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The Basque Country is the reason Paddy Woodworth became a journalist: "By writing about [it], I made myself a journalist," he says.

Paddy''s relationship with ''Euskal Herria'' (from Navarre to the northern edges of Iparralde) goes back more than 30 years, making him as equipped as many to write about it. He first arrived "completely by chance" in 1975 and took little time to fall in love with the place:

"I remember very clearly being out one night in Santimamiñe (Gernika). There was a wonderful restaurant where people brought their own food along in a cazuela and heated it up...

"I loved the communal eating; the sense that everyone eats out, even poor people. When I was growing up in Ireland, eating out well was the exclusive preserve of the upper middle classes... It was a great discovery this pleasure that people had for food".

After 30 years writing for, among others, the Irish Times (where he was staff journalist between 1988-2002), the International Herald Tribune, the BBC and El Pais, as well as publishing two books (Dirty War, Clean Hands and, most recently, The Basque Country), you''d be forgiven for thinking the Basque Country no long held many surprises for Paddy.

But his journey of discovery and fascination, it would seem, is unceasing. A nature enthusiast, he describes the Basque landscape as "magical"; "I am more bewitched by it every time. I am never disappointed here, even if the weather''s bad."

Now permanently resident in Ireland, Paddy returns frequently to Euskadi. Along with fellow Basque enthusiast Jon Warren, he recently began running a tour aptly entitled ''Discover the Basque Country''.

For Paddy, like Jon, manager of San Sebastian Food and gastronomy enthusiastic, the tour is an opportunity to share a mutual passion with people otherwise less familiar with the authentic Basque experience, something he is aware has its risks:

"Really what we''re doing is putting our taste on the line. People might say I hate this food, some might say to me ''Well what I saw were a few men doing a silly dance in silly costumes''. Who is to know if this thing will have the same magic for other people as it has for us?"

The first Tour ran in July to coincide with the San Fermin celebrations in the Navarran town of Lesaka, lesser known but, in Paddy''s opinion, "much more intimate" than the more famous Pamplona version.

Feedback following the first outing was "fantastic", and a firm endorsement for both men that they can achieve what they set out to do.

"Inspiring people with [a] love of the Basque Country is an enormous privilege, even if a big frightening... Sharing what you love about this country with other people... is completely new for me in this ''live'' format. And I now know we can do it. I already believed we could do it, but now I know we can".