Bilbao or Bust

Before everyone went their separate ways for the long Christmas break, Jesse, Forrest, Lindsey, and I, decided to take a weekend trip up to Bilbao! Luckily, we were able to save a couple bucks on train fare and a lot of travel-time by renting a car instead. Jesse—a proud owner of a EU license— offered to drive, we booked our hostel, and set out on the road.

Saturday morning we got an early start on our 6 your drive. Making our way along the coastline, the drive offered stunning views of sharp cliff faces along the ocean, colorfully quaint villages, as well as a couple snowy peaks! After a couple pit stops for coffee and bathrooms breaks, we arrived in Bilbao. It is interesting to note that Bilbao is located in the Basque region of Spain where they speak Euskadi. Much like how in Galicia a percentage of the population speaks Gallego, the same goes for those in Basque Country. It was very cool to read the transportation signs written in both Spanish and Euskadi. Unlike how Spanish and Gallego share Latin roots thereby making Gallego easier to understand, the Basque language does not share any Latin roots with Spanish. That being said, it feels as though you have entered an entirely different country!

After checking in at our hostel, with recommendations from staff we walked over to Casco Viejo and the area of Siete Calles for refreshments and pinxtos. Pinxtos are the Euskadi language’s equivalent for tapas in the Basque region of Spain...and they sure know how to make them! After a quick drink, Lindsey found that one of her friends from university was in the area so we met him and his friends across town for coffee and more pinxtos. Later that evening we walked back towards Siete Calles where we found a Mexican restaurant that served deliciously spicy—finally!—food and blended margs. For the remainder of the evening we walked all around the area taking in the local spots and busy street teeming with friends and families.

Sunday started off with another early morning as we first got a quick breakfast of a croissant and coffee before visiting to the Guggenheim! Before entering, we took pictures with the famous Puppy statue which has recently become a symbol for the city. In all reality, the Guggenheim was much smaller than what I had imagined. Inside, the gallery featured three main exhibitions. The featured artists were Alberto Giacometti, NAME, and Vincent Van Gogh. The exhibitions were wonderfully executed and I enjoyed toting around my free audio tour to add in explanations and insight. However, as I had mentioned earlier, they were pretty limited and small in comparison to other great art museums I have enjoyed in the past such as the MOMA in New York. However, I was very impressed by the artists they featured. My favorite pieces from my visit were Alberto Giacometti’s sculpture “Standing Woman” and Van Gogh’s painting of “Montagnes á Saint-Rémy”. After a couple hours of wondering the galleries, we made our way outside along the river to marvel at the architecture of the Guggenheim in its entirety. From there, we were also able to enjoy the giant spider and silver balloons sculptures. Being that we had to get back on the road to return our rental car at the end of the day, we walked back to Casco Viejo for a quick lunch consisting of a variety of Middle Eastern cuisine. From there, we made the sunset drive back to Vigo.

While I wish I had a little bit more time to explore Bilbao, I am very glad to check this city off my list. Even though the Guggenheim was not as I expected, it made for a wonderful day in my book. I am so lucky to have such great friends to travel and explore with. While I have a couple exciting travel destinations coming up this next week, I can’t wait for us all to be back together again!