Talisman, Dragonstone, Wetlands - Biscay - Basque Country

 I know someone who kisses the way a flower opens.

Mary Oliver

Eguzkilore to protect the home of my new hosts
Near Unzá-Apreguindana

Nestled in the heart of the Basque Country, where green mountains meet the blue waters of the Bay of Biscay, lies a rich tapestry of myth, tradition, and folklore. One of the most striking symbols of this cultural heritage is the humble eguzkilore (flower of the sun), a mythical flower that holds deep spiritual and protective significance. The eguzkilore holds a special place in the hearts of the Basque people.

Flysch - Tides - Beautiful Coast - Zumaia, Deba, Mutriku - Basque Country

 What we see changes what we know.

What we know changes what we see.

Jean Piaget

Viewed from the Chapel of  Saint Telmo (patron saint of sailors)
Home on the cliff above the Itzurun Beach

If a sandy warm beach is what you are looking for, this isn’t the place. Described at times as ploughed or windswept, this location made me feel like I had stepped into a completely different world, so much so, that I couldn’t come up with words to adequately describe it. 

Working Sheep Wool, Tasting Sheep Cheese - Goikola - Basque Country

We have a deficit of wonder.

When I ask people questions now, they get out their phone.

I say, noooo!

I don’t want to know the answer.

I just wanna wonder about it awhile.

Tom Waits

Goikola has more than 700 years of history
Used to be an old forge/blacksmith/steel-mill. A wonderful place to stay for a few days.
Daughter Garazi in the window, Carmen sitting outside.

I have a few days to spare before my tour with The Land of the Basques begins.  They picked me up at the airport to take me to the Goikola Rural Guesthouse, after a short detour to visit Urkiola (see previous post).  I will be spending this interim time with a local family to better understand the Basque culture before touring with Iñaki and Ana.  Goikola is located in the hills near Lastur and the gorgeous Bay of Biscay, lined with abrupt and distinctive Flysch rock formations.  

Land of Powerful Contrasts and Folklore - Urkiola - Basque Country

 …and the language all around me struck me

not so much as language but as dance.

Ta-Nehisi Coates

Mosaic mural in St Anthony of Padua
Made with over 850,000 pieces over, inaugurated in 1996
The result of two years of quiet artisanal work by a secular missionary

The Urkiola Natural Park is a protected area where myth and nature come together for a bit of a haunting experience. As you climb your way up, the dark leafy forest of oddly shaped trees gives way to unusual limestone rocks, creating a landscape of powerful contrasts.

Salt is the Sea that Couldn't Return to the Sky, Sečovlje Saltpans - Istria

 Art should comfort the disturbed 

and disturb the comfortable.

Banksy

The, seasonally, somewhat dormant, Sečovlje Saltpans viewed from above. 
Our final destination for this Istrian tour is across that bay

My final morning of biking in Istria.  Fortunate to be on such a beautiful day.  We simply have to ride around these centuries-old saltpans to get back to Piran. From there, I will be headed to Venice to take a flight to Bilbao, in the Basque Country, where my next hiking, not biking, adventure begins.