Basque Country

Hola! In late October, Sophie and I went on a trip to the Basque Country which was a very cool trip and I wish I got more time there. We started in Bilbao where we dropped off our luggage in a hostel and then walked over to the city center where we got an hour to find lunch. We found a good little tapas restaurant in Plaza Nueva which was very yummy. I had an ox enchilada and a mini cheeseburger which was very yummy. 

We then went on a walking tour of Bilbao where we got to see some of the historical sights and walk along the river. Bilbao, the largest city in the Basque Country of northern Spain, has a rich history shaped by its strategic location and industrial legacy. Founded in 1300 by Diego López V de Haro, the city quickly became a significant commercial hub due to its access to the Nervión River and proximity to the Bay of Biscay, which facilitated maritime trade. During the 19th and early 20th centuries, Bilbao emerged as a major industrial center, particularly in steel and shipbuilding, attracting workers and driving urban expansion. This industrial boom made it one of Spain's wealthiest cities. In the late 20th century, following the decline of heavy industry, Bilbao underwent a remarkable transformation. The opening of the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in 1997, designed by architect Frank Gehry, was a large part of this transformation. 

After the tour, we had the rest of the day to ourselves, so Sophie and I headed over to the Guggenheim. I am still not a big fan of modern art, but one artist Yoshimoto Nara had quite a few interesting pieces that I enjoyed seeing. 

These were not the only cool pieces we saw. We also saw artwork by Hilma af Klint which I didn't realize I had actually see the same paintings 5 years prior at the MOMA in New York. My favorite painting of hers is her swan paintings so I was very excited I got to see it again here. 

After we saw the Guggenheim, we had crepes for dinner and then walked back to the hostel where I did homework for a few hours and tried my best to fall asleep amidst all of the snoring. The next day, we went over to San Sebastián which was a very cool city that I loved and I wish I had gotten to explore it when it wasn't pouring rain the whole day. We started the tour at the Palacio Miramar where we had a lovely view of the ocean and the beach. 

We then walked to a little coffee shop to meet our tour guides who then took us on a walk around San Sebastián. It was a beautiful city where we saw a car race taking place and got to walk around the old town and newer areas. Everywhere we went was very pretty even in the rain and I enjoyed the architecture of the city. 

After the tour, we had the rest of the day to explore, so Sophie and I got some ramen for lunch and then decided to go to the aquarium they had. The aquarium was very interesting in that the first two floors were all about boats and fishing and fish fossils which was unexpected. Finally in the third floor, we got to see the fish we were expecting to see and the seahorses were so cute. 

We were at the aquarium for about an hour and a half and then we decided to hike to a Jesus Statue on a little mountain. We were initially hesitant because of how bad the weather was, but we figured we might as well since we were there. Unfortunately, we did end up wandering around this mountain longer than expected because Apple Maps did not know how to get us to this statue. We eventually figured out how to get there, but we had to climb through questionable pathways and tunnels in this old fortress looking place to get there. 

Then we had to find our way back down the mountain which was made difficult by the path being blocked by a fallen tree so it also took a while to get back to the city. We did reward ourselves with a Basque cheesecake slice and some coffee which in my opinion was well earned. After that long day, we finally headed back to the hostel to prepare for our last day in the Basque Country.

During my time in Spain, I have watched the entirety of Game of Thrones, so I was very excited to learn that we would be hiking to Dragonstone which was a main filming location in the show. This was also a very rainy day, but I was thoroughly enjoying the views which included a little rainbow over the island. The hike was very exhausting both to Dragonstone and on our way back to the bus, but it was well worth it. 

This concluded my trip to the Basque Country and it was one of my favorite trips in Spain. I could've stayed for about a week, but I'm happy I at least got to spend a few days there. Adios!