A little Piece of Home from Denmark

Steph is here from Copenhagen, Denmark, staying with me and Conchi (who is amazing and is cooking for both of us and doing her laundry!) We went to the big park in Bilbao on Sunday and it was so sunny and warm, a very nice change. We just sat on a bench and read and enjoyed the crazy little Spanish kids running around and screaming by the fountain.
Then on Monday we walked to class at ten together and stopped by a pastelería to get a little sweet bread. Steph brought my computer to go into the Cafetería to go online while I had class for 2 hours. So I found the three Richmond guys, who go to Richmond University, the only English speaking table, and introduced her then left- since I did not want to be late for class. So I came back during break, and she was laughing and definitely making friends! We walked back a long the river and then Steph met Conchi. Wow is that language barrier hard! But we had a great lunch and steph was introduced to tortilla de patatas (which I learned how to make) - her new love! Then we met our friend from SF Matt and Stevie to walk across La Puente Colgante, the hanging bridge. It is about a 20 minute metro ride north by the beach. It is in the town of Areeta. So we walked to the bridge and took a moving enclosed car with passengers and cars on it across the river to the other side then took the elevator up to the top of the bridge and walked across. We saw all the red rooftops on both sides of the river and the Spanish northern coast and the beach town of Plenzia. Stevie has a little fear of heights but we made it to the end of the very high very windy bridge.
After that we walked to a bar (they are called bars here but they have pinchos, bocadillos and little foods like that in addition to serving alcohol, but a lot of people just go to hang out and sit down to talk or watch a soccer game- they are not exactly like the bars at home and the most popular times are in the mid morning and siesta, then after dinner on weekends) to have calimocho a drink typical of the basque country with wine and coca cola. It is an interesting mix but very good. So Steph and I are friends with John from home and so we went to see him and catch up, and she met his roommates the Italians- Rossella and María Teresa.
Then, on Wednesday night before steph left, she wanted to try sangria so we did and it is amazing as always. So she got the full Spanish experience! She is in Prague now and then will return back to school on Monday. Last winter I went to visit her in Jackson Hole Wyoming…what a great place for skiing! It is so great to see her in all different places!