euskalkultura.eus

Meghan Garibay/Donostia-San Sebastian. EuskalKultura.com has talked with Mark Ayling, jounalist and traveller from California, author of an app called “The Basque Country: Cuisine and Culture”, about the creation and the plans of development of this active guide of Basque Country's restaurants for movile phones. 

-How long have you resided in Donostia and what made you choose the Basque country for your inspiration for your guidebook?

I came to Donostia a year ago, after spending a year learning Spanish in a pueblito in Castilla y Leon.  While living in Castilla I discovered the Basque Country through a book - The Basque History of the World by Mark Kurlansky - and it instantly piqued my curiosity about the region.  So I applied for a job as an English teacher in Donostia and dedicated myself to learning as much about Basque history and culture as I could.  I tried to immerse myself in local culture and became friends with lots of culinary students, so I fell into the world of gastronomy by coincidence.  

I couldn't believe that so few Americans knew about Euskadi so I decided to show the world how much more existed beyond the Guggenheim.  I realized that all guidebooks lumped the Basque Country into a small sub-section of larger books on Spain and France.  I wanted to be the first to present Euskadi from a Basque perspective and tie in culture, history tourism and food.   

It took me about four months in total, balancing out the work with my day job.  My original plan was to teach in the morning, sample pintxos in the afternoon, then do the write ups in the evening - in the end it was more chaotic than that!  

I'd been trying to get into travel writing for two years at that point, and the offer to write and edit my own guidebook was my first "break."  I had to learn a lot on the job, from how to solicit photos and restaurant participation, how to strike a balance in price, geography and cuisine, and how to conduct professional interviews - all in Spanish, of course!  But it came together and I'm proud to stand by the finished product.  

-Are there any plans in having the guidebook translated into any other languages?

Yes, I have spoken with the editors of Sutro (the app producer) about translating the app, into Spanish, French and Basque, but for now we must wait for Sutro to translate all of the software before I can translate the content.  

Sutro plans on making their apps available in Spanish within the near future, but Basque is a way off.  However, I want to build a Basque audio phrase book into the next edition so visitors can order their pintxos and txakoli in the local lingo.  We'd also love to expand the guide into Navarra and the French Basque regions.  

The best part was certainly the learning process - both as a student of Basque culture, a newcomer to the Basque gastronomy scene, and an aspiring travel writer.  Every day was a day of immense learning and growth.  After four intense months of writing and research I knew the Basque Country inside and out.  But transmitting that knowledge to a larger public was both the main purpose and the best reward.  It's very rewarding to read the positive reviews people leave after using the guide to create their own adventures.  

Wow, I don't think I can narrow it down to a single answer... Begin with pintxos in Donosti, cider houses in the winter, surfing up and down the Basque Coast, getting lost in small villages, exploring Urdaibai, walking El Camino de Santiago and enjoying nature, listening to live local music at Leize Gorria (R.I.P.), swimming out to Santa Clara island, roaming the streets during Santo Tomas, and - last but not least - hanging out with Basques!