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Murcia, Spain.  Euskal Etxea in Murcia opened its doors last weekend to the local community for a Cultural Weekend that unted poetry, music, Basque gastronomy and mus.  The events began on Friday December 14 with the presentation nof the book Salt in the Eyes by poet, Natxo Vidal.  During the recital Vidal was accompanied by musician Jose Maria Ramon, embraced by a large audience, not only from the Basque club, but also individuals from the literary world and the University of Murcia.

[From left to right, Jose Maria Ramon and Natxo Vidal during the recital for Salt in the Eyes at the Basque club (photo MurciaEE)]

The Saturday of the Cultural Weekend continued with a omelette  making contest and a mus tournament that was won by Carlos Carreres and Joseba Sanchez.  The activities concluded on Sunday with a big “babarrun-jatea” (beans dish) to say goodbye to the year.  The Olentzero was there with presents for the children of the club.

[The Euskal Etxea was filled to the brim during the Christmas dinner (photo MurciaEE)]

The board of directors of the club lead by Unai Sanchez Doral, was very happy with the response to its Cultural Weekend.  “We managed to open our doors to outsiders, as well as to people in the literary world who flocked to the concert, and to children and grandchildren of members who attended the Christmas dinner, surpassing our expectations,” as he explained to EuskalKultura.com.

[Unai Sanchez Doral, club president, preparing the “Alubiada” meal during the Cultural Weekend (photo MurciaEE)]

During the last few years Murcia’s Euskal Etxea has lived a renewal, has cleaned up the club’s accounts and has managed to attract and involved younger members.  Additionally the club has made itself know on social networks through its web page, its Facebook page as well as its most recent appearance on Twitter.

“Our goal now is to increase the number of members and to participate in the social and cultural life in Murcia,” says Sanchez Doral.  One of the most recent initiatives, in this vein, is the creation of Basque club t-shirts, to make themselves know on the streets of the city.  The design, a Basque house in the midst of a Murcian orchard with the city’s skyline was done by Amaia Latorre (more designs here).

[Murcia Basque club’s t-shirt (photo MurciaEE)]