This article was translated by John R. Bopp
Scotland is one of the European nations that has always had a special place on our blog. We can’t deny it: we like the Scots. Of course, that means that reports about Scotland or the Scots are not “lacking” on our blog.
We’ve written about the sightseeing of Basque hideaways published in Scottish media; of the economic relations that join our two countries; of the Scottish fishing eagles that were used to repopulate the Urdaibai Nature Reserve; of the prize Alex Salmon received in the Basque Country…
But, we must admit, most of the Scottish stories have more to do with politics than with the relations between the two countries. Unfortunately, this whole business of being one of the European “stateless nations” ties us together in stories in which we would undoubtedly rather not be the co-protagonists.
On this occasion, the story that inspired this article is rather different. We’re talking about personal relationships, the ones Basques developed with they went to Edinburgh to take part in the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. A group of young Basques went to this festival to offer the music, dances, and songs of our land to the public.
And while Edinburgh is not as well stocked as a Basque city, our young ambassadors found more than 700 pubs in the Scottish capital where they could visit and play traditional music without dying of thirst.
We’ll leave you with the chronicle published on the Review Sphere website.
Review Sphere – 25/9/2016 – Escocia
Festival Fringe: Memoirs of a Basque!
Basque Country and Scotland are quite similar, and this is not only for the weather. It is said that people of both countries are close and kind, and they are pervaded with feelings of freedom. The month of August came again, and with it, the Festival Fringe. The largest arts festival in the world colors every single corner of Edinburgh City, and so did the Ikurriña (Basque flag) this year. A group of almost twenty people, dressed in txapelas (Basque hats),abarkas (Basque leather sandals), txapins (thick woolen socks), txistus (3 holes’ pipe) and many other typical costumes, danced and played representative Basque performances.
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Last Updated on Dec 20, 2020 by About Basque Country
