The Traveling Constellation of the Hit "Eight Basque Surnames"
The first truth of this journey is that it begins with a lie: the town of Argoitia does not exist. The fictional location is the result of a film route that maps an imaginary constellation across Euskadi, with three towns making up its body or dipper, and its tail extending south to Navarre. Those who visit Mount and the natural park of San Antón, known as the mouse of Getaria, will behold from their viewpoint the beauty of the same coast that once served as a path for whales. To the right lies the isthmus, that rodent's tail that houses the port where the Sabino Iru docks, where the father returns to see his married daughter. Elcano Street in Getaria commemorates the adventurous navigator Juan Sebastián as a son of the town and is adorned with colorful houses with wooden balconies, a metaphor for the designs of the designer Balenciaga, also born in the town and revered in his museum.
The steep road connecting Getaria with Zarautz proves perfect for filming the apocalyptic bus journey of the young Andalusian in search of his "Basque" love. This historic villa charmed the aristocracy after being elevated to the altars of summer fashion by Queen Isabel II. The coastal road soon leads to Zumaia, which offers its bay so that the Urola and Narrondo rivers may rest in peace. Here, Dani Rovira leads a unique abertzale demonstration with townspeople, oblivious to the proximity of the Ubillos and Zumaia palaces and the Gothic temple of San Pedro. Also located here is the Bedua restaurant, known for the unforgettable story of the eight Basque surnames. Its other gem, well depicted in the film, is San Telmo, the hermitage that serves as the backdrop for the wedding of the Andalusian and the Basque against rock walls that cascade down to Itzurum beach.
In Navarre, eleven scattered neighborhoods make up the town of Leitza, the birthplace of the Leizarán River, which names the green hillside that enters Guipúzcoa via the green route of Plazaola. The statue of the bertsolari Nasarre, the Perunena Stone Museum, and the hermitage of Santa Cruz witnessed the adventures of the beautiful Amaia in her wedding dress.