Since I had a test on Wednesday, the official St. Patty's Day, I decided to postpone my celebrations until Thursday after classes. My friends and I all dressed up in green and headed to an Erasmus party at Sala V.I.P- we made it to the right club this time. It was fun, but nothing like an American St. Patty's Day party and those Spaniards were severely lacking in their green attire. I'm pretty sure it's just another excuse for them to drink, and they don't bother with showing their Irish spirit. In any case, it was a fun time but I'm excited to be done with parties in Bilbao for a while and have a change of scenery from the "Orgasmus" parties.

The weekend prior was definitely what I would call a lazy weekend, though still not measuring up to some of the weekends I've had at Mary Wash. Either way, I promised myself before this trip that I would take advantage of every moment and not fall into laziness! So, this weekend I took charge. Jacklyn, Nina and I were all on the same page and wanted to so something fun, so we planned a day trip to Bakio, a small coastal town about half an hour away that was having a festival for el día de San José (the region's version of Father's Day). Where at first I was a bit skeptical of the fair, it was a fun time hanging out with two of my best friends here in Spain (even though Nina likes to deny it).

Nina and I on the beach of Bakio.

It was a wine and cheese festival- dad, you should have been there, not me!- and we ordered lomo (pork) sandwiches with hand-ground corn tortillas (talo), along with small glasses of txakoli (the wine the Basque Country is famous for, a bit sour though.. blech).

We walked around a bit more, finding cows and horses that we were allowed to pet. I'm not really sure about the latter, though, because I tried to pet one of those massive cows and I'm pretty sure it would have bucked me if I didn't stop...

After buying some delicious chocolate (already gone...), Jacklyn convinced me to head to the beach that was close-by and known around the region for being a good surf spot. I'm glad we made the walk, because it was a beautiful beach and we had a ton of fun. I even showed the other girls how climbing was done on a jungle gym on the beach. We collected rocks and sea glass, goofed around, and watched the surfers until we decided to head back to Bilbao. A successful day ended in a very successful night of getting comfy and watching Beauty and the Beast with the girls. :) hahaha.

We had to carry Nina across the water.

The next day, I got up early and caught the bus to Castro Urdiales to visit Olga once more before Spring Break. She invited me the weekend before to visit, saying that her family wanted me to come on an excursion with them to Burgos. However, she couldn't do it at the last minute, and we postponed the visit to this past weekend. Unfortunately, her dad wasn't there and we couldn't go to Burgos (they want me to come back soon to go, though I don't know when that will be- all of my weekends are filling up with trips around Europe!).

I was glad I visited either way, because it was Olga's friend Elena's birthday and all of her friends that I met during my last visit were celebrating. Before heading to the academía to throw a surprise party for Elena, Olga's mom made a delicious lunch after which Olga and I walked around her town, Montealegre (Happy Mountain... haha)- a small, rural town with countless sheep, dogs, donkeys, and ponies. During our walk, Olga was telling me about a barbeque place that people form Bilbao and all over come to during the Summer because you only have to buy a drink in order to get unlimited barbeque. She suggested I come back with my friends in May, and I think I will definitely have to fit that in. Another thing Olga was telling me was that she didn't like Ireland (she went to camp there four summers in a row)... let's hope I think differently!

We went to the academía and met with her friends to plan the surprise. Spanish teenagers, rather than having house parties, will rent out a space and each chip in to pay the monthly bill. In Olga's case, her friends and her rented an academía. I found out that for anyone's birthday, their friends do a surprise- so Elena knew something was happening, just not what. All of them wrote riddles on a piece of paper, revealing who they were and where they were hiding in the academía, so when Elena came in she had to find them. After the surprise, we all sat, talked, and ate the food that Elena made (pizza, sandwiches, tortilla de patata) and the tarta (cake) that Olga and I bought. We thought it was a brazo gitano (literally translated as gypsy arm!), but it wasn't- still tasty all the same.

The night ended with us going to the street with all of the bars, full of people of all ages (en serio-- I saw a baby in a stroller at 3am, and old couples too). Then, I left Olga's in the morning to get some work done.

Wish me luck this week! Two tests, then off to Italy, Paris and Barcelona for Spring Break!!!!!!! Can't wait! I'll update you all when I return from my two weeks of travels!

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Look what Jacklyn and I found one night! Bilbao is full of surprises.

On the Ranita Loca (Crazy Frog)!

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I've been slacking on my blog recently! However, I know some of you might be wondering how my weekend in Madrid was, so I won't leave you hanging...

A few weekends ago, my program went on its last planned excursion- to Madrid and Segovia. My friends and I were so excited to go to Madrid, and especially to stay in a hotel paid for by CIDE. I think we might have looked forward to the trip a bit too much, because in the end Madrid didn't live up to our expectations.

After a 5 hour bus ride, we arrived in a rainy, grey, and freezing Madrid. The CIDE trips are seriously cursed when it comes to the weather!! We were glad to get into the hotel and find our rooms. Jacklyn, Nina and I were looking forward to rooming together, but someone snagged the last triple before us so I roomed with Jacklyn. Our room was really nice, especially in comparison to the hostels we are used to. Before lunch, we settled in and watched a bit of tv- something I hadn't seen in a while. One channel asked us to enter our room number... which should have put up a red flag, but I guess it was lost in translation that we were ordering porn. Yes, Nina ordered porn on our tv! You should have heard the shrieks when we realized what we'd done... though I haven't heard anything of it since so I'm guessing CIDE took care of the bill :)

The cafeteria at the hotel was really nice, and since it was buffet-style we never left hungry. After re-fueling, the group headed to the Palacio Real for a tour of some rooms in the palace, which is now really only used for state ceremonies. As I remembered, the rooms were overly extravagant and I really don't know why anyone, even the King, would want to live somewhere where the food is served to you cold because the kitchen is too far away. Impressive nonetheless.

My friends and I trying to re-create the pose

from my first visit to the Palace in 2006

(2006)

We then had a quick visit to the Catedral de la Almudena, which wasn't to my liking because of the mix of modern stained-glass with the classic style of the church itself. Our professors then walked us through the Plaza de la Villa, the Plaza Mayor, and the Puerto del Sol. I'm glad I had such a great experience in Madrid in 2006, or I would not like Madrid in the least. This time around, it was so rainy and cold that it was hard to stay in good spirits. After the guided part of the day ended and we were given free time, my friend and I went into a café to drink coffee and stay warm. That night, my friends and I opted to stay in the hotel and out of the rain, entertaining ourselves with the standbys: charades, pictionary, and even a bit of hide-and-go-seek. Yes, that happened :)

The next morning, we woke up early to head to Segovia about an hour away. The bus to Segovia took us through what seemed like every season, and I woke up at one point thinking I was in snow-covered Narnia then arrived in Segovia with sunny skies and gorgeous weather- which I'm sure had a big part in why I think the former capital of Spain is much better than the current one.

We first saw the aqueducts in Segovia, which were so amazing! 2,000 years old, no mortar, and they are still in perfect condition. Those Romans really knew what they were doing.

After getting lost from the group for a bit, we found the Alcázar de Segovia (Castle of Segovia) and were given a guided tour. Though I didn't catch any of this from the tour, I found out that one of the rooms was the site where Christopher Colombus asked King Ferdinand and Queen Elizabeth for funding to his expedition that led to the discovery of America! Also, as my roommate discovered, Walt Disney used the castle as inspiration for many of his movies. After the tour, we climbed a tower at the top of which was a gorgeous view of Segovia. An interesting lunch and some souvenir shopping later, we got back on the bus and headed back to Madrid.

The rest of the night was free time, so some friends and I walked around Madrid for a bit- stopping at Starbucks (!), but then deciding to go back to the hotel to nap. The nap was a fail, and so was the rest of the night as it turned out. Oh well, "I spit on Madrid!" (only kidding).

The next day was a struggle for many people, as it was museum day and also the day after clubbing (not for me, sigh). However, I was looking forward to this day the most as it was the say we were to visit el Prado- my favorite museum!! Sadly, our tour guide was much ot be desired, but I made the most of it. Even though I've stood in front of them before, I was still in awe standing in front of Las meninas, El dos/tres de mayo, La maja desnuda/vestida, Las pinturas negras de Goya, and countless other works of art by artists that I have learned so much about and admire (all thanks to Sra. Barrueta).

Then- back to Bilbao! Sweet, sweet Bilbao.

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On Wednesday, the girls and I bought cheap tickets to a friendly match between Athletic Club and Paraguay. We ended up having pretty good seats, right behind the goalie and defender of Athletic Club! Since the match didn't count towards anything, Athletic was playing their second string team (they lost 1-3). We just happened to sit next to two members of the first string team watching the game! Not that I would have known had it not been for the masses of kids that lined up to get their autographs once they recognized them. We managed to get a picture, too, though not without a struggle...

with Michelle and Jacklyn.

The group with Gorka Iraizoz, the goalie!

All of the kids lined up to get autographs & pictures.

We ended the night with kabobs and chocolate ice cream by the Stadium... can't beat the kabobs here. They are amazing.

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The group at the top!

After going to Irish Stones the night before (mainly so that Jacklyn could sneak out a prized Murphey's glass) to hang out with friends both Spanish and American, we didn't wake up in time for the 8am hike with hiking club. However, Jacklyn, Nina and I were determined to get a hike in this day, especially after seeing the beautiful pictures our friends had taken the day before on their hike. The same group of guys that went hiking Saturday, plus a few more, agreed with us that a hike was a good idea so we all headed out to the mountain after lunch. This was a plus (we thought) because they knew where the mountain was.

Bilbao is bordered by the Bahía (Bay) on one side and by mountains--well, they look more like grassy hills from afar-- on all others. As we were marching to the mountain, it became increasingly more daunting. We decided to climb the same one that the boys had already climbed, even though they had said it was a really rigorous hike. Despite their warnings, I was not prepared for the sort of hike that was in store for me...

First, we arrived at a construction site at which point the boys said we had to march through it, climb up a water pipe, and get onto a hill (on which I could see no path in site). That was when I knew I shouldn't have listened and found my own path with the girls. But no, we went up the water pipe and found ourselves facing a steep slope, without a path, and with barbed wire being the only thing keeping me from falling of a cliff. However, we journeyed on and found ourself face-to-face with a pissed-off donkey that was angry we were invading his territory.

We stayed on the other side of the fence from "Mr. Chocolate" and started climbing up the grassy slope (on a donkey path...). I was fine until the last bit, at which point began clawing at clumps of grass to hoist myself up and prevent me from collapsing and tumbling down the hill. Once we got to the "top", though, it wasn't the top. Of course!

Clawing up "Donkey Hill"

Luckily we found the path and followed that from then on, though it wasn't much more of a flatter surface and all I was missing was the grass to help me climb. We made it to a rest area with picnic tables and we all took out the snacks we had brought in our backpacks. A few of us walked a bit to a lookout nearby that had a fantastic view of Bilbao.

We decided thanks to "Leader Matt" to continue on, and we followed the path even further up the mountain (it was really never-ending) to an even better lookout point! We had made it to the top!! It was a great feeling, and I couldn't help but feel like I was in The Sound of Music, with rolling hills and breathtaking mountainsides. :) There were even ruins of an old church, strangely enough. Not sure who made it to mass at that place.

After taking it in, we headed down... and found the path we were originally supposed to take had we not been so adventurous. I'm glad we didn't take it up, though... it was certainly an adventure and without a doubt worth every gasp for air! I need to hit the gym.

Nina, Jacklyn and I ended the night with our first, and well-deserved, Chinese food of Spain! The dumplings and fried rice certainly weren't Peking Gourmet, but I was grateful for anything slightly ethnic-tasting.

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Jacklyn, Nina and I woke up considerably early to make it out to Plentzia beach- the last stop on the metro right on the ocean- to take advantage of a very sunny day in Bilbao. To our surprise, too, it stayed that way! A 30-minute metro ride and we were in Plentzia, and with a bit of difficulty we found the beach.

Plentzia is a beautiful beach, and I can only imagine how it would be in the summer. There were surfers in wet suits, but I am sure it would be so nice to swim in the water and take in the sun during the warmer months. Though we couldn't get in the water, we took off our shoes, laid down on our towels, relaxed and goofed off a bit. I really wished we had brought paddle ball...:/ Michelle and Lizzie showed up a little later when it started to get a bit chilly, so we left shortly thereafter. I can't wait to go back when it's warm!!!! That and San Sebastian, Barcelona, and Majorca...

We caught the metro back just in time, because my advisor and Spanish teacher at Mary Washington, Dr. Sainz, was visiting Bilbao (his hometown where he still lives part-time) for the week and had set a time for all of the Mary Wash students in Bilbao to meet. After taking a cat nap on the metro (and apparently being stared at by the lady next to me), we made it to Sam Mamés at 7pm to meet with the group.

Not all of the Mary Wash students could make it on account of hangovers, trips to Pamplona, and other reasons, but we were all happy to se Dr. Sainz in Spain! Though the bar that he normally goes to by the San Mamés Stadium was closed indefinitely as a result of the economic crisis, there was not a lack of bars nearby. Dr. Sainz was nice enough to buy us all a round of beers, or whatever we fancied, and we casually discussed how we liked it this semester- all of us agreeing it was the best decision we could have made. All thanks to Dr. Sainz, too!

Next, we followed our new guide to Moyua where he was going to show us one of his favorite spots to grab a bite to eat. With someone leading us that had grown up in Bilbao and knew the city back to front (I'm accustomed to getting lost by now), everything in Bilbao seemed closer and we made it to Moyua in no time. We walked into a crowded bar that Sainz said had been there ever since he could remember, and was the favorite spot of every local to get the best pintxos morunos (moorish tapas or seasoned skewers of pork) in town. Apparently the line during the weekend goes out the door, and for good reason! The skewers were grilled right in front of us and were served hot with a piece of bread to soak up the juices. My mouth is watering ("me hace la boca agua") even now! We have to make the trip back...

Pintxos morunos

From Moyua we made our last stop at Casco Viejo where we went into a Simpsons-themed bar (they're not uncommon here, strangely enough) owned by a longtime friend of Dr. Sainz. We were served homemade sangría on ice (he used a special recipe including cinnamon and sugar!), which was amazing. It was a great way to finish up the night and we all thanked Dr. Sainz for showing us around town and treating us to such a great time! The sangría even inspired Jacklyn, Nina, and me to make our own sangría the next night... but without much avail. It was good, but definitely needed ice. As Dr. Sainz says, it's the perfect drink to sip on and feel refreshed in the summertime... so maybe not warm in the dorms :)

We finished the night with the documentary Grizzly Man... failed movie night! I swear, that dude is crazy... naming Grizzly bears "Mr. Chocolate", foxes "little Timmy", and crying over a dead bee. Though, we did have a lot of snacks, so I was happy.

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Can I just mention how the Spaniards LOVE to dress up?? I feel like Carnaval has been going on for about 3 weeks, and the party in the dorm last Thursday was no exception. Yes, I said party in the dorm. This isn't the US anymore!

We had a great time getting to know the non-American Unamuno residents and dancing to Spice Girls and Backstreet Boys. However, I am DONE dressing up!!! At least till Halloween...

Michele, Caitlin, me, Jacklyn.

All the Americans!

Arr, matey.

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I met with Olga this week for lunch with her friends, which was nice although I got a bit lost in their conversation occasionally. Also, one of her friends said I look like Reese Witherspoon... hah.

Afterwards, Olga and I walked around town, during which she asked me some things that she has been wondering about in regards to American culture....

She asked if I had seen High School Musical (I haven't- but I get the gist) and if high school is really like that in the US- with the entire school cheering on basketball games, going to dances every year, and so on. Apparently school in Spain is all about studying, studying, studying, whereas school in America I feel is more about forming a social life while keeping a balance with school work. This includes being on sports teams, going out with friends on the weekend, going to school dances, and showing school spirit... which isn't big here Olga told me. She thought it was so strange to see her friends from the US wearing clothing showing the name of their high schools.

Olga was also telling me about getting into college (la universidad) here, and it is SO much more difficult than in the US. She said that while she was tirelessly studying, her friends from New York were going on vacations to Hawaii!

She was jealous of our lifestyle, but I wonder which is better.

Oh, and did I mention that Olga and her family want me to come back to Castro so they can take me to another town to visit!!

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We had bought tickets for the Sunday game at the San Mamés Stadium, home of Athletic Club, where they would be playing Tenerife from the Canary Islands. Though Athletic was predicted to win, and win they did 4-1, it was an exciting game to watch.

After sitting at some bars nearby before the game with Lizzie, Michelle, Nina, and Jacklyn, we headed to the stadium to find our seats. We weren't able to do the latter, and ended up sitting on the North side of the field only 3 rows back from the field! This made the game so much better, and it was awesome to be a part of the stands with the die-hard Athletic fans surrounding us and yelling, "¡¡cabrón!!", "¡venga!", etc, etc. Even Michelle became a fan of Athletic that day, usually siding with Real Madrid. What a chaquetera (fare-weather fan)!!! Our side was so lively, I think we made it onto TV!

All of us in front of the field, not far from our seats!

Nina and I!

Can I add the CIDE trip, the Guggenheim and Fever parties, La Rioja, and the Athletic game all occurred in just one weekend?? :D

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