The Forbes website has just published an article by Irene S. Levine sharing her experiences traveling in Gipuzkoa.
San Sebastian, pintxos, Idiazabal cheese, and Getaria txakoli. We’re not surprised she enjoyed her trip, as any of her article’s readers are sure to pick up on. What’s great is how she shared it “personally”, contacting with producers and getting to know the traditions behind these products and the Country.
And regarding the latter, our illustrious traveler is on point. She clearly explains who the Basques are and what the Basque Country is, how it stretches out on both sides of the Pyrenees.
Our only niggle would regard one comment in the text. The Basque Country is a country, and it always has been. Indeed, it existed long before France, Spain, or England did. Perhaps we’re not a nation-state, but we are a nation, culturally and socially. What’s more, until the Carlist Wars and the French Revolution, we Basques had our own parliaments, governments, constitutions, fiscal systems, borders, and even armies.
To better understand this, it helps to read John Adams, one of the Founding Fathers of the US, and its second president. He wrote about one of the government structures the Basque Country was divided into in the 18th century: the Biscay Chartered Republic. The text is enlightening.
We’re thrilled Irene S. Levine enjoyed her stay with us so much, and that she was able to so beautifully reflect that in her article. We hope she’ll come back soon!
Forbes – 13/3/2020 – USA
Basque Country: Sampling Cheese, Wine And Tradition
Food and wine enthusiasts visiting the Basque Country in Northern Spain soon discover that Idiazabal cheese and Txakoli wine are two of the most iconic and easy-to-find regional products. Idiazabal is a hard cheese made from unpasteurized sheep’s milk that has been aged for at least two months. Visitors often first sample the buttery cheese at one of many of the pintxo bars that line the narrow streets of Old Town in San Sebastian (Donostia, in Basque) but they are just as likely to savor it on a dessert plate (often served with quince and walnuts) at one of the fine dining establishments in the city.
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Last Updated on Dec 20, 2020 by About Basque Country