Bilbao

Well, I'm back in my hostel room. I checked my emails and currently have ESPN's Gamecast on, watching the Huskers stomp K-State. Awesome. After this post I'm going to go grab a bocadilla and then come back and hit the hay. A long day.

So, it starts out at 4:30am-ish. A lot of the people in my hostel, including my lone roommate, where partying all night in the kitchen. He walked in to go to bed around the same time I was going to get up, so I guess that worked out.

I walk to the train station and get there about 30 minutes before my train leaves. It's closed. What the snap? I stand out in the cold with this other guy who I think was going to Bilbao, too (I wish my Spanish was a tad bit better). Others show up, and around 5:45, about the time I thought the train was suppose to leave, the door opens up but they wouldn't let us in. A worker was just leaving. I guess the first train wasn't leaving until 7am. Pssh, forget that! I went back to my hostel, had some coffee, and then returned. I talked to one of the guys and he told me to just take the bus. "It's better," he said. Also 2 hours shorter.

So eventually I get on a bus headed to Bilbao, roughly 3 hours after I woke up. I get there, get off the bus and in true Chad fashion, I wonder around a bit and stop by a place to get a croissant and a coffee. I then meander over to the Gugenheim museum. The place that was designed by Frank Gehry. More details on that when I can show you pictures, but it's a sweet museum with all kinds of cool exhibits.

I then went over to the Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao (um, the Art Museum of Bilbao? Unfortunately, because they speak Basque and Spanish here, they don't put a lot of things in English too...). It had some good works, too, along with a Picasso exhibit. That was neat to see.

I then took the ultra-modern metro to the other side of town (the older part). I first have to say that Bilbao has a pretty sweet image. They're buildings are cool. Their public transportation is cool. It's like this "small" city that is trying to be on the cutting edge of everything.

Anyway, I went to this old part of town to grab a bite to eat before I headed back to San Sebastian. My book said something "people-watch[ing] at Bilbao's oldest coffee house (est. 1871)." Okay, well, it turns out it is closed for good. I guess it had to eventually. So anyway, I went to some of the other places it suggested and they didn't impress me much. The first time my guide book let me down in that area.

Regardless, I ate a little and walked back to the bus stop. Along the way, this black guy (okay, so maybe that detail wasn't necessary) asked me for a euro to call home. I guess he caught me in a giving mood so I gave it to him. That's my charity for the trip though (I suppose I was due. I can only walk by those beggars in Barcelona so many times).

Anyway, I got on the bus and got back here to good ol' San Sebastian. Ah, and my roommate apparently just moved to this city 5 weeks ago and has a job at a bar nearby and I think he helps out around the hostel, too. Anyway, he asked where I went. I thought I told him (I know I did) but he then asked if I walked in my room when I came back (I told him the whole train story). I said no, I was just in the kitchen on the computer and drinking (terrible) instant coffee (Side Note: I've never had that stuff before. Now I know why). I guess he had a girl in here and pushed our beds together! Um, wow... Thanks buddy.

And as I am publishing this, Nebraska is ahead 52-10! Thank you, Jesus. Oh, and thanks for my safety and stuff, too.