I am a water person. I adore being near and in big bodies of water. I enjoy smelling the saltiness in the air and feeling the moisture in my hair (okay Dr. Seuss). Unfortunately, Madrid is a land-locked city with no real bodies of water in or close by it. This has led me to possess the strong desire to see water again. I got to see the Mediterranean ocean when I went to Barcelona back in October, but I didn’t spend nearly enough time soaking up the atmosphere.
Plus, it’s not only the water that I’m craving, It’s the cold, the wet, the rainy, and the muddy. My favorite city that I have lived in has been Seattle, Washington in the States. The giant trees, the morning mist, the constant smell of the salty ocean that hung on every inhale…it was like a land lost in time. The smell of wet mud is one of my favorites and the city was drenched with it.
It was with this expressed desire, that a couple of people told me that I would find what I was looking for up in Northern Spain in Bilbao and San Sebastian.
It’s a 6 hour bus ride up to Northern Spain from Madrid, and I swear, in that amount of time one truly passes into a completely different world. The bus route takes you through mountains and up to their snowy peaks, it takes you over plateaus with evergreen forests, and we even passed this city with nothing else in it but an old church and a couple of houses. I highly recommend taking the bus through these areas, it was enchanting to witness.
We arrived in Bilbao late on a Friday and had dinner at this little pizza place where all the hip, younger people of Basque country gathered. The pizza was satisfying and I was in good company. I was traveling with two of the best people to travel with in Spain: my friends Benjamin and Grayson. Benjamin studied very early Spanish history, specifically involving the Arabic people’s early time here. Grayson studied the Spanish language and speaks perfect Spanish and knows a lot of the more recent history here in Spain. As we explored Bilbao they chatted easily about the architecture and significance of random historical items having a home this far North (this became quite apparent when the appearance of a certain very old sword that held importance in Granada, was found way up in a museum in San Sebastian. Benjamin thought it quite the scandal!).
Our first evening in Bilbao we drank our first taste of a local, craft beer in Spain. It was at this brewery called Penguin Bar that had an unusual amount of animal skeletons in it for a place with such a jovial name. We toasted to a good night and safe journey and called it a night after a very long conversation about how the era of good video games was at an end. Apparently a Star Wars game called Knights of the Old Republic was the last great video game ever made. Don’t argue with me! Benjamin was very adamant on this point.
We woke up fresh the next morning and I told the boys I could not begin my day without a cup of coffee. We left the Airbnb with all of our things (which meant I would be hauling around my very full Osprey 25 liter pack all day) and went out in search of a good latte. We stumbled upon this place that looked fine mostly because it had a place where you could order from the street. Turns out, they preferred you ordered inside and we were ushered in to this bar at 9am that did have an espresso machine, but also had what appeared to be Girls Gone Wild Spanish Version playing on a large TV on one side of the room and numerous amounts of rather large bottles of tequila lining the wall.
I’m lactose intolerant, so I asked for soy milk, which the man said he had, but then proceeded to walk out the front door. Considering the socially awkward, inclined politeness of the trio I was in, we sat down and waited for the man to come back, assuming he would. There were two small tables in the place, but we were so close together with the two gentlemen talking loudly at the next one that we were basically a part of their gathering. I had my back to the provocative TV show, but I found it entertaining to watch the other 2 members of my party avert their eyes while we waited and made tired attempts at conversation. I needed coffee to be social and the other 2 didn’t feel comfortable talking in front of strangers.
Eventually, the man came back with a freshly bought carton of soy milk and whipped up a decent latte. I thanked him profusely and Grayson ordered a last minute pastry to tip the man for running to the store for me. It was only upon leaving the place that I noticed that one of the doors was barred closed with wood from the inside. What an interesting coffee shop that was, but such a kind individual!
Having been successfully caffeinated, Benjamin directed us to this archeological museum that exhibited the early settlements of humans in Northern Spain. I thought this was especially interesting since I’ve only ever seen archeological exhibits from the States. Grayson and Benjamin noted the seemingly Celtic influence in the early writings and gravestones of the Basque country. Ever since they pointed it out, I can’t help but see these connections in small happenings throughout the city. Mainly, it was the early use of circles to represent suns, moons, and passages of time.
After the museum, we made our way deeper into the city of Bilbao and Benjamin told us (he was the man with the plan) that there was a sort of sky trolley that would take us up to the top of this mountain where we could get a full view of the city. We were all on board! I was a little nervous since I’m terrified of heights, but sometimes I can be motivated by social pressure.
I am so glad that I was motivated by social pressure! The view was breathtaking! And to make things better, it started to rain while we were up there and it invited this crawling mist to travel and hang all over the city.
The rain soon turned to hail and we began to run around the city, ducking under any and all protective coverings. That is, until we found a place for lunch: Rio Oja, a family owned restaurant specializing in Basque country classic cuisines. Most dishes were served in these small pots made of dark clay and paired with white wine, considering the majority of them were seafood. I had this white fish, which seemed to have been boiled in this thick oil, with onions. It was salty and the oil stuck to my lips for a good amount of time after the meal. The wine paired with it was exquisite! Grayson had the same thing as me and Benjamin had something that featured lamb with native vegetables.
One thing to note about my companions is their ability to open up socially after one glass of wine. The conversation became active after a whole bottle of wine and bounced easily from one topic to another. I learned that Grayson has a deep love for Fleetwood Mac. For dessert, we each had different things considering Benjamin didn’t like chocolate and Grayson favored more fruity sweets. I had this sorbet, shake-like drink with vodka, Benjamin had a vanilla cake soaked in whiskey, and Grayson had a peach-filled cake.
After that, Grayson and Benjamin were tipsy and the rest of the afternoon was us walking around the streets of Bilbao discussing Grayson’s love life and the beautiful architecture. We passed by the Guggenheim but didn’t go in since we all weren’t big fans of modern art, but the building outside was striking and the sculptures on the outside were very curious looking.
The contrast between the old city and the new was also something to comment on. It was interesting to physically see the difference, as well as feel it. The older streets seemed used to being walked on, whereas the new streets pushed back against our feet like they were fighting for attention. At the end of our time in Bilbao, I’m sure that we walked a lot, but my boots became especially scuffed from the newer cobblestones.
It was around 5pm that we decided to seek out the bus stop and make our way to San Sebastian. Benjamin suggested we only have a day in Bilbao since there weren’t many museums, castles (my man loves his castles), or other architectural things to visit. I was moderately sad about this, as I had fallen in love with the coastal scents and feeling of being close to the water.
But, what I didn’t know is how much I would love San Sebastian. Bilbao was gorgeous and haunting looking, yes, but San Sebastian is on an entirely different level.
Would I consider moving to Bilbao? Yes! My favorite thing about the city was the feel of it wanting to grow and change, but still preserving its history by keeping the architecture and cuisine untouched by the influence of time. I found the dedication to this movement inspiring, and eerily reminiscent of the push and pull of the tide: a place wanting to advance, but taking support and comfort from where it came from. What beautiful potential for a deeper understanding on what it means to truly take history into consideration when building a better future. I cannot wait to visit again.
a Wilde Explorer 