Euskal Herria Bihotzean: The Basque Country in My Heart

In the Ibearian Peninsula there is a city perfectly hidden just below the border of France, between the Bay of Bisque and the mountains of Monte, Urgell, and Igueldo in the land known as the Basque Country, it’s called San Sebastian, or Donostia. To understand and appreciate this city one must first familiarize themselves with the Basque Country itself, a place with a rich history, culture, language, people and sense of pride that is matched by no other on the planet. One need not look further than the language which has no origin, by that I mean nobody knows where it comes from and how it got to the land. It has no connections with the romance languages that surround the area, nor with any germanic. The language, which was restricted from its people for years during the reign of the dictator Francisco Franco, was criminalized and outlawed. A culture that was suppressed for years under the same dictator and a history that was to be ignored and forgotten. The suppression of the people and the criminalization of the culture led to an armed struggle between the Spanish government and the Basque radical organization ETA. This struggle led to the senseless loss of life of many, separated families, and created a war like environment at times. The struggle lasted long past the death of the dictator and well into the 21st century, ending finally with a permanent ceasefire in 2011. If it is something unique that you desire then you have found the right place. Perhaps now is the right time to discuss what makes the Basque country and the city of Donostia such a great place and that is of course the Basque People. It is not brave or controversial to say that without the Basque people San Sebastian would end up becoming just another tourist destination because it is simply the truth. Without the Basques I am more than certain this great city would be ruined by gigantic buildings constructed completely of glass, oversized hotels, typical fast food chains, and unnecessary advertisements splattered all over every building. Truly, you cannot separate Donostia from the Basque people, they are one in the same, and they are the ones who must be thanked for making and keeping Donostia a outstanding city. You will not find a better place with better people anywhere else in the world.

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Thankfully for me my introduction to the Basque Country and San Sebastian was through the eyes of my girlfriend Maider, who calls the city home. My journey to the place I would eventually call my home began on the 23rd of December, the year was 2020 and I was headed to meet the family of my girlfriend Maider. Before the journey began I was made aware by Maider that I should forget whatever I thought I knew about Spain and the peninsula altogether because where we were headed was not Spain, nor France but something completely different. I was to expect vastly different weather, food, music, and scenery. Ok, I thought to myself what could be so different? Of course the landscape will change but how drastic could the change be? Sure the weather might be odd but how much different could it be? Quickly, my questions were answered on the flight from Granada to Bilbao where I found out just how simple my thinking was. Lighting, massive wind, horrible rain which seemed capable of piercing through the plane was what we were met with during our approach to the Bilbao airport. This airport which I must mention is the most difficult airport to fly in and out of in Spain due to its location and the constant terrible weather. We finally made our landing, which seemed doubtful to happen at times, and with that I was in the Basque Country, but had yet to reach my final destination of San Sebastian. We were met at the airport by Maider’s mother Loli and brother Jony, I was of course nervous because that is just the type of person I am. However, I was soon calmed because I felt welcomed, we were greeted with hugs and kind words, and I felt a sense of being at home even though I was 10,000 Miles away. Rain, wind, and more rain on the hour long ride from Bilbao to Donostia, it was night when we finally took the exit for the Intxaurrondo neighborhood where Maider grew up and spent most of her years. We finally pulled up to the apartment building, located next to a Guardia Civil compound, which I was informed is where the Guardia Civil used to torture and execute both ETA members and accused ETA members during the years of the armed struggle that plagued the Basque Country and the rest of Spain.

Food, something that is much deeper than eating a meal and moving on to the next thing, no it is not that simple. The Basque’s take their food seriously, perhaps even more seriously than their football, or anything else, and I am lucky that they do. I was made aware by Maider that in her family this was of course the case, food is serious and they eat a lot of seafood, she would often show me photos of the meals her parents and brother would have while we were still in Andalucia. Crab, squid, octopus, cod, and lobster just to name a few things. Not only just one sitting or plate, but multiple different courses over one meal, eating is a marathon and it is important to come prepared. This is something that I have found to be true throughout the Iberian peninsula, food is important, lunch is a sacred event, and you better come ready to eat, while respecting and appreciating the honor and pride that goes into preparing the perfect meal every time. However, while this is a common theme, I find that the Basques, to put it simply, do it better. The preparation, ingredients, attention paid, the appearance, beauty, pride, and taste are all things that are special to this part of the world. I could go on and on about how many Michelin star restaurants are in San Sebastian seeing as how there are the second most here by square capita than anywhere else in the world. That is respectable and goes to display how critical food is to San Sebastian and the Basque Country. However, for my money and in my opinion those Michelin restaurants can keep their stars and their expensive plates because they have nothing on the meals prepared by Maider’s father Genar. This is how I was introduced to him and the Basque culinary tradition.

As we left the elevator which took us up to the 3rd floor apartment we were immediately hit with the smell of seafood. Maider’s father greeted us as we opened up the door and stepped into their home, as we shared greetings and brief introductions the only thing I could think about was the smells that were hitting my nose. I had never in my life smelled anything quite like that up to that point and it made it so all I could think about was what we would eat. Seafood, yes of course but the type and quantity of food was something that I could not guess or even comprehend. The table was already set in the living room with places for everybody: Loli, Jony, Maider, Genar, and myself. I could see that there were multiple plates set, as well as glasses, and tools for eating crab. This was new to me as I am from a state in the US that is nowhere near an ocean I had yet to try crab. Bowles of perfectly cut bread, water, a bucket of wine and a bottle of coke. Before the meal began I was made aware by Maider that with this meal it was of the utmost importance to stay away from water, it just isn’t drunk with it, so it was either wine or coke. Plates of thinly cut slices of jamon serrano were placed at each end of the table so we could have something to warm up with while we awaited the food and the smells to emerge from the kitchen. The first course was something light, almost just to warm up our stomachs before the feast began a bit like walking before running a marathon. Salpicon was the first dish and it has a beautiful profile and an even better taste. The salad consists of shrimp, red pepper, onion, green pepper, olive oil, vinegar, and salt. It’s light, pretty, flavorful, and a great introduction into the meal. After the warm up Genar began to bring out the first plate of food there was a feeling of excitement shared among all of us in the house, they knew that we were in for a truly great night of eating, laughing, and celebrating. Here I will lay out our evening of eating quickly. The first course was brought out, silence fell over the room as we all saw what was placed on the table and I was left speechless. The largest piece of grilled squid was the first thing we ate (pictured below) . It seemed like it was the size of a football player’s leg, but did it ever look and smell remarkable. This one plate of food, in a lot of places would be enough, not here though, this was our starter and what a starter it was. What followed the squid were the crabs, which were enormous, rich, fresh, and beautiful. The meal took hours but felt like minutes because of the food and the company. I ate everything, happily and without even realizing how much I ate, it felt natural and real, nothing was forced. It is difficult, if not impossible to put into words the flavor or the feeling one is left with during and after eating this feast, or even how it was possible to eat that much food. Perhaps it was possible due to the constant conversion and joy that filled the table, it seemed like there was never a dull moment or a minute without laughter. You could see a sense of exhaustion after the first course of food but also a readiness and a need to eat the second plate. I think that is what allowed us to eat, keep eating, and eat some more, it never felt like a task but pure and right.

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I fell in love with the Basque Country and San Sebastian that night. Up to that point I had only seen the city from a distance, during the night, and in the rain, but I knew that this was a special place because of the meal I ate and the people that I had met. How lucky I felt to be at that table, in that place, with those people on that night. It is a feeling I still get every time I am back in that city and eating in that house. For me it is an impossible task to put into words the joy and fulfillment that exists in San Sebastian and the Basque Country, I do not possess the ability to describe how incredible the first meal was and how every meal has been after that, perhaps I will try in the future. However, for anyone who wishes to live this experience they must travel to Spain, then to the Basque Country, and finally to San Sebastian to see for themselves.

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Author Bio:

Jared Buckland

Hello,

I am an English teacher from the United States currently based in Spain.  For the past two years I have lived in Spain which allowed me to explore and engage in new but rich experiences.  I moved here during the fall of 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic with almost no knowledge of Spanish and understood little of the culture I placed myself in.  Luckily for me the remote village of 800 in the mountains of Almeria where I lived and worked eventually welcomed me and embraced me as one of their own.  During that first year I saw how another culture dealt with the pandemic, met my girlfriend in Granada, and learned just how seriously the people take their food and their politics.  However, the place that I truly have come to love and appreciate lies much further to the north in the autonomous community of the Basque Country where my previously mentioned girlfriend is from.  There, I spent all of my holidays and time off during the summer with her and her family.  They showed me what it means to not be Spanish but to be Basque which you have to trust me when I say are two very different things.   

This is just a somewhat brief summary of myself and my time so far in Spain.  I realize that my experiences are not extreme or extraordinary in the traditional sense, however I believe that is what makes them true and worth sharing with people.  Really, what I want the most is to share how wonderful and beautiful this place is with anyone who will care enough to read it.  Even if I only share it with the person who got stuck reading this application.  Thank you for your time.