Easter in Basque Country

I just got back from a great road trip up to Basque country in the north of Spain. The Basque country ("País Vasco" in Spanish and "Euskal Herria" in Basque) is an amazing place! It's lush and green and looks more like a cross between Ireland and the California coast than like the rest of Spain. I spent time in Bilbao, which houses the new Guggenheim museum. As well as San Sebastian, a few coastal towns, and the lovely beach town of St. Jean de Luz in the French Basque region.

Basque is a cool language. While not much is known about its origin, it seems to be derived from the extinct Aquitane language which was spoken in the Pyreenes and southwestern France during Roman times. It is otherwise completely unrelated to any other known world language. While not as common as Catalan in Catalunya, Basque is spoken by as many as 600,000 people, and most of the road signs in Basque country are written in Basque (often times with the Spanish translation crossed out by Basque nationalists). It's also spoken in parts of France as well as in the Navarra region of Spain, further south.

I was fortunate enough to be there during Easter week (Semana Santa) and witnessed some of the grand parades and festivities that took place. Throughout Spain this is an important holiday and worshippers dress up in hooded outfits that that represent religious brotherhoods (hermandads) that originated in the medievel church. Check out some of the photos I took of the processions.



The Guggenheim museum was well worth the visit. Currently they are showing an exhibit of Russian art that is the largest collection ever shown outside of Russia. It ranges from early medievel iconographic paintings to modern works from contemporary artists. It's especially strong in 19th and 20th century Russian art and offers a fascinating glimpse into the art of Russia.



The Guggenheim was definitely one of the highlights of my visit, but overall I really enjoyed my time in Basque country. It's a unique place with a special feel all its own that is very distinct from the rest of Spain - one might even say it's "magical". It's also amazingly beautiful area with lush green hillsides studded with shaggy herds of sheep and beautiful beaches. It was a pleasant surprise, I'll definitely be going back.