Harro Herri

Hello, we are back. Apologies for the long break since the last post. It is not for lack of things to tell but because we have been so busy that we have not had the chance to sit down and write. On my next post, I will tell you about progress on the veg. patch,

Singing in verse

I recently attended a bertsolari session and I thought that some of you might have a cultural and linguistic interest in this peculiar practice and form of popular entertainment where individuals sing off the cuff verses. I say entertainment and that is basically where it all began. I can imagine pairs of drunken men singing

Remembering Gernika

It is a week late but I felt the need to write this. On April 26, 1937 German and Italian planes of the Condor Legion bombed Gernika, a small rural Basque town that was – still is – historically important to Basque people. The international shock generated by the bombing of an entirely civilian target

Bilbo the grey

For all of you fans of the Lord of the Rings, this is not an attempt to merge the names Bilbo Baggins and Gandalf the grey. Although, I have to say, for anyone who cares to know about this, there might be a link between Tolkien’s choice of name Bilbo (Bilbao in Basque) for one

Looking back to go forwards: the virtues of a solidarity based society

Many years ago I wrote an article about solidarity networks in Latin America. These were the heady days of the Latin American pink wave that started with Lula’s arrival to power in Brazil, and were followed by the rise of Chavez in Venezuela, Correa in Ecuador, and topped by Morales in Bolivia. The basic argument

Here comes the sun

Here comes the sun, doby dooby…here comes the sun… and I say, its alright…. George Harrison knew it and many before him. The sun returning after a long winter brings with it the happy faces of those it touches. The truth is, this winter the sun has hardly left us yet. I am assuming the

Saint Andrew is back

And just like that, a whole year has gone by and it is time to celebrate Saint Andrew, the patron Saint of Asterria. Let me explain. Asterria is just a small neighbourhood, one could call it, of Zeanuri, the village to which we belong. Given that Zeanuri has a population of 1250 people or so,

Badator euskaraldia

Yes, yes I know, you are all wondering, what the heck is that title about? So let me explain. It might have occurred to you that here in the Basque Country, we have our own language. And we do, except, you see, that it is very much a minority language in its own home, which