For six months, I was living in Bilbao, Spain part of the basque region in Europe.

The basque country includes Northern Spain and Southern France and has unique characteristics making it it’s own.  The basque people speak a language in which does not date back to any other language called Euskara.   However, the schools and institutions are required to learn in Spanish.

I lived with a madre and hermano, a mother and her son, in an apartment in Bilbao.  My host mother helped me know the streets and the rules of the city. Don’t be out past a certain time and play it safe.  Bilbao is not the standard town of criminals and thieves, it is calm there and no one has the money to stay out past dark.

I attended a private school in Bilbao and continued to learn Spanish as I lived in the city.  Bilbao is a city with a river running through the middle of it.  There is an old city and a new city, the old city is full of restaurants and fun.  The city siestas for much of the day, meaning they have a time for sleep on certain days at certain times. During these times, the stores are not open and the city seems quiet.

A bus ride away awaits San Sebastian, the beautiful city of the basque country, where many visitors travel to to soak up some sun and sip on some cervezas, beer.  The film festival resides in San Sebastian every year and the city becomes packed from mountain to ocean.  The bus ride back to Bilbao is very short and you are welcomed back into the city once again.

In the middle of the city stands the Puppy.  A large formation of a puppy made with all flowers head to toe.  The Puppy stands in front of the Guggenheim museum, an attraction for many visitors coming to the city.