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Murcia, Spain.  The Euskal Etxea in Murcia held its annual Members Meeting on March 11th, according to club president Unai Sánchez Doral.  “We are a small club, young and modest but with a lot of drive and excitement,” he explained.  “The club has more than 100 members of all ages, from Basque students that come to Murcia to study to working professionals in the area.  Many found love here and so have stayed.  We also have local members who have a special affection for this area,” the president said.

On March 11th members gathered at the annual assembly, in which various activities for 2012 were presented among other topics.  In addition to traditional events like the monthly members’ dinner, mus tournament and Basque classes, are proposed activities including a conference on women, a poetic-musical recital, a book presentation, and a cooking class.  After the meeting the members enjoyed a typical Cider-House menu: Cod tortilla, cod with onion and peppers, steaks, and for dessert cheese with membrillo (quince) and nuts.

[Meal that followed the General Assembly of members of Murcia’s Euskal Etxea (photo MurtziaEE)]

[The Basque club’s large dining room serves as a meeting spot for Basques in the area (photo MurtziaEE)]

First Decade

The Euskal Etxea in Murcia celebrates its first decade this year, thanks to the initiative of several Basques that live in Murcia who decided to organize themselves and form this association.  “After many meetings, they decided to start on an adventure and found a place that they could transform into a clubhouse.  Today, we hold meals there, thanks to its wonderful dining room and fantastic kitchen that allows us to prepare meals for a lot of people.  The clubhouse is used by its members for social functions as well as for private meals, and that’s where we get together to watch soccer, play mus, or take Basque classes,” Unai Sánchez Doral said.

The Euskal Etxea is closely related to the football world and has shared meals with well-known members such as Unai Emery (football coach), Javier Clemente (football coach), the Real Union from Irun, and Iñaki Alonso (Real Murcia’s Basque coach).

Growing Every Day

Among the activities carried out during these ten years Sánchez Doral also emphasizes participation, four years ago, in a well-known festive week in Murcia, in which the Center provided a touch of Basque culture: “We brought typical products from the Basque Country such as cod, cider, patxarán, txakolí, idiazabal cheese..." We exhibited Basque crafts and shared lots of tourist information. But the most successful, without a doubt were the rural sports and the trikitixas. All of Murcia was left awestruck watching the stone lifting and woodchoppers,” he recalls.

“Our hope is to continue to bring the name of Euskadi to the entire region and hope that our young and small family grows every day,” the club president concluded.

-For more information on the club’s Facebook page here