European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 3, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse The mystery and Beauty of the Basque country sheep grate beneath a pm Cloud Selling in the mountains above Roncesvalles Norm Zeigler travel outdoor writer the Spanish Basque country is a world apart from the rest of Spain. Composed of the three Basque provinces a Alava Vizcaya and a Lipuzcoa a As Well As part of Navarre the area has some of the country s friendliest people most spectacular scenery and most fascinating history and traditions. It is a Region dominated by thick forests and rugged mountains where orderly whitewashed villages Are Mere specks of civilization amid the vastness of the wilderness. Watered by snows and Rains that sweep in from the Atlantic much of it remains Lush and Green even when the rest of Spain has been scorched by the summer Sun. The Basque people have Long intrigued historians and ethnographers. An air of mystery shrouds their origins and their language is unrelated to any other known Tongue. Some authorities have linked them to Stone age inhabitants of the Western pyrenees. Others have claimed their ancestors were celts or the lost citizens of Atlantis. But despite the efforts of researchers the truth remains obscure. What is known is that the basques Are a Hardy and fiercely Independent people who have inhabited the Western pyrenees for thousands of years. It is a Region that has often been a Battleground. But despite being conquered by romans visigoths moors castilian and French the basques have stubbornly Clung to their traditions and their language. Much of the Basque country is rugged and wild an area of Remote villages farms mountains forests and seashore. Huge tracts of wilderness cover the High country. Chamois Ibex and even Brown bears still roam the peaks and crags. It is a landscape that has profoundly shaped the spirit of its people fostering self Reliance and solitary livelihoods sheep herding farming logging fishing. At its Southern Edge where the Stony Foothills of the pyrenees slope Down to the Ebro River Valley the a Basque stroller walks along the Highway leading out of the Village of Garralda toward Burguete. Basque Region is an area of Small towns set amid Fields and vineyards. This is arid country made fruitful by sprinklers and irrigation ditches. But the True Basque country is to the North in the forested Hills and mountains where clusters of houses Dot the valleys and Sun browned men in Bolinas the distinctive Basque berets Converse in the Village squares. A Small band leads the fiesta of san Martin religious procession in i Rutton. Watered by frequent Rains anti with its Mountain peaks shrouded in mists blowing in off the Bay of Biscay it is a Region of Lush forests verdant Meadows and Rushing streams. When the Plains and Foothills of the rest of Spain have turned Brown and ochre in the heat of summer the Western pyrenees Are still Green and moist. It is a perfect Region for outdoors enthusiasts. Away from the coast campgrounds Are attractive and uncrowded. There Are excellent hiking and biking throughout the mountains and bikers especially will appreciate the fact that the network of secondary roads is in Good shape and traffic is minimal. The North has several excellent Trout Rivers including the iraqi a favorite of writer Ernest Hemingway. And surfers can hang 10 in the Bay at san Sebastian. R the Region s three major cities Are a study in superlatives. Pamplona with its world famous fiesta May be the most celebrated City in Spain. San Sebastian is one of the most elegant Beach resorts in the world and at the opposite end of the spectrum is Bilbao which ranks among Europe s Best examples of Urban blight. The Basque country is a Region i it h in folklore and tradition. Many towns hold annual festivals in in it mgt a of their Patron saints. Most of these fiestas Are not staged Tor tourists. In Tat to sometimes the lot als an l anti oui Ilo i a Tohvri i i strip s mag Asniw 3
