The announcement of planned changes in US policy toward Cuba caught me in Spain looking for the birthplace of our Presilla relatives and my maternal great-grandfather Braulio. The quest took us from Madrid to the city of Burgos, Cantabria, the Basque country, and across the Cantabrian mountains to the Valle de Mena in the north of Burgos, which I believe is one the wonders of Spain. There, on the border with Cantabria and the Pais Vasco, we found the Presillas ancestral home by the fast-flowing Ordunte River and the ancient Roman road that once crossed the valley. What joy to meet living relatives like Conchita and Luis, born in Cuba, of parents who went to Cuba in the nineteenth century to find their fortune and who returned as Indianos to the place of their birth. The dead have not been forgotten and the Presillas who still live in the valley keep their memory alive. The Valle de Mena is the historic cradle of Castile, a place of rolling hills and lush pastures flanked by sharp-ridged mountains. Unlike the rest of Castile, it is green and humid like Cantabria with which it shares much more than climate. Tiny towns with 12th century Romanesque churches are not uncommon in this region steeped in history and traditional hearty dishes like potatoes cooked with chorizo in broth, wild mushrooms, grilled and stewed lamb kept us warm. As the history of this region is tied to Cuba, there are no illusions here about the full meaning of our presidents decision. I was grateful not to hear empty comments about Cuba in a place as remote as this where some villages count with less than ten houses. Those who still live in Mena most probably have Cuban relatives.
Posted on: Fri, 19 Dec 2014 19:21:48 +0000
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