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Author Archives: Georgina Howard
The importance of ‘work’ in the Basque Culture
As I dashed out of my neighbour’s farm Amatxi (the grandmother) waved to me from the door ‘Que trabajes mucho!’ she said; a translation from the Basque ‘lan haunditz egin’ meaning ‘I hope you have lots of work!’. She wasn’t … Continue reading
Cider Houses in the Basque Country .. and a few less trees
For some reason cider has become the theme of the week … and not a drop has yet passed my lips . .. I swear! My partner, the village lawyer, always seems to get interesting cases when it is cider … Continue reading
Talk about languages; we have enough problems with our own!
Talking about languages; we seem to have problems enough with our own! How many of us have tried in vain to get past the automated telephone systems that protect companies from their clients! (For those of us living abroad with … Continue reading
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Don´t take the Spanish people out of learning Spanish
I am always amazed at the number of Spanish language schools in Spain that boast about their highly sophisticated language labs full of the latest technology! Surely, (I have always thought) it is far better to learn languages with real people? … Continue reading
Spanish Language Courses at the Open University: their Perfect Summer Complement
Open University Spanish language students enjoy our Spanish language house-parties in the Pyrenees in Spain, and have done for over a decade; braving the 10 hairpin bends to our Pyrenean farmhouse to join us for a chat! Our total immersion Spanish language holidays have always offered an ideal summer … Continue reading
Change of Language? Change of Personality?
Once again thank you to Francois Grosjean, Ph.d. Emeritus professor of Psycholinguistics at Neuchâtel University, Switzerland, for his latest blog on bilingualism and personality change. Without falling into boggy ground over the definition of personality (something so difficult to define … Continue reading
Basque Smugglers and Tomatoes
Koilkil, our retired smuggling friend, continues to surprise us with his tales of smuggling cows and horses over the Spanish/French borders of the Basque Pyrenees. He rarely speaks with animosity about the Guardia Civil during Franco’s regime … sometimes I even note a … Continue reading
Lunch & Autumn Walks in Ituren (17th November 2012)
The best way to start off this invitation is with a picture of Ituren on the school run down the mountain earlier this week .. and if this photo came with a sound track, you would also hear the haunting cries of … Continue reading
El Día del Joaldunak (When I got the dates wrong!)
It is the day that only the villagers know about, (and me) and last year I got it terribly wrong! This is the private day of the Joaldunak – the mythical, pagan, carnival personality of our village of Ituren. … Continue reading
Edorta sings Razón de Vivir by Victor Heredia
Some more wonderful memories of Edorta as he sings ‘Razón de vivir’ to another Spanish group on the terrace of our home last autumn. No international house-party here in Ituren would be the same without him. Eskerrik asko Edorta!
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