Txoko and Batzoki-II

So you arrive into the Basque Country and notice that, unlike your country of origin, there are bars. Many bars, as in the rest of Spain (although our level of alcoholism is not higher to that of your country, paradoxically). Bars in Spain and in the Basque Country are places to socialize, to meet, to talk, to enjoy a small drink and a “pintxo” or “tapa”, but not to get drunk (at least, not their main target)…well, you already know this. So you enter in a bar, and find that there´s a lot of Basque memorabilia on it: flags, pictures of people in Basque berets and of traditional Basque sports, Basque symbols everywhere…welcome, you´re now in a “batzoki”, roughly translated, “the place to meet”. Batzokis belong to the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV-EAJ) and are everywhere…there´s one per town over 1000 people, at least. They serve as places where members of this party (over 100 years old and in power for 30 years, just until last year) like to have a drink and hold meetings. They are bars in the strictest sense of the word: entrance is public and you get the same as in every other bar. Famed for their excellent food, pintxos and low prices (not so low now), they are very popular, even among those that do not hold the same political views.

The new strategy of the PNV regarding batzokis is to modernize them with a mixture of traditional and very modern interior arquitecture, to offer excellent menus at very good prices and to win every pintxo contest held in the Basque Country. And a familiar atmosphere too.

The extreme left nationalist parties also have their “Herriko Tabernas” or “People´s Taverns”, much more radical in looks and many of them clearly supporting ETA violence (many are being closed now under the new laws that have ilegalize these parties). The socialist party has their “Casa del Pueblo”, “People´s Home”, also a bar but not as popular as batzokis.

Cider Houses – “Sidrerías”

It´s now the start of the new “cider season”, meaning that the cider that was produced last year will be consumed during the next few months, before the season ends again at the end of April. It´s natural cider, with a low alcohol content (4º), fresh and still, no artificial anything added.

Most “sidrerías” are concentrated around Donostia-San Sebastián, in the Gipuzkoa province, although you can find them now in many other places in the Basque Country. Season begins with the traditional opening of the Kupela (huge cider barrel) by someone locally famous, and following the expression “The new cider has arrived”, the season is officially opened. All sidrerías offer a closed menu for around 25-30 euros, including cod omelette, peppers, t-bone steak, walnuts and cheese (with slight variations). It´s typical to have this menu standing or in long shared tables, and you can have AS MUCH CIDER as you want, it´s included in the price. Sometimes there´s singing of traditional songs and maybe some dancing.

For more info, www.sagardotegiak.com, also in English. It describes the process, the rites and lists the names of the most popular sidrerías.

Eating Schedules

I know, I know…all of you are aware of those strange Spanish (and Basque) eating times: we have breakfast at standard hours, but lunch is never before 13:30 (01:30PM), and it´s quite complicated to find a restaurant open before 21:30 (09:30PM). Kids do have an extra meal right after school, between 17:00 to 18:00 (just a sandwich, a piece of fruit and a yoghourt). On weekends this schedule readapts to our way of life: breakfast, as everywhere else, is later. But then we have the “aperitivo”, which is around 13:00, and may consist of some glasses of wine together with some “tapas” or “pintxos” (I´ll come back later to the differences among tapas, pintxos and raciones). And yes, we then have lunch, around 15:00, which may last a couple of hours. And then, siesta…(which is not as common as you may think). Dinner on a Saturday evening may not start before 23:00 (11:00 PM) and not finish before one in the morning…or later.

Why do we have these odd (to you, that is) eating schedules? Well, the legend goes that at the beginning of the XX century, when workers started to claim their rights and gain more money and therefore social status, the “capitalists” changed their eating times so they would not share their meals with their workers. As a consequence, the workers wanted to look like their masters…so they also changed their schedules accordingly…….and everybody ended having their meals later than usual…

That´s why our banking and working hours, as well as educational time, is divided into two long sections of the day…..

Kaixo eta Ongi Etorri!!

or Hello and Welcome, as we say in Basque. Welcome to this blog, where I hope to be able to show, and explain, and give details, and help, and…, all those aspects of interest related to the Basque Country and areas nearby. We are Basques, and very proud of it (sometimes a bit too much…), and a difficult people to understand (or at least that´s what we like to think of ourselves). Yes, you´ve probably heard about our desire for independence, our “bloody incomprehensible” language, our ancestral customs, our famed restaurants and pintxos, and so on. I´ll talk about it…and about many other things related to us.

(by the way, I´m not a native English speaker, so please be kind towards my many mistakes in grammar, syntax and English spelling…)