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Best of San Sebastián & Basque Countryside in 7 Days: Recommended Reading & Viewing

The Basque region is overwhelmingly rich in history, art and culture. Any preliminary reading, viewing or listening you can do will help you get the most from your trip. For a description of any of these books, visit amazon.com; for videos, go to imdb.com. Rick Steves guidebooks are available at our office in Edmonds and also on our website's Travel Store.

Recommended Reading

Non—Fiction

• The Basque History of the World — Mark Kurlansky
• The Basques: Their Struggle for Independence – Luis Nuñez Astrain
• The Basques, The Catalans, and Spain – Daniele Conversi
• Life and Food in the Basque Country — Mara Sevilla
• The Basque Country: A Cultural History— Paddy Woodworth
• Sweet Promised Land – Robert Laxalt
• The Land of My Fathers: A Son's Return to the Basque Country — by Robert Laxalt
• Following the Milky Way: A Pilgrimage on the Camino De Santiago — Elyn Aviva
• On Pilgrimage — Jennifer Lash
• What the Psychic Told the Pilgrim: A Midlife Misadventure on Spain's Camino de Santiago de Compostela — Jane Christmas

Non—Fiction

• The Sun Also Rises — Ernest Hemingway
• Knight of the Temple — Stuart J. Dimmock
• A View from the Witch’s Cave: Folktales of the Pyrenees — Luis Barandiaran Irizar
• And the Serpent Said to the Woman — Miren Lourdes Onederra
• The Sands of Time — Sidney Sheldon
• An Anthology Of Basque Short Stories — Mari Jose Olaziregi, and others

General Europe

• Europe 101 — Rick Steves & Gene Openshaw . History and art overview for the traveler; humorous and easy to read.
• Innocents Abroad — Mark Twain. Humorous classic recounts an American group's 1867 "Grand Tour" through Europe and the Holy Land.
• Civilisation — Kenneth Clark. BBC—TV series and book that teaches European art and civilization like nothing else. BBC—TV series and book that teaches European art and civilization like nothing else.
• Connections — Burke. Fascinating book and TV series that links historical events and scientific discoveries across the centuries.

Rick Steves' Travel DVDs

For a fun, informative preview of your next tour destination, watch a DVD from our "Rick Steves' Europe" TV series! Our online Travel Store has 70 shows available on 12 DVDs (a generous five to eight shows per disc).

Films With a Basque Accent

• Cyrano de Bergerac (1990 – Filmed in Basque) • La Pelota Vasca (ETA Documentary 2003) • Vasca (1992) • Agian (2006) • Tasio (1984) • Días Contados (1994) • The World is Not Enough (1999 – filmed in Bilbao).

Mood Music

Oldarra – Basque version of Gregorian chant; José María Usandizaga — opera; Joseph-Maurice Ravel — Basque French composer and pianist; Mikel Laboa — contemporary folk music; Mocedades — contemporary folk/rock; Anari — contemporary singer/songwriter; Mikel Urdangarin — contemporary singer/songwriter; Jabier Muguruza — contemporary singer/songwriter.