Kaixo lagunok! (Hello my friends- Basque). Today is a bittersweet one—our final day here in Spain. Little things have stuck with me, like confidently saying “Pardón” when passing people on the street and having a surprisingly good eye for spotting quality pintxos. We headed back into Bilbao for one last visit to the engineering school,…

Today was absolutely amazing… and absolutely exhausting. My feet ache, I’ve sweated enough to refill my water bottle twice, and I could probably sleep straight through to the weekend. Note to future travelers: the itinerary should come with a warning label—“extreme exercise.” We kicked off the day by meeting our incredible tour guide, who casually…

Kaixo everyone!!! Today started bright and early as we packed up to move hotels to Gernika—Bilbao is getting ready to host the Euro Cup. If the six-foot-tall soccer balls scattered around the city, posters plastered on every metro station, and the sudden spike in jersey vendors didn’t give it away, the groups of loud British…

Astelehena da!!! (It’s Monday-Basque). Here is what today looked like. The beginning is going to be a lot more informational, so be prepared. Let’s dive in: We started our day by visiting the Basque Engineering School to tour a few of their research labs. The first lab we explored showcased the work of Dr. Herrero…

Kaixo irakurleok!!! (Hey there, readers!!!- Basque). Today was a pleasant leisure day. We started by going to the flower and flea market. For me, it was the Allergy and flea market, but that’s not necessarily their fault. Once we were done shopping, Sophie convinced us to try Frigo Pie, which is like Ice Cream but…

Asteburua da denok!!!! (It’s the weekend, everyone!!!). We had a very relaxing and independent day today. Here is what our Spanish Saturday looked like: Remember that gorgeous theater where we watched the tango performance? Well, we went back—this time for the behind-the-scenes tour and a crash course in its dramatic history. And I mean dramatic….

Ostirala da! (It’s Friday in Basque!) Hello readers! Today was a more relaxed day, focused on soaking in the culture. We started our morning at a bustling market filled with fresh food and local delicacies. The market is housed in a historic riverside building that was heavily damaged during a major flood in 1983. In…

Ongi etorri berriro!!! (Welcome back!)Today, we embarked on a journey to the very end of the metro line—23 stops and 45 minutes of classic stop, go, stop, go action. Bilbao reminds me of the bipolar nature of the biomes in the US. Just outside the city, the landscape turns into rolling hills that reminded me…

Asteanzken zoriontsua!!! (Happy Wednesday!!!). Here is my third day recap: Let’s set the scene a bit starting with Tuesday night; It’s 8 o’clock, dark outside, and it is time for our program dinner. We all sit down at this long table that can seat 23 people, and begin munching on some bread. All we know…

Kaixo! This morning was much easier than day 1. We began our day with breakfast as usual at a nice time of 9:00, and then took the metro to the engineering school to learn about some Basque history and about the programs here in Spain. I learned quite a bit about the Basque region today,…