Chancellor William J. Lowe, a former foreign study participant, alumnus of Trinity College Dublin, and a staunch advocate of studying abroad, took three days of his spring trip to Spain to stop in at the University Studies Abroad Consortium (USAC) in Bilbao, Spain. There, he learned firsthand about what IU Northwest students, and their classmates from around the country, learn while studying there. He even accompanied them on an academic excursion.

Dr. Lowe took the time to journal about his experiences:

Monday, May 27, 2019

This is my second visit to Spain.  We spent a week in Barcelona on the first trip.

On Sunday, I took the five-hour train trip from Madrid (where the weather was a splendid sunny, mid-70s, minus humidity) to Bilbao. I enjoy rail travel and find it much more relaxing than airports and planes.  It is also a way to see the country and the difference between central Spain and Madrid and northern Spain is dramatic.  Going north, rolling, dry countryside gives way to a very verdant, mountainous terrain. At the same time, the sunshine of the previous couple of days turned to low-hanging clouds and mist, although it did not begin to rain till we were in Bilbao. The weather in Bilbao is very reminiscent of Ireland, with which I am very familiar, so I brought the right clothes.

On Monday morning, I went to the offices of the University Studies Abroad Consortium (USAC), which runs the programs in which IU Northwest students participate, at the one of the urban campuses of the University of the Basque Country and met the program director, Ibon Samanillo, who is a Bilbao native and a member of the Engineering faculty. We talked about the development of the program and stopped in on a couple of Spanish classes, including the section in which IU Northwest student Lauren Frick is enrolled.

Ibon conducted an absorbing walking tour of his city, which retains a great deal of pre-twentieth-century architecture and character, including cobbled, pedestrianized streets. Almost as soon as we stepped out of the building, what the Irish would characterize as “soft weather” (light rain to everyone else) began and did not stop during the tour and lunch that followed.  Ibon forgot his umbrella, but was undeterred.

Bilbao is a compact city, with suburbs, including neighborhoods on the Bay of Biscay, where most of the students, stay, either with families or in apartments. Even in the rain, the streets were busy with people on foot.  Like most of the European cities that I know, the residents like to walk when and where they can. But there is plenty of public transportation as well. We rode on the tram around the city centre and there is a Metro (subway) and a bus system. I bought a transit card that I can use on the trams, Metro or busses.

We had lunch at a favorite restaurant of Ibon’s (La Sauseria, if you ever find yourself in Bilbao), where I was introduced to renowned Basque cooking.  Based on our lunch, the reputation is richly deserved.  

Tuesday, May 28, 2019

Tuesday has been another full day of touring and learning about Bilbao and the Basque Country. I started off at the Guggenheim Bilbao, which was designed by Frank Geary. There was a long queue, but the museum is so large that, once inside, it never seemed overly crowded.  The exterior is very distinctive Geary, but the interior of galleries and balconies is a marvelous space in which to experience art. I was continually struck by the scale of the building.  

My visit to the Guggenheim was especially enjoyable because two artists that I (along with Pamela) enjoy very much were featured.  Richard Serra, who makes massive steel designs and mazes has a wing devoted to his work. One can become a bit disoriented in his mazes.  But there is also a special exhibit by the American artist Jenny Holzer, who we had the opportunity to meet, when we lived in Albany, NY.  We have followed her since and her art is based in the written word, most famously her aphorisms, presented in a variety of formats and media. It is a large, extraordinary exhibit.

A thoroughly consuming visit to the Guggenheim would ordinarily qualify as full day, all on its own. But colleague Eva Mendieta arranged for me to meet her delightful sister, Amaya, who continued my introduction to Bilbao.  Amaya is also a teacher (English for adult learners). After a stroll through the “old” city, we went for a traditional Bilbao lunch that is favored by local residents (Inakiren Tabernacle, should you be in the neighborhood at lunchtime). The food really is terrific in Bilbao and I do not anticipate that I will have trouble keeping body and soul together during my stay.

After lunch, the sun made an appearance, and we finished the afternoon with a ride on the “Funicular” railway, up to the park on Monte Artxanda, which has the best view of the city and surrounding mountains and countryside. From above, one can easily see that the heart of Bilbao is, indeed, a very walkable city, in a very beautiful setting.  And the hospitality continues to be warm and generous.

This evening, I will be, again, looking for a light meal of “pintxos” (pronounced peen-chos), which are the tapas for which the Basque Country is well known.

Wednesday, May 29, 2019

Today was my last full day in Bilbao and I will take the train South to Madrid in the morning, for the trip home on Friday.

Ibon and his colleague Maria took the entire USAC group of 40 students (plus me) on a bus trip, first across the border, to Saint-Jean-de-Luz, a seaside town in the French Basque Country.  It is a very pretty town and the weather was sunny and warm all day. While the students spread out to explore the town, I enjoyed a cafe-au-lait with Ibon and Maria in the sunshine.  It was very relaxing.

IU Northwest student Lauren Frick was, of course, on the trip and we found opportunities to talk throughout the day.  She appears to be thoroughly enjoying the experience and her new friends.

We recrossed the border to Spain for the short bus ride to San Sebastián for the rest of a very sunny afternoon. San Sebastián clearly pays close attention to the quality of architecture and infrastructure design, to maintain the overall character of the town. The bridges, both older and contemporary, for example, are beautiful.

We all went to lunch at Boulevard, which was very much up to the dining standards to which I have very quickly become accustomed in the Basque Country. Then, Ibon and Maria managed to conduct a walking tour with 40 students, who ambled at a variety of paces, to the harbor, where we visited a small, well-appointed aquarium that is very strong in maritime history.  I really enjoy ship models.

We walked part way up the local promontory, Mount Urgull, from which there are panoramic views of the town, beach and sea. It was then time to make our way back through the town to meet the bus. The students did a great job of following Ibon and staying together.

It was another full and informative day, when new learning experiences are enjoyable and even relaxing.  It illustrates well the advantages of studying abroad.