Bilboa

Spain is divided into four regions. The South is the Andalusia region, the North is Basque country and the mid-west is the Extremadura, and the mid-east is the Catalan area. We began to recognize the subtle changes from area to area after awhile. Food is different, language is different, and the area specialties are different. For instance, Andalusia is infamous for their olives and olive oil. When you are in that region and you say that you are going to Barcelona you would say “Bar-thay- lon-a” and Valencia would be “Ba-len-the-a”. We practiced this along the way and imagine our surprise when we got to Valencia and said it as the Andalusian’s do and were told in Valencia they just say Valencia. I guess they knew we were from the South.

We were told that the Basque country is beautiful and very different from the other region of Spain. I have always been fascinated by this area so when it was our time to move on this is the direction we chose. It lies on the Bay of Biscay and borders France. The drive was exquisite. Gone were the seas of olive trees to be replaced by an area that looked like New Hampshire in the fall. The weather was cool and the landscape mountainous and perfect. We rented a room in a Basque farmhouse just outside the city of Bilboa. They were the kindest and most helpful people and gave us input on so many things to do and see.

Bilboa is a port city filled with nautical life. At the same time, within fifteen to twenty minute drive you are in hills on the outskirts of town. For us this was a perfect combination.

We could leave our car and take the funicular to town where we could walk for hours, take a tram, or the metro and get any and everywhere we wanted to go. Although small and historical it has quite a metropolitan flare.

The language is completely different here. It is called Euskara and is thought to be the survivor of a language family that once extended across Europe and sounds so very different than anything we had heard. We practiced a few basic words and the people we met along the way really appreciated our efforts. They are infamous for their wines and apple ciders here. In fact, after our meals we were given a glass of sparkling cider from a large vat in the middle of the restaurant. It is probably five feet high and they stand back about five feet before they fill your glass. They don’t spill a drop and it is fascinating to watch them pour it into our glasses.

It was lovely to be by the sea again. As always, something about the ocean breeze, the cool air, the warm food filled our hearts and souls. We had contemplated crossing the border to France but instead elected to head south down toward the beaches of Cadiz where we could soak up the sun and live life in a beach house a friend of ours recommended. This would be a cross-country drive so we packed up our stuff and headed out with no particular timetable of arriving in the South.

We will see how this works out and let you know!