran................. Valle..................... Valley
# Aritz ................ Roble .................... Oak tree
# Baserri ............. Caserio................... Basque farmstead
# Berri................ Nuevo..................... New
# Borda............... Cabaña................... Hut
# Ereñotz............. Laurel..................... Laurel
# Erreka............... Arroyo................... Stream
# .eta.................. lugar de ................... place for
# Etxe................. Casa........................ House/home
# -gain................ sobre, encima............. On, over, upon
# Gorri................ Rojo, pelado.............. Red
# Herri ................ Pueblo ................... Small town
# Ibai.................. Río......................... River
# Iturri................. Fuente.................... Fountain
# Korta................ Pasto...................... Pasture
# Langa................ Puerta rústica, portilla......... Rustic door
# Lizar................. Fresno ................... Ashtree
# Mendi................ Monte..................... Mountain
# Pago................. Haya...................... Beechtree
# .pe(an).............. debajo..................... under
# Zabal ................ Amplio, abierto.......... Wide, broad,open
# Zarra,Zaharra....... Viejo..................... Old
# Zubi.................. Puente.................... Bridge

For example, Aizkorri: a bare mountain; Etxeberria: a new house.


.... ... .