I Have Discovered a New Land

Did anyone know there are people that inhabit the land East of America? I have discovered a new land and a strange new people that appear to speak some kind of gibberish.  I'll continue to call the land what the natives here refer to it as, "Ethpaña."

The flight to SLC was quick and easy, but the flight to Paris would be the longest I had ever traveled.  10 hours of sitting, bad movies, and a noisy jet plane.  After almost nearly pulling an all nighter before my travels I expected to fall asleep right away, not even close... thanks a lot Air France. The Charles de Gaulle airport was terrible and confusing, it is divided into multiple buildings that require buses to reach.  Also, the french are rude and don't care to answer questions.  After worrying that I would miss my flight, I made it with a bit of time to spare.  I didn't arrive into Bilbao until about 14:30 (24-hour clocks here) local time, so the whole trip took about seventeen hours.  The family was very excited to meet me and Nico jumped to greet me with open arms and a big smile that was minus a few teeth. 

That first night I slept for thirteen straight hours after missing sleep during travel.  After getting my Metro pass and a quick tour of the city I was able to go for my first run of the trip.  I went for a quick tour of the area with my camera and was able to see some cool spots.  As advertised the family home is a ten minute walk from the beach.  There seems to be a lot of other runners in the area so I am hoping to find some running mates and some good trails.  We would have Gula for dinner, and the explanation may scare some of you a bit.  Gula is an imitation meat that is formed into noodles like spaghetti, and it is meant to imitate a delicacy here that from what I gather is baby Eels.  They are sauteed with garlic and are very tasty.   

 The next morning I would start my first adventure and embark on the Metro towards Getxo, then on to Bilbao, the big city. I didn't know if it was a bad idea or a great idea, but I wore my baseball cap and rain jacket to look like an American, hoping to meet some other travelers.  Getxo has a beautiful hanging bridge called the Bizkaia bridge that is about 120 years old and shows some real industrial character.  The city is busy and people are bustling about everywhere. 

I was able to grab some tapas after working up an appetite.  The food was excellent and for less than 5 Euros I was able to enjoy some tasty wine, a tortilla, and some sort of bocadillo. They add ham, tomato, egg, shrimp, and cheese to make many of their tapas. I also enjoyed a glass of Rioja, delicious red Spanish wine. The server said it was Villa Roca or something like that. After eating I hopped a metro to Bilbao, the big city, and was in awe of the beautiful women and magnificent architecture.  The people are full of life, but the buildings seem to hold characteristics of a different age.  I ran my camera battery into the ground and headed for home to enjoy some Potatas y Chorizo, very delicious. 

Thanks for reading and keep checking for my next post!