Today we spent the day hiking! Our first stop was San Juan de Gaztelugatxe, a chapel on an inslet off the Basque coast. The chapel was difficult to reach, as we had to hike 241 steps through a narrow cobblestone walkway to reach the top. As someone afraid of heights, I made sure to slowly walk up the pathway, constantly watching my feet for broken cobblestone or large holes. It was well worth it though, as the view on top of the inlet was beautiful, enabling me to see a large part of the Bay of Biscay. It had this mysterious, magnetic energy, and I could see why it was used as a filming location for an episode of Game of Thrones. The walk back was brutal, due to it being a steep downhill, which I then had to trek uphill. Although the hike was brutal, I enjoyed challenging myself and stepping out of my comfort zone to appreciate Spain’s beauty.

Our next stop was  Bermeo, the place where Gaztelugatxe is located, which is known for its strong  tradition of fishing. Our tour guide gave us some Basque history on our drive, talking about how Basque fishermen have travelled all across the world due to whale fishing. He even suggested that we visit the Bermeo fishing museum, but unfortunately we only had time to grab a few pinchos for lunch before heading to our next hiking destination. In the afternoon, we went to Bosque de Oma, a painted forest that contains several works from a Basque artist, Agustin Ibarrola. The art was expressive, containing a lot of emotions within a few strokes. I enjoyed seeing the artwork line up when I stood at a certain position in the forest. As an engineer, I was curious about the techniques the artist employed to achieve this feat, especially since the trees were not in a straight row. I ended up walking 6+ miles today, and loved exploring the Basque count through its famous environmental landmarks.