Near and far: Northern Spain

Just like that, two months have come and gone here in Spain! I couldn't have imagined having explored all we have so early on in the year. Below are a few memories and moments from places I've been exploring, from small pueblos to the country's largest cities.

24/09/23: Onati, Gipuzkoa, Basque Country

Deep in the Basque Country lies the quaint village of Oñati, tucked between deep green valleys and ragged skyscraping mountains. A group of Fulbrighters and I had the pleasure to venture out here just as the festivities of San Mateo began to wind down. Figuring we'd be out for half the morning, I was sorely (literally) mistaken when the day took eight hours from departure to several "....are we lost?" moments, one of which nearly landed us in Southern France. Luckily all the walking required for our European lifestyle had me in shape and the cafe in town sold this gringa (me) their only menu item: a chorizo "sandwich"- a chorizo sausage in two slices of white bread lol. So all this to say, I hadn't exactly planned for a Spanish-style hike aka a we-have-all-day attitude. Although unexpected, I am once again in awe of the kindness of many Spaniards and for this day, which I would never have seen if I didn't have the fortune to be in La Rioja for a year. So... that's how the Spanish hike.

22/09/2023 Briones, La Rioja

To top off the end of summer and raise a glass to start the first week of school, a handful of our cohort visited the Vivanco bodega (winery) in Briones, a small town or "pueblo" just 30 minutes from Logroño. Briones is a picture-perfect pueblo tucked into the base of the Tolono Mendilerroa mountains with vast vineyard views and adorable winding streets. Even better, you can take in the views and history of the region at the impressive Vivanco bodega. The Vivanco bodega is home to a multi-story museum about all things wine from ancient to modern times. The museum is complete with in-depth exhibits about all the ways land, soil, climates, grapes, varieties, bottles, corks, and more have changed over time. After visiting the museum, we joined a tour (in Castellano woohoo!) where we walked through the fields, production facility, and cellars to learn about their vines and wines. One interesting thing I learned on the tour was that Vivanco plays a special role in growing minority grapes in La Rioja, where there are strict regulations on what varieties can(n't) be grown. Therefore, Vivanco offers much more than Tempranillo (the major variety/claim to fame grape in La Rioja), although you can never go wrong with a Tempranillo, especially from Vivanco.

29/09/2023: San Sebastian, Pais Vasco

After a wild first week of school, a new group of friends and I took off for the coast to escape the extended summer heat and bask in all things Basque- beaches, pinxtos, and txakoli (basque champagne)! As a Californian who has the enormous privilege of life-long ocean access, I dearly missed the exhilaration of an ocean swim and MADRE MIA did San Sebastian surpass my expectations. My first swim on La Conxa Beach is permanently seared into my memory for the rest of my life. San Sebastian is more of a city that happens to be hugged in by mountains and part of a perfectly sized inlet. Most buildings are six stories high and the town has an endless buzz of people shopping, relaxing, and of course, pinxto bar hopping. The Basque tapa, or Pintxo, lives up to the hype. We can now confirm the infamous Gilda, a speared pickled pepper, olive, and anchovy, packs a real punch! Plus, the silky, warm, impressively light, and not-too-sweet Basque cheesecake from La Viña will make your heart melt a little more just when you think it couldn't anymore. Our weekend consisted of beach days (including Zarautz- a great escape if there are too many people in San Sebastian proper!), pinxto hopping, sunsets, and enjoying long beach walks. Our group's pro tip: look out for the secret bar, although you won't have success if you try looking for it after dark. When you find it, enjoy a drink and the killer view of San Sebastian's beautiful bay hugged in by gorgeous green mountains.

06/10/2023: Barcelona, Catalonia

How fortunate I am to have returned to Barcelona to see my parents before they began their visit to Spain. I soaked up the late summer heat, which I remembered too well from when I studied abroad fall semester in 2021. I finally had the chance to show my parents all my favorite things the city offers from pan con tomate to the best city views. We visited my old apartment and neighborhood while re-tracing my old commute to school. I made sure to guide us right to my favorite flavors of the city: DelaCreme gelato (pumpkin, fig, and honey chocolate!), stellar seafood paella in Barceloneta, and of course basque cheesecake from JonCake. I checked up on the Sagrada Familia to see if much had changed (not much?!) and even got to visit and catch up with an old friend whom I'd met in front of the Sagrada two years ago (<3 te amo laura)! We dipped in the warm and puckeringly salty ocean at my favorite beach, picked up endless sea glass, and took in a special sunset from the Bunkers de Carmel. As for some new adventures, we saw an incredible classical flamenco guitar show at the Palau de Catalana and got caught up dancing after dinner at the beach after stumbling into a free bachata concert. By the end, as our step counts prove, we got around to nearly all my favorite sights of Barcelona, the city that will always have a piece of my heart.

10/10/2023: Elciego, La Rioja

Although quick, my after-school visit to Elciego couldn't go undocumented! This little pueblo is a short bus ride outside of Logroño and is home to various bodegas, most importantly, Marques de Riscal. Although created in 1858, the winery is infamous for its property designed by Frank Gehry. The property is truly breathtaking with views of vinyards and a few distant mountainous pueblos. I went for the afternoon to stroll the enchanting town and meet my parents, who were staying at the winery's hotel, for a glass of wine. We fortunately saw it all during harvest so the place was buzzing with trucks and machinery in full production mode.

12/10/2023: Asturias/Cantabria:

If there ever was a real-life fairy tale, it would take place among the turquoise rivers, enormous rocky mountains dotted with caves, and never-ending green pastures of Asturias. Over the Dia de Nacional break, a group of friends and I rented a car and I drove (!!!) us to Asturias, a region northwest of ours. We started the trip by driving up in the afternoon after school, taking incidental advantage of ending up on the coast by golden hour. We arrived that night and settled in with a home-cooked dinner and early bedtime since we decided we would take on the Ruta de Cares the next morning. The Ruta de Cares is an infamous trail in the Picos de Europa national forest, and it's the most traveled trail in the country! This hike is an out-and-back style unless you want to pay for a pricey taxi or stay the night in the mountains. The out-and-back pieces are 8 miles so in total our trek lasted around 8 hours with a long lunch break where we even dipped our feet in the icy river. That night we treated ourselves to a proper Spanish-style dinner: soaking up the last of the warm summer nights, passing tapas, and sipping great wine. The next day we rose slowly and drove to two Asturian towns: Covadonga and Congas de Onis. We saw the breath-taking monastery in Covadonga and walked around Congas de Onis taking in the mountain town's beauty and scenery. On the third day, we toured a traditional Asturian Sideria (cidery) before stopping to tour around Gijon, a beachfront city. We ended our day and our trip with a stop in San Vicente de Barques, a small camping and surfing town in Cantabria with great seafood (calamari, mussels, and scallops), and even better ice cream. From this point on the Northern coast, we enjoyed a quick and easy drive back to Logrono the next morning.

20/11/2023: Santander, Cantabria // Burgos, Castille-Leon

After seeing my first glance at Cantabria the weekend before, I was so pleased to get to return the next weekend. I met my parents at the Eurostars Hotel Real and we kicked off an incredible weekend... slowly. Our first day ended up being pretty stormy, meaning we taxied downtown and mostly enjoyed cafes and ducking into shops to browse and stay out of the rain. Despite the weather, we still saw an interesting live art installation at the Central Botin, the cathedral, and both the east and west mercados- stalls of products ranging from meats and cheese to every fruit and veggie under the Spanish sun. We ended our walk at Cadelo, an incredible and once-in-a-lifetime Spanish-Japanese fusion restaurant. The restaurant offered unique twists to Spanish star ingredients like eggplant, mussels, and a showcase of cheese in anything from sauces to cake. By the time our lunch wrapped up, the sun had come out and we enjoyed a digestive walk back to the stunning hotel, situated on a hill with gorgeous views of the bay. We topped off our trip by taking a BlaBlaCar to Burgos (10/10- rideshare service where you can share each other's company and the gas $!) In Burgos, we met our incredible family friend Ana, who toured us around her town. We ogled at the infamous Cathedral, UNESCO site, and enjoyed the various viewpoints in the town. Plus we were extra lucky to get a local's taste of the best vermouth, morcilla de arroz, and tapas de cerdo (pig)- oreja (ear) y estomago (stomach):0)

Day Trips: 20-something/10/2023: Haro & Laguardia, La Rioja // Victoria-Gastiez, Pais Vasco (Basque)

Two infamous towns for VINO! Haro offers an incredible experience to hop from one to the next bodega along one main street. My parents and I enjoyed sharing flights from a handful of bodegas well-known in the area and worldwide including Cune (C.V.N.E.), Muga, Roda, and Rioja Alta. We also walked over into the main downtown for a proper Spanish comida (lunch) and tasted a local delicacy- lamb. Of course, we HAD to have a little more wine to wash it down. Over in Laguardia, rated one of Spain's most picturesque pueblos, you can sit in awe of the vineyards which have turned bright shades of yellow, orange, and red. The town has an interesting history, and our cohort enjoyed the most -interesting- bodega tour we'd done at La Fabulista. Other charming parts of Laguardia include a cuckoo clock in the central plaza and a stunning promenade encircling the town. Lastly, with a Wednesday off for All Saints Day where Spaniards decorate the graves of loved ones with immaculate flower arrangements) my friends took an afternoon trip to Victoria-Gastiez, the capital of Pais Vasco. We took a stroll through the town, enjoyed a few pintxos, and walked through its fall-colored park, enjoying a low-key day in a new town together. We loved the architecture of the city and that its size created a city vibe. We're excited to return and see more later next month to cheer on our friend running in Victoria's half marathon!

04/11/2023: Bilbao, Basque Country

A day trip to never forget! A group of my friends/auxiliaries and I bussed up to Bilbao for a full-day trip to see the infamous industrial capital of Northern Spain. We took our time with a brunch spot that transported us back to San Francisco with its trendy menu of toasts and minimalist style. From brunch we scurried through the rain to the Guggenheim, where we stood in awe of the installations around, inside, and of the museum itself, another Frank Gehry masterpiece. Those that might ring a bell include the massive puppy of flowers and the spider. After the museum, we walked along the river to the Casco Viejo (old town) to snack and stroll through vintage clothing stores. We were all impressed by the Parisian feel of the architecture, the wide streets, and the stunning blue post-rain skies that melted into a vivacious sunset.

Buah! Tanto viajes, no? Pues bueno estamos apunto de descansar un poquito... hasta luego ;)