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For another year, now making its 21st, the Basque-Venezuelan community residing in Euskal Herria will meet in Galdakao to celebrate their annual get-together, greet old friends and catch up,  The meeting will take place this Saturday with mass at the Santa Maria Church in Galdakao, followed by lunch.  

Galdakao, Bizkaia.   This Saturday, April 23, the Basque-Venezuelans living in Euskal Herria will have a date they cannot miss, the 21st Annual Meeting of the Simon Bolivar Association.  Amaia Zenarutzabeitia, main organizers, sent an invitation to the event and is expecting around 100 participants.

The event will take place in Galdakao beginning at 13:00 at the Santa Maria Church for mass in memory of members of the community that have passed away over the last year.  Afterwards, at 15:00 there will be lunch at the Gambrinus Restaurant also in Galdakao.

The menu will include traditional Venezuelan dishes like arepitas with cream cheese (fritters), tequeños (fried cheese sticks) with guava, boiled beef, beef cutlet with a green salad and chives and fried yucca.  For dessert, there will be custard with possibilities and given the success of last year’s event, this time each table will also have a punch bowl so that everyone can serve themselves.

Anyone wishing to join in the festivities should contact the organizers to find out if there are still spots left by calling 653015813 or emailing: pamayaz@gmail.com. 

Great memories of last year

Last year’s celebration was attended by 117 participants, and left great memories.  This year, the organizers are hoping to repeat that experience.  Last year’s participants were of all ages, from the youngest, Alazne Kintana who was 9 months old (who came to the Basque Country with her family: her parents Xabier and Luisa and her brothers, Alai and Asier, 3 and 5 respectively, at the age of 2 months), to the oldest, who was honored, Sabin Sorozabal who was 90 and who demonstrated his great talent singing in Basque and Spanish as well as some bertsos, along with telling some jokes.

According to Amaya Zenarutzabeitia, Sorozabal shared the table and festivities with Garbiñe Lopez, Juli de Goiri and Pilar de Guruzeaga, “they were happy to be together and all three were beautiful for sure.”  One of the day’s surprises was Itziar Rodriguez who was recently arrived from Venezuela.

Zenarutzabeitia also highlighted the youth that are now coming to the event, like last year’s younger table with Orkatz Aierbe, Estibaliz Caro and Unai Goiri, Aker Akerreta, Estibaliz Barreda, Amaia Gisasola, Maider and Arkaitz Solabarrieta, Amaia Badiola, Itsaso Markaida and Luis Simoes, Ohiana Bardesi...In sum, the event has also now become a tradition for young and old alike and continues to grow in numbers and atmosphere from year to year.