Pesadilla. /pe.sa.ˈði.ʎa/ n. Language: Spanish. Meaning: Nightmare. Like being outrun by an ax-murderer, or 27 consecutive days of rain in November. I’m not going to sugar coat it here. I didn’t fall head over heels with Bilbao the way I did for Granada when ...Read More

Fanfarronear. /fan.faʀ.o.ne.ˈaɹ/ V. Language: Spanish. Meaning: To brag, to boast. Bilbao has much to fanfarronear about: an epic coastline, pintxos, the strongest economy in Spain, cider, cheese, a famous modern art museum, a competitive futból team, and some good-looking gents, to name a few.  After nine months as an ...Read More

Now that placements for the 2014—2015 school year are rolling out, I thought I’d write up a list of expenses so the fresh and doe-eyed auxiliars in Basque Country can know what to expect. Bilbao is ranked as one of the most expensive cities ...Read More

Since I can’t seem to get enough of Basque fishing villages, my friends and I did a two-for-one the other weekend, visiting the towns of Bermeo and Mundaka. We took the bus to Bermeo, a larger town on the Bay of Biscay, and the ...Read More

As my friend Kaitlyn put it, “Spain is closed on Sundays.” Such a perfect description—the country in its entirety just about shuts down, save for a number of bars and panaderías. In Granada I mourned the lack of open H&Ms and grocery stores, but ...Read More

Lekeitio is a small coastal city situated on the Bay of Biscay, about an hour from Bilbao (55 km). It’s written up in the guidebooks as an attractive tourist destination, particularly in the summer, but it doesn’t feel overrun. It has charming cobblestone alleyways, ...Read More

Today is my 100th post! I’ve been updating for a year an a half, have about four consistent readers (2 parents, 1 sister, 1 random—God love ’em), and can honestly say that writing has become my biggest passion here in Bilbao. In 2014 my ...Read More