We live in Las Arenas in the Basque province of Vizcaya in northern Spain. This small town sits at the mouth of the Nervion river that runs up to the city of Bilbao - about 10 km away.The Basque country is bilingual, Euskara (as the local language is known) and Spanish. Children learn the two languages at school. Parents have the choice of a mainly Spanish education or mainly Euskara.
Many schools are set slightly out into the country and the kids get a bus morning and evening. Each school day there may be dozens of buses crisscrossing the town picking up and dropping down. |
It is a densely populated area so most people live in blocks of flats, houses exist in the outskirts at a very high price! Some of the houses used to belong to rich merchants and ship captains. |
Some of the houses are colourful... |
... and some are quaint. |
Food is very important to the Basque people. There is a huge range of bars selling "pintxos" - Basque tapas - which are rather tasty. |
This bar, in the old part of Las Arenas was our favourite, but sadly the lovely owners have just left to go to Costa Rica! |
The bridge is a UNESCO world heritage site, and dominates the local landscape. |
This is the other way to cross the river - with Portugalete in the background and the tug boats ready to guide the ships in. A ferry crossing is 35 cents |
We are on the coast, with the nearest beach just 800 metres away. The better beaches, famous for surfers, are just a few metro stops down the line. |