Today, we had to move out of our hotel in Bilbao due to the massive influx of visitors for the Europa League Final, mostly British tourists! After packing up, we enjoyed a scenic bus ride through the mountains to a company called Tekniker. It is located on a hillside and surrounded by green mountains, the location was absolutely stunning.

Inside, we listened to two speakers from the company who shared Tekniker’s vision and mission. We also got to hear from two biomedical engineering students from the University of Cincinnati, who explained their experiences in the international co-op program. We saw some of their current projects, which were very impressive. The work culture seemed really supportive and collaborative, which is something I’ve noticed is consistent in the Basque Country.

Later, we took roughly a 30-minute bus ride to Gernika, where we’ll be staying for the next few days. After dropping off our things and taking a quick siesta, we visited the Casa de Juntas. Casa de juntas is a historic meeting house where the basque government would meet to discuss policies. Today it is a symbol of the rich history of the town.

We also got to see Picasso’s famous Guernica painting, created in response to the tragic bombing of the town during the Spanish Civil War.