Day 9: Gernika: 80th Anniversary

Gretchen and Izzie

      This morning we went to school and attended a Basque lesson. We learned about the Basque culture and the origin of the language.

      We then took a bus to Gernika and went to the Peace Museum.

Today is the 80th anniversary of the bombing in Gernika by Adolf Hitler. The museum was created after the attack to spread a message of peace instead of revenge.

      After the museum we went to walk to see the Oak Tree that survived the attack. It was a very moving and reflective experience. It was a very rainy day so, after that, we went back on the bus and went to see the ancient caves.

      We learned they were excavated so that we could see them. Then, we drove by a well known surfing beach town called Mundaka.

      We didn't stay too long; we then went to visit Bermeo to explore for ourselves. The town had a beautiful harbor with lots of boats and colorful buildings. Unfortunately, most of the shops were closed because it was siesta hour, but we explored the small town and had café!

      Lastly, we stopped at a spot on the side of a mountain that had a beautiful view of the ocean before arriving back home.

Overall, even though it rained today, it was cool to see the culture in the different towns.