The study abroad program that I am on includes a couple prepaid excursions to surrounding areas in the Basque country. Our first excursion was this past Friday to a couple towns along the coast called Mundaka and Burmeo. Mundaka was about an hour away by bus and was a very small but pleasant seaside town with some great views. In one spot along what you might call the main road, the bus pulled over to park. At this point the road rises up higher than the sea and you can look down the grassy and bramble and bush covered hill to see the ocean splashing against the cliff sides. Its a vantage point that makes for some beautiful shots of the ocean. I noticed a small stone church down on a little extension of land that was almost hidden from view with all the trees and plants on the hill. In the distance, you can see the coast wrap around to form great cliffs that the sea rises up against in big white waves. A randome island was also visible. Although it did not appear very spectacular, just like a giant rock in the bay, apparently a great naval battle took place between two Basque villages to determine who would have control of this little bit of rock. 
We headed into town and really just went on a walking tour that offered a lot of great photo opportunities, and so all the students in our big group took tons of pictures. Then they let us free for about a half our, but there did not seem to be much to do. One thing I was disappointed in with our tours was how little information our teachers actually gave us. I have no history to carry away from Mundaka--it was just a neat little town in an extremely beautful setting. Thankfully, Burmeo was a tad bit more interesting.
Burmeo is maybe five minutes away from Mundaka and has had a long history as a prominent fishing village. To this day, it is still one of the more important fishing towns for Northern Spain. Its obvious when you drive into it, what the main profession is. Ships and boats line the docks and are impossible to miss. The buildings in Burmeo were nice, and appeared newer than Mundaka. We took another walking tour of this town, stopping in great areas to take lots of photos. At one point, we were along a railing that gave a view of the breaker. Benches are set along this area and old Basque men were out in their little black berets, sitting and talking, gawking at us Americans who gawked right back. Some other groups of Spanish were wandering around letting thier dogs run in the nice whether. (Everyone has dogs here in Spain, and you always have to watch your step to avoid a smelly surprise!)
We were provided a nice lunch here. At which point, we all discussed the Spanish fondness for bread. We all agree that the vast majority of what we've been eating is bread. Every meal, a crust of bread. And they are strange about the bread--they never set it onto a plate. Instead they just place it right onto the table. One girl said her host mother told her that it was considered bad manners to place the bread on a plate--God knows why.
From Burmeo, we were given a surprise stop in a another location with great views of the coast an ocean. Only, at this location, we saw another random island--but also a beautiful little church settled right onto the top of a rocky little peninsula jutting out into the sea. Our vantage point was such a peaceful location, that it truly felt magical to look upon the little red-rooved church. A very long staircase winds its way up to the church and legend has it that if you climb the stairs and count each and every one, then ring the bell at the top, you will get married. Of course all of us girls are determined to go back to climb the stairs--just to do it. I would love to feel like I was part of a modern day fairytale. A funny side note: when I told my roomate about the church she nodded and said she has gone twice and rung the bell twice. "What does it mean to ring the bell, again?" she asked. "That you will get married." Hearing that she said, "Oh, crap! I don't ever want to get married!"
We took a nice hike in that area and I don't think I have ever seen such beautful countryside. I have never wanted to live by the sea, but Burmeo has truly made me reconsider that idea. Although you are along the coast here in Spain, you can't smell that gross seaside smell. Its just fresh and nice. And everything is GREEN. And not just green, its like a vibrant and incredibly bright green like nothing I have ever seen. My friend Lizzie agreed that its a green not to be found in the States. I worry that my photos just wont do it justice. I have to write about the scenery now lest I should ever forget. This region is formed of lots of hilly pastures, edged with dense forest, set right along the sea with great cliffs that lift you high above the waves. Pastures are home to both sheep and palm trees. It is unique and beautful here. 
Finally, we were brought to a local winery, called Doniene Gorrondona, where they specifically create the traditional Basque white wine called Txakolina. We were given a walk through the vineyard, a tour of the tiny winery, and a sample of the Txakolina. It was nice hearing the guide explain to us in Spanish about the simplicity of the process and the meaning of making the wine. Right now, despite the nice weather we have had, it is still winter, and all the vines are sleeping, and there is no blood (sap) inside the plants and so they are considered dry. Simple and elegant ways to describe the state of the grape vines. He informed us that still to this day, the vast majority of the work is done manually.
Inside the winery are great containers, where the grape juice that its first squeezed from the grapes is fermented for about 15 days, after which the juice has become alcoholic, ie wine. Then it is squeezed through a machine that removes all the pulp, and then it is mechanically bottled. I was thrilled with this little winery and really had a great time on that short but sweet little tour. The Txakolina tastes very nice and the surrounding views make it sweet on the eyes too. If I can, I may try to bring some home for family to have a taste of the Basque country.
