May Weekend Excursions

May, may, may. After two weeks of vacation, most of May felt like nonstop work, and I looked forward to every weekend. The first of three excursions was with Adrian, Ainara, and Alberto. In the morning we visited the magnificent caves of Pozalagua. These caves are famous for their unique stalactites and crystal formations. It's one of only two locations in the world that has stalactites that grow every which way, resembling roots. There are several theories as to how these form, but they've practically stumped geologists. Since I wasn't allowed to take photos, you should definitely click on the link above to check out the awesomeness. When we emerged from the caves, we gazed on some nearby stunning views.

Spelunking buddies

Then, we had lunch in a beautiful location next to a small hermitage with rolling hills all around us. I brought PB&J, and we all shared some of our food. I hadn't slept much the night before, so I was especially thankful for Adrian's Pepsi with extra caffeine. After lunch we journeyed to the cave of Covalanas. Unlike the previous cave, this one is known for its prehistoric cave paintings.

There's so much more I could say about this long Saturday of exploration, but I'll keep it short. Afterward, we strolled for a while along the beach of Laredo before having a pizza dinner at Alberto's brother's crazy cool flat. Adrian said it well when he said that it felt like several days in one.

Another Saturday, I met a group of Couchsurfing friends at a metro stop, and we went to the beach of Gorliz, where there's a picnicking spot. I brought my famous chocolate chip cookies. (Thanks to Mom for bringing me chocolate chips and brown sugar!) We played some Frisbee --until people started using it as a plate-- and some other game similar to croquet but where you through the balls. Master chef Iban took the picnic as an opportunity to perfect his 12-egg Spanish omelet. For your enjoyment, I've recorded the crucial moment:

CS buds: Adrian, Mikel, Ute, Alexandra, Itxaso, and Pilar

After lunch some of us decided to take our first dip of the year ...in the ocean!!! The water was frigid as all get out, but riding the waves was still really fun. I can't wait to go back when it's warmer. I managed to leave in time to arrive casually late to Kata's last pintxo poteo, basically going out on the town for some fancy snacks. One highlight of the night was hilariously linking elbows and owning the sidewalks for change, making the bilbaínos move for us. The next day, Kata, Bryan, Esmeralda, and I wandered around Vitoria, capital city of País Vasco.

Kata & Esme in one of Vitoria's most important plazas.

For lunch we split a few raciones. One of my favorites is chipirones: fried baby squid. I must admit, before popping the little sucker in my mouth, I feel a twinge of sympathy for its mother.

Thanks to Kata for her hand modeling.

And the last weekend of May was when Connor came to visit. The two of us joined Alberto and Adrian to the famed "source of the Nervión." The Nervión is the river that runs through Bilbao, and its source was this incredible area of very high, steep cliffs.

Pose inspired by Bryan

 Around the same area there was some amazing wildlife: an enormous, brightly colored snail and thousands of tadpoles congregating in a single water hole. I appreciated the fact that Alberto didn't know the Spanish word for "tadpole" because he was raised using the Basque word: "sapaburu" which means "toad head."

We chose a nearby area to have the lunch we'd brought with us, and then we went to the town of Alberto's childhood. From the town, we walked onto a large field toward a hermitage. On the way, a herd of skeptical cows stared us down. From the hermitage, we slowly hiked up a nearby mountain ridge. It was exhausting, but rewarding when we finally made it to the top.

Not sure if this one follows the "Rule of 9" but Connor and I like it.

These peaks are called the Peaks of the Three Kings. We managed to make it back to the car before the fog came in and made us lose our way.

Alberto thinking he can pull off my sweet cap and Adrian

May was also a month of goodbyes. Namely, Kata returned to North Carolina and won't be coming back for a second year of teaching, along with Jessica N., Ally, Pinky, Claire, and several other fellow auxiliares who were like substitute family for those long 9 months. I also made May my last month in my apartment, so when I return in July I'll be looking for a new place. Finally, I finished teaching at IES Unamuno. My high-school kids were mostly really sweet. The best of them gave me a merendola, complete with an array of chips, tortilla de patata, and bizcotxo. One class, encouraged by their teacher, even sang "Oklahoma!" to me, singing "OklaThomas" instead. The worst of them refused to participate in a game, so after some unsuccessful goading, I decided I didn't have to put up with their crap, and I just left. I'm looking forward to teaching adults come October.