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Last month I told you about how I was starting up a Basque walking tour of San Francisco to visit the old Basque hotels and restaurants of years past. So I thought you might like an update on how it all went.
About the Basque Walking Tour
We had the first official tour on Saturday, June 8th for a group of mostly local Basques. But a New Yorker who was in town for the weekend and follows Hella Basque on Instagram dropped in for it too!
It turned out to be the hottest weekend we’ve seen all year in San Francisco, but our small group braved the heat and steep hills of San Francisco to talk about our history.
For some in the group, the Basque walking tour was a trip down memory lane. For the younger ones, it was a chance to learn new things about the history of Basques in San Francisco. I loved talking to people who were actually around during the Basque hotel days (the last ones in San Francisco closed down in the 1990’s).
And I was especially excited to stump everyone in the group when I brought them to a church built by Basques in the 1870’s that no one knew about. The history of Basques in San Francisco goes back much farther than the generations we know and love.
The biggest honor of the day was having Ana Iriartborde join us. Ana ran the Hotel Des Alpes on Broadway with her husband Ganix from 1962 to 1975.
We were so lucky to have her with us to share her experiences.
Here I am standing with Ana in front of the old Des Alpes building (right).
We ended the tour at the cocktail bar that’s now in the place of what used to be the Basque Hotel’s bar and restaurant.
There was such a demand for the tour that I ended up adding another date the following Saturday.
Thank you so much to everyone who came out for these first few tours! It’s been so much fun getting to hang out with you all in person and talk about the Basques of San Francisco.
How to Sign Up for the Next Walking Tour
I’m still getting messages from you guys saying you’re interested in taking the tour but weren’t able to make the first dates.
So I’ve opened up a calendar for you to sign up to take the tour with me on whichever date is convenient for you. I have slots open all the way until the end of September, so if you’re big on planning ahead or need some time to gather your friends and family to come with you, there’s plenty of time for that.
You can sign up for the Basque walking tour of San Francisco here.
You can also read a full description of the tour and what it covers here.
Can’t come on the walking tour but still want to learn about the Basques of San Francisco? Check out the books I used during my research:
CONTINUE READING:
- New Basque Walking Tour in San Francisco
- Basque Immigration in the United States
- Basque Museum Exhibit Honors Basque Women
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