Un viaje al mar

Hello all,

I haven't had a ton of time to post since a lot has been going on, but the last couple days have been really exciting.  I am living in Bilbao with a host family and two days ago, my group went on an excursion to Plentzia.  I think Plentzia is my favorite place we have visited so far!  It is a smaller town that is right on the sea.  The ride over on the bus was probably the most scenic thing I have ever seen in my life, and by the time we got there, I was just about ready to pack up and move! :)

Here is a picture of la ría, which also runs through Bilbao and empties into the sea at Plentzia:

Isn't it lovely?  The water is so clear, and I suppose that it helped that we had a perfect day for the excursion.  In addition to the natural scenery that Plentzia offers, the town is really cute.  You can walk pretty much everywhere, but it differs greatly from the bustle and high-rise buildings of Bilbao (although Bilbao is not actually that large of a city).  The houses and other buildings in Plentzia are charming, and nearly all of them have flowers cascading down from the windows.

Bonus: a bit of my finger!  My apologies!

Personal favorite: the UMich house

After touring Plentzia, we all headed over to a restaurant that overlooked the beach, where we had the typical Spanish three-course meal.  I'll admit that some of the food we've had so far hasn't been totally awesome (hotel food, I'm looking at you), but this was absolutely to die for.  The paella was just great.  I wish it was easier to obtain in the States!

After a heavy lunch, we had some time to just relax on the beach, which was a welcome break from the usual - I love all the activities we have been doing and all the things we have been seeing, but it was nice to just time to just chill.  We took the metro home later, and I was so proud of myself - I didn't sunburn at all!

I will put up a Bilbao post soon, and some pictures of the University of Deusto (prounounced: Day-oo-stow, accent on the oo).  For now, though, my friends and I plan to explore the Old Quarter, where I live, a bit more.  I personally plan on checking out the animal menagerie that seems to be growing in the plaza where I am currently sitting.  Ciao!