Oh, The Places You'll Go: Bilbao, Spain

Just a couple of days after coming back from a long weekend in Florence, I was off again this past weekend. This time to Bilbao, Spain with my host sisters, Alexia and Muriel. We chose to go to Bilbao by rideshare and so we we’re picked up Friday afternoon in Bordeaux by a 25 year old guy and his girlfriend who were making the three-hour drive to Bilbao for the weekend.

We arrived at our hostel in old-town Bilbao around 8pm Friday night, checked in, and immediately hit the streets looking for some traditional Basque tapas for dinner. Old-town Bilbao has a busy feel to it, with lots of people hanging outside restaurants and bars after dark. While walking around looking for a place to eat Alexia complained about the noise and the crowds of people out and about to which I reminded her that we were no longer in Bordeaux, this was Spain! And those two cultural lifestyles are completely different.

Along the Nervion River

Old Town Bilbao

Bilbao is one of the coolest cities I have visited in my travels thus far. It is a relatively large city, with the Nervion River flowing through it. I have come to notice that the cities I’ve enjoyed the most typically have rivers flowing through it and it’s amazing how many cities in Europe do. We spent Saturday crisscrossing Bilbao on foot. We made the 40 min walk along the river to from our hostel to the Guggenheim Museum. I am not big on museums, but I liked this one. It is hard not to with its abstract architecture and the large puppy made of flowers that it has outside to greet guests. But even so, after about two hours my attention span was shot and it was time to move on. We moved outside and had a traditional French picnic with bread, cheese, fruit, and meat for lunch in a nearby park.

After lunch we meandered through the city, my preferred method for exploring a city. The check-in person at our hostel had given us a map of Bilbao and circled the highlights. We checked in with the map every once in a while to make sure we were 1) not lost and 2) not missing out on seeing something important. What struck me most about Bilbao was its architecture, and not just the Guggenheim architecture. Throughout the city, and especially in old-town, the buildings have a particular Basque style and are in a multitude of bright colors. However, once you cross the river and head towards the center of the city, there are very modern buildings of built of metal and glass like you would see in downtown SF. And then there is the Guggenheim and the Zubizuri Bridge which are in a whole other class of their own architecturally.

Making friends in front of the Guggenheim

Bilbao architecture at its most modern

Sunday we made plans to meet up with the couple who drove us to Bilbao around noon. We left Bilbao but we did not head straight back to Bordeaux. Instead, because the weather was in the high 70s, we headed to a small Spanish beach town, Bakio, and spent a couple hours lying on the beach and walking in the ocean. Of course after a couple hours in the sun I had a really nice sunburn going on my back. But I wasn’t complaining since we’re finally starting to have some nice weather after three straight months of cold and rain. I haven't found any aloe vera specifically back in Bordeaux, but my host mom did give me some cream that seems to be working on my sunburn just as well.

Before leaving Spain for good, we drive 5 kilometers to make the trek to San Juan Gaztelugatxe, which is a church dedicated to John the Baptists, dating from the 10th century. Gaztelugatxe is an islet off the coast and is connected to the mainland by a manmade bridge. For all those planning their trips to visit, it is definitely a must-see, but it must be seen in footwear appropriate for hiking. My flip-flops were ill-advised. But more importantly, the views of the coast and the ocean are amazing and it was definitely worth the blisters.

Finally we headed home around 6pm Sunday night. Our quick jaunt to Spain was quite the adventurous one!