Spain

Everyone loved Lisbon. It's so much fun to hear their excited stories, to listen to the wide array of experiences they had, and to see the students gain confidence as travelers. All of the Field Labs (faculty-driven in-country experiences tied to the course they are teaching) got high marks from everyone. In the intense two days between Lisbon and Bilbao I gave four presentations ("Spain: It's Going to Surprise You," "Tale of Two Titans: Franco and Juan Carlos," "Drop Your Trousers Here and Have a Good Time: Language Learning in a Global World," and "Bilbao and Beyond") and did one class (The Anthropology of Tourism). Quite a lot! But I enjoy preparing students and faculty for Spain, so it's ok.We are ported in Gexto, a lovely town on the north coast up river from Bilbao (about 20 mintues by shuttle bus).

Janna and I rented a car —quite a drill to get to the rental place, which included a 30-minute walk to the metro, a 20-minute ride to Bilbao, and a 15-minute walk to the agency— and took off with Julian Connolly and Monica Markelz to San Sebastián, about 90 minutes to the east of Bilbao.

San Sebastián is, to put it simply, dazzling and unique. It has one of the most gorgeous beaches in Europe (the Concha), which swings around in a wide semi-circle from the Old Town to the newer quarter. Chillida's "Peine del viento" (The Wind's Comb) sticks to the mountains as the surf pounds in on it.

San Sebastián is also justifiably famous for its food, the stars of the show being "pintxos" (the Basque version of tapas). We stayed in a modern hotel up the hill, then taxied down several times to walk the streets of the Old Town and munch away.On Saturday morning we went up to the top Monte Igeldo, from where one has a breathtaking view of the whole city. Then, on to Hondarribia on the French border, then we sneaked over the border to Hendaye, in France, for a pastry and cup of coffee. We came back along the coast road, a windy two-lane road that moves from the water up into the mountains, curling in and out of small towns.

We serendipitously found a local restaurant on the very crest of one of the hills (Pikua), and dug in to steak, duck, merluza, salad, wine, and puff pastry with cream as we gazed out over the Bay of Biscaye. From there, we headed toward Gernika, the town that was strafed in 1937 by the German air force and became immortalized in Picasso's famous "Guernica." A tree that was bombed remains as a reminder of that brutal act.

Sunday took us back into Bilbao to the glorious, disorienting, shimmering Guggenheim Museum.

Hopping back into the rental car, we headed north to Bermeo and Gaztelugatxe, both perched on a coastline that reminds one of Western Ireland. The Sunday crowds were clumped at the restaurant, and we found out why: not only the views, but the lunch of roast chicken, salad, fried calamari and wine were memorable.

Tomorrow we leave for Scotland.