Basque Country
Nestling in the North-East corner of the Iberian Peninsula, the Basque Country - or Euskadi, to use its local name - claims to be a nation apart and also justly considers itself a hotbed of football with two Primera sides and three Second Division outfits in La Liga.
Athletic Club de Bilbao, Real Sociedad – despite their relegation in 2006-07 – and Osasuna are without doubt the main course of any trip to the Basque country; although Pamplona-based Osasuna is, strictly speaking, in Navarra, a quick look at the Basque Ikuriña flags festooning their El Sadar stadium soon makes clear where their loyalties lie.
Deportivo Alaves, relegated since their UEFA Cup heroics of 2001, and the stereotypically hard, classic battlers of Eibar are also worth a visit, while the true football addict staying in Bilbao could also get to see Division 2B sides such as Sestau, Barakaldo and the historic Las Arenas Getxo on the excellent Metro Bilbao.
Made up of rolling green hills and stark mountains, which have helped produce generation after generation of quality cyclists (think Miguel Indurain, Iban Mayo and company) as well as having staggering coastal scenery, Euskadi would be well worth a visit for the landscape alone.
But you get more. Add in the attractions of the fantastically designed Guggenheim museum in Bilbao, the spectacular Playa de La Concha in San Sebastian and the endless possibilities for alcohol poisoning or being gored by a bull during the San Fermin festival in Pamplona, and the attraction becomes even stronger.
As for the threat of terrorism, ignore it: nationalism plays a vital role and the extremist group ETA are still an active force, but the closest any tourist is likely to get is looking at graffiti on the walls of Bilbao's Old Town. In fact, the only real danger you're likely to face is a horrific hangover after being invited to imbibe too many zurritos, txikitos or the fruity, sweet, deceptively potent aniseed-based local liqueur patxaran.
The Basques - never shy of their own merits - also lay claim to the best cuisine in Spain and although kokotxas (cod cheeks in garlic sauce) might not be to everyone's taste, they also serve up a fantastic steak, which goes down well with a bottle of Rioja wine or the local (and rather acidic) Txakoli.
Their football tends to be closer to the English game in style than the rest of the country and the wet climate certainly contributes to that, with pitches lending themselves more to long-ball tactics and physical midfield battles than do the arid, dusty fields of the south.
However, while the Athletic Bilbao and Real Sociedad sides that dominated the league during the early-1980s were physical - who can forget 'the Butcher of Bilbao', Andoni Goikoetxea? - they currently play more flowing football, to such an extent that Athletic fans often complain that the club no longer produces decent, hardnut central defenders.
Osasuna, the region's third top-flight club, do rely on a more physical approach with two big strikers and a midfield with a reputation only slightly better than most serial killers, while Eibar play a style of football to make any English League Two manager proud but deserve huge praise for staying in their league for 16 seasons on gates averaging 1,500.
Wherever you go, the sense of being Basque is powerful, contributing to the atmosphere at many key games, be it a sense of rivalry but common identity in local derbies where sets of fans mix before, during and after the games, or the intense hostility aimed at Real Madrid, when San Mames, Anoeta and Osasuna's El Sadar crank the pressure and the volume to the max.
BLEND IN
Relying on long-forgotten GCSE Spanish or mumbling from your Spanish phrase book may not suffice in the Basque region. Signs are written in Basque and Castilian (standard Spanish) but defiant locals often paint over the latter. Memorise the following to blend in seamlessly and please your hosts no end:
Kaixo - Hello
Agur - Goodbye
Gabon - Goodnight
Egun on - Good morning
Ongi etorri - Welcome
Bai - Yes
Ez - No
Zurito - Glass of beer
Zenbat da? - How much is that?
Hondartza - Beach
Turismo Bulegoa - Tourist office