Page 84 - WINE DINE AND TRAVEL SUMMER 2019 PORTUGAL
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Basque Country
Rich in Culture, Cuisine, Idyllic Times, and Fun
STORY BY TOM GABLE
PHOTOGRAPHY BY TOM GABLE & RON JAMES
n looking for new adventures to cover in ders and attractions. We engaged tour guides
my early days as a journalist, I always in each town to ensure we got the most out of
started with detailed checklists. Several our limited time. We skipped the French
I decades ago, I was given a better ap- Basque Country towns, except for Biarritz and
proach when I provided one to a well-traveled its airport.
editor and asked for her insights.
She said it looked more like a list of things Fast Basque Facts
rather than memorable experiences, like a col-
orless shopping list from a travel catalog. She
• The Basque language, known as Eu-
said I needed to go visual and gave me an as-
skara, is one of the oldest living languages
signment to create a diorama in my mind de-
in Europe.
picting an ideal future adventure. It should
• The region has a long history of auton-
blend in highlights from previous travel or
omy and cultural resilience, with a strong
ideal ones I had read about elsewhere. She
sense of Basque identity.
said to add broad strokes with historical set-
tings dotting the background, notable land- • Basque people are known for their
marks, memorable streets and squares, and strong cultural pride, evident in their culi-
colorful characters sprinkled across the mural nary traditions, folklore, music, and annual
relaxing on beaches, quaffing wine at a bistro celebrations.
table, admiring the region from atop hills at a • The Basque Country is home to one of
coastal town or rural region in the old world, Spain's most famous wine regions, La Rioja,
and hiking along trails lined with pines. which we covered in the previous issue.
From the visual diorama, it became easy to • Basque cuisine is renowned worldwide
conduct research, eliminate previous destina- for its pintxos (Basque tapas). San Sebas-
tions, and narrow the possibilities. Where tian, in particular, is an Adventureland for
does the creative work lead? Most recently, we Foodies, with numerous Michelin-starred
used the approach to plan a wonderful escape restaurants and its annual international
to Basque Country, which isn’t near the top of gastronomic event, the San Sebastian Gas-
many lists but should be. tronomika.
The region covers an area of around 2,800 • Bilbao transformed itself from an indus-
square miles (about the same size as Dela- trial city into a vibrant cultural hub for all
ware) in Northern Spain and Southwest things Basque, enhanced considerably by
France, near the Pyrenees. In Spain, we visited its monument to modernity, the iconic
Rioja, Bilbao, San Sebastian, and Hondaribbia Guggenheim Museum Bilbao (see below for
and found a region rich with history, colorful details).
culture, imaginative cuisine, and natural won-
84 WINE DINE & TRAVEL MAGAZINE WINTER/SPRING 2024
