Bienvenidos a la Provincia de Vizcaya

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Today was our first group excursion out of the city. We hopped on a bus and two hours later, after driving up the very windy and tiny hilly roads, we arrived in the beautiful mountain town of Encartaciones, the western most town in the Basque country. It was incredibly isolated, but everything was so green and the air was so cold and crisp - it felt wonderful to be up there. They then took us on a guided tour of the Cuevas de Pozalagua, which is a huge old cave. I'm not usually fascinated by caves, but I think I could have stayed in this one for hours just gawking at how amazing it was. The whole thing was just one ginormous magestic room; I wish I had pictures to show, but we weren't allowed to take any. I was also surprised to see construction going on so high up on this mountain, next to the cave. They are apparently constructing an auditorium for concerts! It's going to be quite a trek for anyone who wants to come see/hear some music!

We then drove back down the hill to have lunch in Villaverde, once the bus driver chased the group of loitering cows away that had parked themselves in front of our bus, and then proceeded to the town of Balmaseda, another small Basque town in between Encartaciones and Bilbao. This was your classic, adorable European town - I fell in love with it. There were beautiful bridges and churches, old cobblestone streets, and a gorgeous view in every direction. It was again simply unbelievable how fresh the air was there - such a nice break from L.A.! Someplace to keep in mind when I retire, I guess!

I'm looking forward to exploring the rest of Vizcaya while we're here; every city seems a little different but gorgeous in its own way. Tonight, we are planning on going out to explore Bilbao at night, and will hopefully get the chance to meet some Spanish and other international students out tonight, too!

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Photos

Mountain
Notice the vultures flying above - I'm glad they stayed up there.

Greenery2
Me, Kyle, and Krista en the Valley of Karrantza.

Comments

[JJ]

Wow, I can't believe you guys are already traveling outside the city! I'm glad you caved and decided to make a travelblog :)

[Grandma&Grandpa H.]

First Review
Keep up the good work , Elizabeth. We have enjoyed every bit of your Travel Log. What a wonderful experience this time is for you! We plan to look at your pictures on the Kodak website tomorrow.

[Aunt Mb]

Gorgeous photos...I feel like I am looking a postcards! :) Enjoy all your travels...it is truly an experience of a lifetime. We love you!