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Within
the
region
of the
Basque
Country,
Guipuzcoa
is one
of the
seven
provinces,
four
of
which
are
Spanish
and
three
are
French.
The
capital
of the
province
of
Guipuzcoa
is
San
Sebastian.
In
order
to
appreciate
this
beautiful
area
one
has to
forget
the
fact
that
here
is the
height
of the
Basque
Separatist
movement
and
the
ETA
terrorist
campaign.
The
Basque
people
are as
ancient
and
mysterious
as
their
language
and
Guipuzcoa
is an
ideal
place
to
sample
their
history.
San
Sebastian
is
first
noted
historically
in the
11th
century,
as the
site
of a
monastery.
The
monastery
has
long
gone
but
the
area
in
which
it was
situated
is
still
known
as El
Antiguo.
The
Basques
love
to eat
and
some
of the
best
restaurants
in
Spain
can be
found
in
this
province.
You
have
to try
the
local
cheese
made
from
ewe's
milk.
The
Basques
also
have a
taste
for
baby
eels.
They
are
also
well
known
for
their
love
of
music
and
dancing
and
the
festival
in
August
is a
prime
time
to
sample
both.
Unique
to the
Basque
Country
are
cider
bars
where
local
cider
is
served
from
open
barrels.
Farmers
here
have
brewed
cider
for
centuries.
Here
is an
ideal
escape
from
the
summer
sun
and
take
heed
that
the
green
valleys
can
herald
rain
and
often
snow
on the
mountain
tops. |
