A French Basque weekend

During my stay in the Spanish part of the Basque country me and my friends were wondering about the French part of the country. So together with three Erasmus friends we went on a trip to the other part of the Basque Country, we went to Iparralde.

My French Erasmus friend was driving and told us on the way their that the French part would be very different from the Spanish one. At first I thought that he was just saying that because he is a Frenchman but once we arrived I could see and feel some differences yes.
We visited Bayonne, St. Jean de Luz, Biarritz and some little villages and castle that we came across. The beautiful views and beaches are just as amazing as the ones of the Spanish part. But the style of the cities is totally different. Most of the houses in Iparrelde are white with red balconies and doors, very charming.

Adriana and me with the waffles at the Christmas market

The people on the street made a difference as well. Most of them spoke French and they were dressed in a different style then the people on the Spanish part. But the Basqueness on this part could not be unnoticed. The man wore barrets, Basque words were used and Basque food was served.

Nor could we escape the lovely Basque rain that we have felt on our heads the last month! The first day it rained like crazy and we were forced to enter bars and restaurants for food en drinks..what a bad thing to do!

Saturday morning we walked true Bayonne and noticed a nice Christmas market! Me and Adriana, my Mexican friend, walked around it and tasted some delicious waffels with a lot of chocolate to make sure that our diets were ruined. A glass of ‘ Vine Chaud’ sounded good after the waffels. We went to the wine stall and orderd ‘ Deux vine chaud sil vous plaît’ when the man respond with a joyfull `a dos vino caliente!´. He turned out to be Basque and from that point we noticed that there were more on the streets! The ‘ Agur’ was all around us again!

At St. Jean de Luz

In the afternoon we went to Biarritz, were it was raining as well. It was a charming little city with a lot of Christmas decoration and a lot of ‘ Olentzeros’ ! Here we watched our first match of rugby. What seems to be the most popular sport in French. I could just see that by the look on the face of my French friend. It made his day! Considering I’m not a big sports fan the rugby is not so bad to watch and it’s even funny when there is a nice tackle going on.

In the evening we went to a nice restaurant in Bayonne that turned out to be Basque! Here I order a stake that turned out to be huge! It felt like I was eating like a man and it was damned good for once. The guys order one kilo of steak for two and finished it all (including a piece of mine). We were very stuffed but we were in France so a big plate with cheese and marmalade and some more wine followed.

Very satisfied we walked on the streets a few hours later when we heard some trumpets and laughter. Attracted by the sound we ended up by a little bar were a live band was playing very cheerfully. The bar was stuffed with drunken and happy people and of course we squeezed ourselves between them. We had a good time filled with rum-orange shots and a huge can of beer that the bar women gave to her guest for free.

The next day we were lucky enough to feel the sun shining on our heads. We started with a nice French breakfast and went to St. Jean de Luz by car. Here we played on the beach, saw some local dancing, made a big tour by foot while enjoying amazing views and ate some crepe before we continued our tour to whatever we would come across.

With a mad Frenchman behind the wheel we came across a lot! After making 10 spins at each round a bout we saw some castles, stopped to enjoy the view at a cliff and ate some cheese and wine on our way back in Hondarribia.

A castle we came across

The good food, amazing views, all the Christmas decoration which made de towns very charming and of course my crazy companions made it a perfect weekend!

My first time without Sinterklaas..

Today my friends wrote me some messages about preparing for tonight there were making suprises, buying last minute presents and writing poems..

It was then that I realized that after celebrating it all my life long this year is the first year that I am not celebrating ' Sinterklaas' !

'Sinterklaas' on his hore surrounded by 'Zwarte Pieten'

'Sinterklaas'..¿Que esta?, the not Dutch readers must think right now. Actually according to the Dutch children you must know him. Yes, it is a person and he is suppose to be one of yours!

Dutch children until the age of 7 or 8 are being told a story about a holly man named ‘Sinterklaas’ or ‘ Sint Nicolaas’ who will come from Spain each year to celebrate his birthday with them in the Netherlands. ( I know that you are from the Basque County but Dutch children don’t know the difference.) My small cousins have asked me when I just arrived here if I had seen ‘Sint Nicolaas’ yet.

His birthday is today on the 5th of December but he always arrives more early around the half of November. In every town (yes very possible) he will arrive by train or ship and he will bring with him many of his helpers who have a black skin collar (just like all the people in Spain yes), they are called ‘ Zwarte Piet’ which means ‘Black Pete’ and the most important ones have names like ‘Perdro’.


The story goes that he arrives to the Netherlands by a steamship from Spain and this ship is always filled with lots of presents and sweets for the children that have been good that year.
Every town receives the guy with a big parade and from then till the 5th of December the children are aloud to put their show under the chime every night before they go to bed. The next morning they will receive a little present or some sweets that ‘Zwarte Piet’ has put in there shoe. They say he comes down the chimney while Sinterklaas wait on the roof with his horse. Many children leave some carrots with their shoes at night for the horse.

The steamship with presents

On the 5th of December, the night of his birthday families all come together for ‘ present night’ . While the family is sitting in the living room their will suddenly be a noise upstairs or outside. Quickly they go and look to discover where it came from and then they will discover a big bag full of presents that ‘ Zwarte piet’ left behind for them.

During the stay of December quit often schools gets visit from ‘ Sinterklaas’ and his ‘ Zwarte Pieten’ who will throw candy inside the class room. The same happens on the streets, it is a happy time for the children.

That is at least when they have been good sweet little children. The story goes that when you have been bad you will get slapped with the ‘roe’!

The 'Roe' of 'Zwarte Piet'

And if you have been really naughty ‘ Sinterklaas’ will put you in his big bag used for presents and take you back with him to Spain.

I think that over here you have something similar going on? It is a fellow who comes down from the mountains in December every year with presents for the children.



He is called ‘Olentzero’ and is the Basque replacements for ‘Santa Claus’ around Christmas I understood. The idea of him bringing presents for the good children and mine cols for the naughty ones is quit similar to the idea around or ‘ Sinterklaas’. The only thing that I’ve heard and can’t believe is that he drinks and smokes (pot)? Muy interesante haha.

Olentzero in Bilbao

A well, over here I almost forgot that it is ‘Sinterklaas’ today. This is because I know it’s fake but..When I look at some pictures of parades this year I do remember how exciting it was when he was coming to town and when I heard a knock on the door hoping it was ’ Zwarte Piet’ with candy back then, when I was still a little sweet and unknowing girl.

Basque Amor por mi?

I'm here for almost three and a half months now and I have done some good observations. I've been making observations about the country view, the way of living, the looks of people, what they eat, how they party and ofcourse about the people. And with the people I also mean..hobre de Vasco!

“ For sure you are going to meet a nice guy over there!´´ and “Introduce me to your new lover when you come back´´ was what my friends joked to me about before I went on my little adventure in the Basque Country.



Actually trying to meet a nice guy was the last thing on my mind when I came here and I’ve been so busy with other things that the focus hasn’t been on the chicos over here but of course there were some moments in which it indeed was.

Two friends and me with a big hart

Most of the students I’ve met here a single at the moment. They did had a relation once, a serious one but since then dating hasn’t been in the picture I’ve been told. I’ve asked them if they don’t miss the attention or don’t feel like meeting somebody nice but they answer by all of them was in the negative. They are to busy with their family and friends who are very important to them and it would be a waste in their eyes to spend time on a stranger just to find out if you really like him.

This is very strange to me because all my single friends in the Netherlands go to have a drink or see a movie with a nice boy or girl that they have just met quit often. They are into the person and are trying to get to know him or her in this way. Actually I think they don’t even call it dating anymore because it is just so common to do. I remember myself drinking coffee, cooking dinner together, watching a movie, going on a pick nick, going to the park, going to a carnival or just to a pub with a guy more then once and the meetings were just agreed on like it was a normal thing to do. Afterwards a relation or a friendship or just some more nice meetings can come out of these kind of meetings.

Then there is the flirting differences. When I ask a Basque girl in a bar or just on the streets like ”Hey what do you think of that guy just passing by?” Most of them don’t know how to respond or turn a little red when they do.

I never see chicas and chicos making eye contact on the streets either. There are now little flirtations going on or people here are even more sneaky then the Dutch, that could be. For sure the girls over here will go crazy in the streets when the visit the Netherlands. So often my friends tell me about the hunk or gorgeous girl they made eye contact or even a little chat with just in the supermarket or on the train. Flirting is just part of being single in my country, people feel good about it and they love to talk about it.

But people, also some young ones, do have relations here. I wonder how they meet each other then if flirting isn’t such a big thing because flirting can lead to dating quit easily.For sure the relations that young people have over here are quit different then the ones Dutch young people have. Here I’ve been told that the lovers meet each others once a week or even less. They see their friends more often and will never put them aside for a relation.

In the Netherlands I know for sure that my female friends would kill there boyfriend is he only makes time for here once every two weeks. Of course it can happen that school and everything has to go first some times but if it has to be on a regular base it won’t be good for the relation.
What also is quit a difference is how young people in a relation can meet over here. As for as I know almost everybody lives with his or her family till they around 30. How can you have your privacy in that way?

In my country it is normal to move out of the house and rent a small one or just a room for yourself when you are between 17 and 22. This can also explain why there is more dating going on. You can just take it easy with meeting somebody and relax in your or the place of the others without being obligated to introduce him or her to your whole family right away. Only when you think he will be worth it you tell your parents about who you’ve been dating and bring him home for a meeting if you feel like it.

It has been good for me to always have something else then chicos on my mind over here because I don’t think that me and a Basque boy would fit together. Don’t get me wrong the once I’ve met are quit funny and sometimes sweet but the culture differences are just to big. To me they guys over here come over as very distant and the dependency that we both are used to would be to different. Not to insult but I can’t stand a guy living with his mother above 25. When I was 17 I got my own place. I’m very used to taking care or myself and a boy who let’s his mother take care over him just seems very immature to me. I know the government doesn’t financially supports students like or does so that we can rend a place more easily but still..
And next to that it helps that I’m 1.83 it doesn’t make me interesting for the smaller boys here and vise versa.

Maybe it seems like I’m complaining but actually I’m not. It is very good to not so spend time on meeting somebody nice because know I had been able to infest my time in really enjoying everything that has been going on in my Basque live the last months. Actually even now I’m still running out of time..

A little Basque fame

When I was wondering about how my study in the Basque Country would be like, what kind of persons I would meet, how I spend my days and what would overcome me I never expected what happend to me yesterday..

If you where listening to the EITB Euskadi Radio yesterday then you might have heard Tieme and me tripping over our Spanish in the program of Roberto Moso.

He asked us last week if we would like to be in his radio program to talk about our blogs and experiences here, of course we responded with a yes right away..and then we understood that the whole interview would be in Spanish. (We had to swallow for that one.) As curious as we are we accepted in Spanish as well. (”Claro”)

But ”Ai Ama”, can I get a second chance please??

On air I felt like a little girl afraid to speak so I went back to my knowledge of English quit easily. And now, a hour later I’m thinking about so many things that I could have talked about. For example my housemates Aitor and Rebeka who are ”muy malo”!

My housemate Aitor

(Got you guys in my blog now anyway) Next to that they are really funny persons to live with and they don’t know it there selves but their actually also kind of sweet!













My housemate Rebeka

When we talked about our favourite food here I didn’t even mention ”tortilla de patata”, all the dishes with vegetable in a layer of eggs and the finger licking ”jamon” over here!
Next to that I could have mentioned the names of all our friends over here and why they are our friends. For example there is Gorka, who took us to his family and on a very interesting trip to a old farm. Who I used to translate for me in the beauty salon when I wanted to cut my hair (poor boy) and who took us to a very lovely weekend in Noga together with his friends Danny and Itziar.

Gorka

Then there are of course all the people that we met true or housemates like Xabi, Gotzen, Mirian, Iker and so on. This are the people who know how to have a good time in a crazy kind of way! And I could fill the page with just naming everybody that I can see as my friend over here now but I think they know without me mentioning them.

On the Radio program Roberto talked about our blogs, he had translated some phrases in Spanish. They sound more interesting in Spanish to me so that was very nice to hear! (And I was glad about understanding my own writing in Spanish.)

Ah and another thing that I forgot to mention on air..

”Soy innocente”!

In total it was a very nice experience! :)

No topic, though a confession

For a whole week a stayed in my bed because I had the flew. I didn't like it at all! My friends were meeting all the time and I heard people planning some nice trips and there I was..stuck in my bed..

During that week I was thinking about subjects for my future blogs. I could write something about the people here, my feelings, observations, stories that I’ve heard and trips that I’ve made. Even whit in this categories I could specialize more because I keep seeing new things that interest me so I’m observation the whole day.

Doing some more observations

For example when I’m walking down the street I notice the respect of the people for the pedestrians over here. The cars always stop for young and old crossing the street by foot, no matter how slow they walk they will wait.

In the Netherlands so many times when I was walking down the street or riding my bicycle (a very popular means of transportation the Netherlands) I almost got ran over by a bus or car. It’s like people are much more in a hurry in my country then over here and that is making them act very selfish, even in de traffic. They don’t care about damaging you, as long as they are ok and on time.

Well anyway, I could continue writing a full blog about a observation like this.
An other subject in the category people could of course be the Basque boys.. For sure before I go home on the 18th of December I have writing a blog about them because I have been doing some good observation on them the last months.

What also got into my mind yesterday while I was exercising at the gym is the difference about the importants of how people look over here and in the Netherlands. I could just walk back in my sport cloths without doing my hair or anything, nobody would care.
I see people walking in their trousers on the streets over here all the time. In the Netherlands, and of course this also is a little personal, I would feel so ashamed walking down the street without paying attention to my appearance like that. People, especially the women, always check each other out on the streets and where ever in the Netherlands. Next to that I know I’m a little vain because I like standing in front of the mirror in the morning putting up my make-up and dressing myself up before I go to a party. But over here.. It really feels like it doesn’t matter. Nobody cares and because of that I get more relaxed with not carring for my looks on the streets over here.

The same happens in the gym, in the Netherlands there are always a few persons (or `losers´ as I like to call them) who are showing off and want to be pretty even during excercise. Like `come on´! Over here people are just covered with sweat and look like a mess, me included. And I love it because everybody is just there for a good workout!

Another thing to write about is the differences that I can bump in to when I will return to the Netherlands. For example the view that I have here everywhere I look and while I’m looking true the bus window on my way to Bilbao. The beautiful mountains! I just love looking at them so much! In the summer and also now in the winter, when their tops are all nice and white covered with snow. Just looking at them gives me energie because they remember me of how beautifull the world and life can be.

And so I can continue writing about things that I’m going to miss or that will be different for me, like the outside views, I can keep boring you for blogs and blogs. But don’t worry I will maintain myself (For now).

Actually I have a little confession to make. In my study, journalism/communication, I never liked the writing parts that I had and still have to do. Thinking about a subject for a item, making sure that I have the right sources for my item, going out there to get the information, that are the things I love in my field. Especially when it includes a camera. Filming, editing, just the idea of it is exciting to me!I really want to go into that direction.

In the first year of my study I had to write about so many uninteresting things and I had to write them by so many rules that I got really sick of writing actually. So when we came here and I heard about my job at the EITB for which I would have to write every week I wasn´t to trilled to be honest. Of course I loved the idea of working for a news station this big because in the Netherlands we don’t get a opportunity like this to often, but the writing part..aargh.. I wanted my camera.

(Let’s hope that my boss doesn’t fire me instantly after reading this little confession of mine)
Now why did I tell you all about it? It is to explain how surprised I am about me enjoying telling you about all my experiences here in by blogs. (No, for real!)I think it’s because the Basque Country had been and still is one big adventure to me and I know nobody, except the other Erasmus students over here of course, that I can’t tell something new about the Country and my life in it. I just love sharing everything and it would be nice for people when they go and visit the Country that they will recognize a thing or two that I have mentioned in my blogs. My family that has visited me already did.

How’s that, Saskia telling that she likes writing. A good way of ending this topic less blog I guess;)!

Worship for a little lady

Last Teusday one of or teachers took us to Arantzazu to visit the church over there. We were very lucky because her uncle, who is a priest active at the other side of the country, traveled many hours to come and join us so that he could show us a thing or two in the church of Arantzazu.

A half hour drive from Arrasate, passing by Onati, lies Arantzazu. It is placed high between the mountains and therefore it was very cold making just six degrees. Unfortunately for us it was raining which made the temperature felt even worse.

Running towards the church in the hope to hear a good story there, and of course to find some shelter from the rain as well, I noticed that the entrance of it was considerably small while the church itself and everything around it where impressive big.

Going true the entrance it wasn´t the temperature that I felt rising, it was my curiosity.Right in front of us where wooden benches, above us was a big platform with many seats for a big song chancel and right in front of us at the end of the church was the alter.

The alter was the one that rose my curiosity. It wasn’t a common one, on the contrary. In a oval shape with depth the alter was shaped. Up on the high wall was a big pies of art, made out of wood. The attention was drawn to the center of this pies of art. Up on a three stump, right there in the middle, a little figure was presented.

The virgin in Arantzazu

While we took place at the front row of the benches a priest of Arantzazu, who has been with it for fifty years and is a contact of the uncle of my teacher, starting telling us the history of the sanctuary. Soon it was clear that the little figure in the middle placed of a three stump played a big part in the historty of the church.

According to the tradition that the priest told us, the virgin, that is how the little figure is called, was found by a shepherd named Rodrigo de Balzategi. He found here in a hawthorn bush and asked her “Aranztan zu?”, which means “Is it you in the hawthorn?”. And that is how Arantzazu got its name.

In the continuance of the story the priest told us that at the time in which the virgin was found there were wars in the country during that period the country was suffering from a big dry. They al praided for hope. Then Rodrigo brought the virgin among the people and it suddenly started to rain. They saw this as a sing of the virgin being a saint and the country made peace.
I guess this story could also be the reason for the many rainfalls that the Basque Country still knows now a days..who knows?

What made a impression on me was the dedication of the priest for the sanctuary of Arantzazu. He had been with it for 50 years now and started there when he was 19th. The same goes for the uncle of my teacher, he also was around 20 when he decided to became a priest.

The priest with the robes

In the Netherlands people becoming a priest is almost a non-happening now a days. There are religious people and every town has it’s church but for real religion is not as big over there as it is over here. That is quit interesting to me. Especially because it seems like here in the country the religion makes the close communities over here even closer.

After we heard the story behind Arantzazu, what was wearth hearing, we got a tour true the church. We walked true the galleria of the sanctuary. “A galleria in a sanctuary?”, whas the first thing that I thought. But yes it has one, a very unique one actually because there has been a contest about what the alter should look like and all the suggestions for it are exposed in the galleria.

There was a contest about the design of the alter because the original artist that was building it died of a stroke before he could finish it. There was decided to held a contest about how it should look like now the official creating could not me be performed any longer. From all over the world 41 artists turned in a piece of work that contained a suggestion for the looks of the alter.

The pieces of work in the galleria were all very unique in there kind. It was for sure that the people really felt like using the rebuilding of the sanctuary of Arantzazu as a oppertunity for expressing there feelings. All the paintings were really strong some spoke of freedom and others of hope.

We continued or tour to the basement of the church were the old alter that is still in use is kept. I was astonished by the sight of the room while I entered it. The walls of it where all covered with very strong colors of paint and behind the alter that was at the front of the room was drawn a blood-red priest rising his hands above him and looking with much anger towards us. I have never seen a alter like this, it expressed so many strong feelings in its paintings. It really felt like the painter of these drawings wanted to express anger and protest for the gaining of freedom. Even more surprising is that I saw this paintings in a sanctuary in the Basque Country, here were the people are known for being so shy and helt back.


The alter in the basement of Aratzazu

The priest told us that people still get married in front of this alter. Personally I woudn’t feel comfortable by giving the ‘I Do’ in front of paintings looking quite angry at me.

I’m sure that by now it is clear that the uniqueness of the sanctuary interests me very much. But what maybe got my interest even more was the loyalty of the priest for it. He told me that when is was around 20 he decided to became a priest and he is with Arantzazu for 50 years now. The same age of becoming a priest goes for the uncle of my teacher. How dedicated they are..
In the Netherlands of course there are religious people but have the strong impression of way more Basque persons being religious. The communities that very tight over here seem to be drawn even closer by the religion.

We were very lucky with the contact of my teacher because our tour and guide were very good. The priest also took us op to the virgin. By stairs we could go up behind the alter, that is reversible in a way that she goes out of side in the front and appears at the back were she can be looked at very closely.

It turned out that the lady that is worshipped and loved by so many is a very small little lady! Usually she is dressed up in handmade robes that the priest showed us later. If the people from and around Arantzazu accepted that big of a influence from such a small woman then they must have been good people with a good will for trust.

A Basque expression for this feeling

The feeling that came over me one of these weekends goes very well with a Basque expression that I've learned! The right thing to see at that time was “Ai Ama!”.

It all started a month ago. Two of my sweet Dutch friends decided to come over to the Basque Country for a visit. I felt like ‘yeah that would be nice’ but I didn’t miss them that much actually because I knew that they would still be there by the time that I’ll return to the Netherlands.

The days went by and I didn’t have that much contact with them because I was busy with having other visitors in the Basque Country and next to that I was just busy with me normal life over here.Then a week ago we started to have more contact because their arrival was coming near. They would arrive around nine pm in Santander so I would book a hostel because in that way we could spent the night partying over there and on Sunday we would go to Arrasate.
Their arrival was coming closer and closer and I imaged us talking and laughing and having fiestas por todos noches. I liked the idea of introducing them to all my new friends here and the idea of getting them in touch with the Basque Country.

Most of all I thought about how I would feel around them. They know the way I think, what kind of jokes I enjoy. We would probably be talking and laughing all night long while we would catch up all the gossip and stuff like that. It Would be so relaxed.

Online I had looked up some good places to party for the Saturday night In Santander and I had booked a hostel at the beach for the three of us. Filled with excitement I took the buss on Saturday together with some erasmusfriends and Tieme because some of his Dutch friends would Arrive by the same airplane.

During my trip my friends had called about arriving safely in the airport and being ready for take off. Relaxing a bit I was listening to some music while I suddenly noticed that my phone was ringing. Five lost calls from friends and two messages to call them back.
I looked at the time; 19.05 and their plane should have took off at 19.00..
All worried I called them back. ”Girl I it sucks so bad but I have to tell you something”, answered one of my friends with a sad voice. It turned out that there are two airports in Dusseldorf (they booked a flight from Germany because it is cheaper then a direct flight from the Netherlands to Santander). They were just aware of one airport in Dusseldorf and waited and waited at the one they knew untill they noticed that their was no departure for their plane.
It turned out that they were in the wrong airport and there was no more chance for them to get to the right one in time. They had missed their flight and there was no way for them to book another.

“No just go on a plane to somewhere in Spain I will come to you..this can’t be!”, was my first response. Of course then I realized that there was no point.. and I felt so so sad! I just really felt like seeing them and now I mis them because they were so close. It sucks..
Maybe I should look for smarter friends when I return to the Netherlands (just kidding), but for now I realized how happy I am with the people that I already had in my life and with the people that got in it during my time here in the Basque Country. I needed to be with them and have their support when my Dutch friends didn´t make it because I felt so sad and a bit lonely.
I always thought that managing without real friends and just some lose contacts would be fine but now I’ve learned how much I actually do need to have them wherever I am.Luckely for me that the Basque Country is a good place for making friends as well