Ibarrangelu, Bizkaia (Viscaya), Spain

I don’t expect anyone else to understand how moving it is to visit the place where your grandparents and great grandparents were born, to re-visit  old family and friends, and to feel that deep sense of personal history through the place and people.  A few of my American relatives have had the same experience, so they know. Ray seems to understand how I feel, amazingly.  I’m so fortunate to be able to share this with him!

PLEASE do click on the first image and toggle through – it is really special and worth the time.

Ibarrangelu, population 600, is one of the most beautiful places you will ever visit.   When I have been away a long time, I start to think that I’ve over-romanticized the memory, that the actual place will disappoint when next I see it.   However, it EXCEEDS my memory—its beauty is matched only by the warmth of the community.  We were both so moved to be able to be here again.

When we drove past Laida and Laga, the two enormous beaches for this tiny town (and yes, tourists, crowd them in July and August, crowd being a relative term to local Basques) I felt I’d forgotten how beautiful a beach could be. Rocky cliffs, green rolling hills, clear blue water, and soft pink sand, all here where mountains and sea meet.  Here are pictures of me overlooking the beaches of my youth.    In October, the weather has been warm and there were still surfers in the water, though the waves were only a meter or two.

In 1984, the entire Busturialdea-Urdaibai region, where this gorgeous area is located, was declared a UNESCO biosphere reserve.   So the beaches, hiking trails, coves, campgrounds, marshes and meadows, forests and rivers create a natural paradise.   If you are a birder or naturalist, you MUST spend some time here.   www.busturialdeaurdaibai.com

The family home is still there, although it was completely rebuilt about 20 years ago on the original foundation stones.   Here is a photo with family included – Tia Carmen, cousin Maria Dolores, her son Andoitz.   A couple of the “girls” I used to hang with in my teenage years stopped by to say hello as well.

Back to the personal—my cousin Joaquín has a restaurant at Laida beach, just next to the campgrounds.   After 33 years in business, he has built quite a following, and employs nine people, including his sister and nephews.   Of course, in true Basque tradition, we were invited to have a meal, and spent a few hours at table eating and drinking the wonderful locally produced food. Maria Dolores joined us, although her husband was working and couldn’t be with us—he’s in one of the photos at the house though.      They even can their own tuna for the salads!   Everything local, everything sustainable, everything house made.   The wine was produced nearby but not house made, and we made quite a dent in their cellar, as well as enjoying some traditional after-dinner beverages.   We told Joaquin he is a bad influence.    But boy, did we have fun!

One last thing—the Village Church was called “the Sistine Chapel of Basque Art” by the leader of the Sistine Chapel restoration team—see attached article.   I remember that when we attended Mass here, I marveled that such a magnificent 16^th Century church was built in such a small village.   You may have seen other altars like San Andres’ but the polychrome oak ceiling is unique and marvelous, especially after restoration in the 1980’s.  Here is an article about it:

http://www.elcorreo.com/vizcaya/v/20130726/costa/capilla-sixtina-vasca-20130726.html