My Experiences in Spain: Semana Santa with my parents!

About a week ago I returned from my travels through Spain for Semana Santa which is a holiday many countries in Europe have off for the week of Easter. I feel so fortunate to be able to spend this week with my parents and discover various areas of the Basque Country with them. Stay tuned to see what we did and saw over these 10 days!

Day 1: Tuesday March 30

My parents arrived to Vitoria Tuesday evening. They came over to my apartment for dinner where I prepared a Spanish dish consisting of stuffed peppers with meat and cheese, served over rice and a spaghetti type sauce. It was my first time making this dish but to my surprise it came out very well and it was a big hit for everyone. There, my parents were able to meet my two Italian roommates and my one English roommate. It was fun listening to my Italian roommates speak in English which they can speak pretty well.

Day 2: Wednesday March 31

We rented a car and drove to a small town outside of Laguardia which is known as the La Rioja of the Basque Country, where all of the good wine is produced. There we had a tour at a well known winery called Herederos de Maques de Riscal. Before heading out of Vitoria we stopped at my school so my parents could quickly meet the English teachers I work with. It was fun to show my parents where I work and introduce them to the teachers as well. We didn't stay long because we wanted to get to the winery in time without missing our reservation. Needless to say driving in another country with no map can be a bit of a challenge. We had to stop several times to ask for directions. A little stressful at first but fortunately we made it there only a few minutes late, still being able to take part in the tour.

The outside of the winery was beautiful. A very modern hotel has recently been constructed into the winery built by the same person who built the Guggenheim museum in Bilbao. It is very different and vibrant from all the other parts of the winery and the town but definitely makes this winery stand out. We were able to see all of the different parts of the winery consisting of the older and newer buildings where the wine is made today and where it has been made in the past. We also saw the wine cellars that hold a large variety of very old bottles of wine. We learned a lot about the whole process which was very interesting. At the end of the tour we were able to try two different types of wine made here: one red and one white which were both very good.

The Hotel in the Winery

The Barrels of Wine

The Wine Cellar

After we wandered around the small town of Elcieglo where we saw a few cute plazas, the outside of a church and a castle and a beautiful view that overlooked the mountains. To our surprise we made it back to Vitoria with no problems. That evening we met my friends, mainly the other Auxilliares in Vitoria, in a bar that overlooks the central plaza of Vitoria where we had a dinner consisting of bocadillas (subs) and drinks. It was great to have my parents meet all of my other friends in Vitoria.

The Church in Laguardia

A view from the town

The Castle

Day 3: Thursday April1

It was a beautiful, sunny day in Vitoria. My parents had yet to see much of the city. So we spent the morning walking around. I showed them the two central plazas of Vitoria: Plaza de Virgen Blanca and Plaza de Espana along with the new cathedral. After we saw the Casco Viejo which is the older section of the city consisting of Vitoria's old cathedral and some great views of the city and the surrounding mountains. We ended the tour by walking through some parks and pretty walkways.

My Parents in La Plaza de Virgen Blanca

Plaza Espana

Casco Viejo with my parents

By mid afternoon we left Vitoria and headed to Bilbao, which is probably the most known, biggest city in the Basque Country. That evening we headed to the Casco Viejo to find a nice place to eat. As soon as we arrived in one of the central plaza's of the Casco Viejo there was a parade taking place in the streets consisting of floats and religious figures. The streets were crowded with people watching this procession and it was actually a really cool experience to see this. This is something that is seen through out of most of Europe during Semana Santa. After we had dinner in one of the streets in the Casco Viejo and it was delicious. I had a chicken dish served in this creamy sauce, my mom got to try the raved about steak of the Basque Country and my dad had a plate of cod fish.

Day 4 : Friday April 2

We started off our day in Bilbao by going to the Guggenheim Museum, which was very close to our hotel. The Guggenheim is a very famous modern museum in Spain that wasn't built until the 1990's and it has positively changed the overall city, making it less industrial. Outside of the museum is a giant dog sculptor made out of flowers. The Guggenheim is located right along the river. There are a variety of modern exhibitions inside the museum which were all very interesting but did get a little exhausting after taking in so much.

The Dog Sculptor

My Parents in front of the Guggenheim

The River outside of the Guggenheim

That afternoon we went back to the Casco Viejo. We had some pinxtos or tapas in the central plaza of the Casco Viejo called the Plaza Nueva. Then after we climbed a very steep walk way consisting of an endless number of stairs to get to the basilica. When we got to the basilica it was closed. However, it was a very pretty walk that gave a great view of the city and it was definitely worth the climb. After we continued walking around the Casco Viejo for the rest of the afternoon where we saw the outside of the cathedral.

My beautiful parents outside of the basillica

The View of the city from the walk

The next day the stores were finally opened again after being closed for the before Easter holidays. So my mom and I got to check out a few of the European stores before leaving and heading to San Sebastian. On our way to San Sebastian we drove along the coast and stopped in a small city close to San Sebastien called Geteka. There we had a picnic along the water and then walked along the port. The streets of the city center gave a great view of the port and ocean.

My Dad and I on the port

My Mom and I on the port

The City Center looking down to the church

Once we arrived to San Sabastain we walked along the board walk that overlooks the water to get to the Casco Viejo. It was a beautiful walk with grassy, hilly walk ways and beautiful flowers where we could see the crashing waves and mountains in the background surrounding the ocean. The main beach of San Sebastian is called La Concha (The Shell). From this name you might be able to guess the beach is in the shape of a giant shell, curving inward as you get closer to the ocean.

The board walk

The Beach

The Constitution Building

Once in the Casco Viejo we experienced the infamous pinxtos of San Sabastian. They were all good but all of the bars were crowded with lots of people making it impossible to find a place sit. My favorite was chorizo cocido, which consists of cooked sausage wrapped in a piece of bread. After we decided last minute to go to an Easter church service in a large, old catholic church in the Casco Viejo. It began outside around a fire with a candle lighting and then it continued inside. It was a great experience however, it was hard to understand everything that was being said.

Day 6: Sunday April 4

Happy Easter! The day started out a little rainy but surprisingly turned into a pleasant day. We found a cute bakery where we ate some delicious pastries and of course had some cafe con leche (coffee and milk). After we drove up a mountain on the east side of the city called Monte Igueldo. It was a very, windy steep ride right along the water. From the top it gave a great view of the city. We were able to see a little island with a large house. There was castle on the top of the mountain that we climbed up as well with many old pictures of how San Sebastian used to look like.

From the top of the mountain

View from the top of the castle

The Light House we passed on our way up

The Castle

After we spent the afternoon walking through the Casco Viejo and seeing what it looks like in the day light. We walked along the port and saw the outside of the cathedral. That night we had dinner in the Casco Viejo in a bar consisting of raciones (servings) of cheese from the Basque Country, cooked chorizo (sausage), salad and spiced cooked ham with peppers.

The Cathedral

The Constitution Building

The Port

The Cathedral at Night

Day 7: Monday April 5

Before leaving San Sebastian we climbed another mountain on the other side of the beach and city called Monte Urgull. At the top of the monument there is a big statue of Jesus and a detailed historical museum of San Sebastian. It is a beautiful walk that goes right along the ocean with some awesome views!

My Parents and I at the top

A View from other side of the mountain

We then left for the Basque Country of France but first we stopped in a small city on the coast called Hondarribia. It is the last fishing port before France. There we had a picnic lunch on the beach. After we walked along the port and explored the Casco Viejo. In the Casco Viejo there is castle of Carlos V which has been made into a Parador. Paradores are hotels in Spain that are located in castles, palaces and monasteries.

The View of the Port from the City Center

The Parador

We then headed for Bayonne, France which is the capital of the French Basque Country. Once we arrived we had to find our apartment that we would be staying in for the next two nights which was quite the challenge. I don't think it ever occurred to us that our very minimal French may hinder our ability of getting around the city. Fortunately we were approached by an English speaking person who could see that we were lost and guided us to our apartment. It was in a great location right in one of the center plaza's, next to the cathedral. We spent the evening walking around the strangely quite city that apparently closes down by early evening.

Day 8: Tuesday April 6

We spent the morning exploring Bayonne. We went inside the Cathedral of Notre-Dame-De-Ste-Marie. After we went behind the Cathedral into an open enclosed space with a great are of green grass letting us view the back of the Cathedral. This area is known as the Cloister. We then walked along the river in the center of the city with bridges, cafes and a market hall where we bought some delicious French cheese.

The Cathedral

The Cloister

The Main Bridge that Crosses the River

That afternoon we headed to another city about 20 minutes away located on the coast called Biarritz. The area along the coast is absolutely beautiful and I don't think I have ever seen anything like it. We did a gorgeous walk along the water with large unique-shapped rocks sticking out of the water.

The Fishing Port

We returned to Bayonne for the evening and had a nice dinner right along the river.

Day 9: Wednesday April 7

When we woke up it was raining but that was okay because it was the one day we had somewhat of a long drive to do. We headed straight for Madrid. By the time we arrived it was late afternoon and a beautiful, warm, sunny day. By the time we got to Madrid we were all pretty tired from our whole week of traveling so we didn't really see a whole lot. We took a metro to a central area of the city and walked around a little. We walked around the Plaza Mayor, one of the central plazas that has a similar design to other Plaza Mayors in Spain. We then walked to the Palacio Real (Royal Palace) where we saw the outside. After we stopped in this large indoor market hall where we had some tapas and wine. Followed by our last Spanish dinner together consisting of Paella since we had yet to eat it the whole week.

The Plaza Mayor

My Dad and I in the Plaza Mayor

El Palacio Real

Day 10: Thursday April 8

My trip with my parents comes to an end. We woke up, packed our suitcases, had our last Cafe con leche and headed for the airport. Lets just say that they wouldn't have gotten there if it wasn't for me and my ability to ask for directions. We said good bye, cried a little and then I headed straight for the train station. I had one more last excursion before heading back to Vitoria.

I left for Cordoba, a city in Andalusia, where I would meet my friend, Dana, and her parents there. I had already seen the city two years ago but it was great to go back and experience the life in Andalusia again. The culture and the overall feel of the south is so different from the north of Spain. The day I arrived we visited the Alcazar, which is a palace with beautiful gardens and fountains outside. We also walked over this old bridge right next to the palace and saw some old walls.

The Alcazar

The Bridge

The next morning we visited the Mezquita, which stands for Mosque in Spanish. It is one of the earliest and most beautiful examples of Muslim Architecture. There is a sanctuary that has been built in the center of the mosque by the Christians without ruining the rest of the area. That afternoon we visited Palacio Viana, which is one of Cordoba's most splendid, aristocratic homes. It contains 12 interior patios with very impressive gardens and fountains. We also got to explore the Jewish neighborhood and visit one of the only Synagogues left in Andalusia.