I had the privilege of visiting Basque country this summer. It was my second time coming to Spain, and I didn’t know what to expect when this time we were going to the north rather than just Madrid, Granada (my favorite) and Barcelona. But Bilbao stole my heart! We arrived on Festival San Juan AND it was Pride celebration time on the same day. I didn’t get enough and I’ve already told my husband I want to go back and visit/stay for an extended period of time. We were fortunate enough to be able to see San Sebastián the next day and we even crossed the border to France and attended a San Juan festival in St. Jean Le Luz (sp?) by surprise. Memories I will never forget. I got to hear Basque metal (amazing) and met some incredible people. I can’t wait to go back, and I too would love to learn more Euskara!
I would love suggestions for reading more about Basque culture/history/ society. Thank you for sharing your experience!