Archives

Those harsh winters

0
Posted on 2019-01-25 in
Frosted oak leaves. Akaitze Kamiruaga

Akaitze Kamiruaga. Labayru Fundazioa Photographic Archive.

Winters are much milder than in times past. Frosts were more frequent then, and it used to snow more than it does now, according to numerous ethnographic testimonies.

Except for sudden, exceptional episodes of severe weather caused by so-called polar vortices, prolonged spells of ice and snow have all but vanished for much of the territory, and snow today lies for a couple of days and melts away. (more…)

Cold storage in bygone Bizkaia

0
Posted on 2017-11-24 in
Ruins of a snow pit in Astikurutz (Otxandio), 1993. José Ignacio García Muñoz

Ruins of a snow pit in Astikurutz (Otxandio), 1993. José Ignacio García Muñoz. Labayru Fundazioa Photographic Archive.

Underground pits in the mountains called edur-zuloak in Bizkaia Basque, neveras in Spanish, were used in days gone by for the storage and preservation of snow. They fell into disuse by the start of the 20th century, the original constructions being thus severely deteriorated and the facts about the role they played nearly forgotten. (more…)

Carrito

Archive