Final Photos

 Winery

 My room

Marisol

Last Night in Spain :(

Tonight is my last night in Spain. I took my two finals this morning. Tonight we have the closing ceremony an then we are going to a bar where the CIDE program buys us all a free drink. Hey, we are all legal in Spain! Then we are all going to my home town for the festival. I'm staying at a friends house since I don't want to carry my luggage around at 6am with drunk people in the streets. My flight leave at 830am for Madrid. Then I leave at 1155am for Chicago. My parents and Chase and will be waiting for me there. I hope you all enjoyed my blog! Thanks for taking the time to read it, and supporting me on my journey across the Atlantic. Audios!

Marques de Riscal

Yesterday my international business class went on a company visit to a winery! It was an hour and 45 min. trip there, but the place was beautiful. Pictures to come!

Wines from the heirs of the Marquis de Riscal is still writing its history in the XXI century with the creation of the City of Wine, a project that marks a before and after in the way of understanding the world of wine.

The City of Wine is part of Project 2000, the company's strategic plan, a bridge between the nineteenth and twenty-first century, as is a commitment between tradition and modernity: construction of a warehouse (San Vicente) with the latest technology, investment in a new bottle, the installation of a laboratory for analysis and control of wine, and in general all the technological improvements to keep up to date and ensure the highest quality wines.

The complex, located in Elciego (Álava), consists of the old winery of Marqués de Riscal (1858), one of the oldest in Rioja, and a new building designed by Canadian architect Frank O. Gehry, and home to the Hotel Marqués de Riscal, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Spa Caudalie ® Vinothérapie, two exclusive restaurants Rioja advised by the chef, Francis Paniego as well as a center for meetings, conferences and banquets.

Factsheet - City of Wine

Total area: 100,000 m

Hotel Marques de Riscal, A Luxury Colletion Hotel Marques de Riscal, A Luxury Hotel Colletion

Operated by: Starwood Hotels & Resorts, under The Luxury Collection brand Operated by: Starwood Hotels & Resorts, under The Luxury Collection brand STI

Living Area: 3,200 m 2 Living Area: 3,200 m 2
Maximum Height: 25 meters. Maximum Height: 25 meters. in 4 heights in 4 heights
Number of Rooms: 43 rooms Number of Rooms: 43 rooms

Spa Caudalie Caudalie Spa Vinothérapie ® Vinothérapie ®

Area: 1,000 m 2 Area: 1,000 m 2
Services: distinct and exclusive beauty treatments and anti-stress based on the natural properties (polyphenols) of both the grape and wine Services: distinct and exclusive beauty treatments and anti-stress naturally based on the properties (polyphenols) of Both the grape and wine

Restaurants

Chef Consultant: Francis Paniego, chef of Chef Echaurren Consultant: Francis Paniego, chef Echaurren

Cuisine: Gourmet Restaurant, Signature cuisine Cuisine: Gourmet Kitchen Restaurant, Author
http://www.marquesderiscal.com/secciones/43/N/22

Across the Globe

Soo coming to Europe has further inspired me to travel more! Not sure if that's a good or bad thing?? However, I decided to make a list of all the countries I want to visit in Europe, including the ones I've already traveled to. Hopefully some day I can make it to all of them!

• Spain- well I speak Spanish.
• England- famous monuments, they speak English, it's my heritage.
• Germany- it's my heritage. I love when people pronounce my last name Verner!
• Italy- so beautiful and Italian food is my favorite.
• Greece- beautiful beaches, and I want to ride a donkey in the streets.
• France- I have to see the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre Museum sometime in my life.
• Ireland- I just love their accents.
• Poland- just to see Auschwitz.
• Sweden- I gotta visit at least one Scandinavian country.

Basque Country

I didn't quite realize before I came to Bilbao that the Basque Country is quite different than the rest of Spain. Basque people speak Euskera (form of Spanish), dress differently, and want to become independent from the rest of Spain. Here is a little bit of information on the Basque Country for you to become familiar with the area in which I live in.

The Basque Country (Basque: Euskadi, Spanish: Pais Vasco) is a region at the north of Spain, bordering the Atlantic Ocean and France. It is defined formally as an autonomous community of three provinces within Spain, and culturally including a fourth province and a small portion of France.
Basque Country is one of the world's top gastronomic destinations, with key gourmet centers in San Sebastian, Hondarribia and Bilbao.

Cities

• Vitoria-Gasteiz — the capital of the autonomous community
• Bilbao — largest city of the region
• Balmaseda
• Getaria — top-notch fresh seafood at this fishing harbor
• Guernica (Basque: Gernika) — a thriving commercial town with great historical and cultural significance for the Basque people
• San Sebastian — the provincial capital curved around a dramatic moon-shaped beach hedged in by cliffs
• Hondarribia
• Portugalete — suburb of Bilbao with a beautiful old town and port
• Zumaia and Zarauz — glorious sandy beaches, not far from San Sebastian

History

Under the Franco regime all languages other than Castilian Spanish were severely restricted. The Spanish constitution of 1978 established the provinces of Araba, Gipuzkoa, and Bizkaia as the Basque Autonomous Region. The Basque Autonomous Region (Communidad Autonoma Vasca) has a great deal of autonomy from the national government (including the autonomy to recognize Euskara as an official language of the region), but this has not satisfied all factions of the Basque community.
The Basque people have had a stormy relationship with the nation of Spain, and for decades there had been incidents of violence made in the name of self-determination and/or independence. ETA (Euskadi Ta Askatasuna -the Basque terrorist organization) announced a permanent ceasefire at the end of March of 2006, but has since reopened hostilities, killing two people in 2007 with a car bomb at Madrid airport, and in the summer of 2009 detonating bombs in Burgos and Palma de Mallorca.

Language

The official languages of the region are Basque (Euskara) and Spanish. Spanish is the most spoken language, but there are signs in Basque as well. Practically everyone will speak fluent Spanish, Basque is less widely spoken. 700,000 out of the Basque country's population of 2,100,000 speak Basque. From the region's location, you might expect this language to be a blend of Spanish and French, but Basque is unrelated to either of them or any other language in the world because it was developed in isolation from neighboring peoples.

http://wikitravel.org/en/Basque_Country

Here is a sign with Basque written on the top & Spanish on the bottom (very different!!)

http://www.flickriver.com/photos/betta_design/sets/72157603532324907/

On Holiday in London

 Olympic Park

                                      Phillips Idowu- GB Longer Jumper Carrying the Torch

                                                                              Metro

                                                                     Kensington Palace

                                                                     Princess Diana

                                                                           Her dress

                                                                       Will & Kate

                                                              GB Famous Fish & Chips

                                                                      Harry Potter!!

                                                                             Big Ben

                                                                      Paddington Bear

                                                                        London Eye

 Changing of the Guards

 Tower Bridge

Countdown

London Update!

Sorry for not posting on the blog for the past couple days. We didn't spend much time in our hotel room except for sleeping. However, the trip was wayyyy better than I expected, and I had the time of my life. The weather was 70 and sunny every day, which is very unusual for London. I went with four girls that are in my program. We arrived in London very late Friday night, and didn't get to our hotel until around 1am. Saturday morning we took the metro to the Olympic Park for our 11am tour. Luckily, the metro has all day passes called oyster cards, which only cost around 7 pounds. We toured the outside area of the Olympic Park, and learned a lot about the area, the decision making, history, and improvements that have come due to the Olympics. We weren't able to get very close to the park, but close enough to get good pictures. It was breath taking!! We saw the stadium for the track and field, aquatics, and BMX. We also saw the apartment buildings where the athletes will be staying. Holiday Inn is catering 24 hour dining services. There are stadiums located all around London too, not just in one area. While touring the city, we saw the stadium for tennis as well as the park for outdoor swimming, biking, and running. After the tour, we went to the gift shop and got lots of goodies. While we were leaving, we say a group of people taking pictures. We walked up and saw Phillips Idowu (GB long jumper) holding the Olympic torch!!!

After the tour, we went to Kensington Palace. This is the place where Will and Kate are going to be living in a year. We didn't get to see the part where they are going to be living, but we did see the museum with collections from previous kings and queens. My favorite was the exhibit on Princess Diana! They had many gowns that she wore.

Later that night we went to a local pub for fish and chips (England's famous dish). It was amazing! Then we went downtown to see the London Eye and Big Ben at night. This was one of my favorite memories of the trip, because the view was incredible. I've never seen something so beautiful in my life.

On Sunday, we got up early and went to Paddington Station to see the famous paddington bear. Then we went on a double decker tour bus to see the rest of London. During the tour, we saw Buckingham Palace, London Bridge, Tower Bridge (w/ the Olympic rings), Big Ben, and much more. We also took a ride on the London Eye, which is a giant Ferris wheel with enclosed baskets. At the very top, you could see all of London. While on the ride, a USA women's swim team athlete got on as well!!! Also, we arrived at Buckingham Palace just in time for the changing of the guards!!

After the tour, we got on the train to head to the airport for our 6:20pm flight back to Bilbao. Unfortunately, while on the train ride I got very ill. When we arrived at the airport, I could barely walk or stand. We passed through security right before I fell to the ground and couldn't get up. Luckily, my wonderful friends found the police, who found the paramedics. The paramedics spent the next 45 mins or so calming me down and helping me with the pain. They were the sweetest and nicest people.  Luckily, my back and stomach pains subsided, and we were able to make our flight just in time. I'm completely fine now, and didn't have to go to a hospital. I just need to drink a lot of water and get some rest. Although the situation was quite frightening, I wouldn't take it back. I've never had such good medical treatment from such genuine people. It was so nice to get to talk to British people, and ask them questions about their culture. I was so thankful that this happened in a country where they spoke English and not in Barcelona (where we were going to go). I'm also thankful for my friends who helped me through this!

Overall it was an amazing trip that I will never forget. Although it was very short, I made a lot of memories. I definitely want to go back to England again!! The country is full of so much history and famous monuments and nice people. Pictures to come soon!

Technology

Technology is everywhere in Spain! The technology and conservation of technology here makes the US look like the stone age. It's incredible to see the advancement of technology that Spain has to offer. Here is a list of a few things that startled me:

• Mc Donalds kiosk, so customers can place their order quickly without having to stand in a long line
• The playgrounds are incredible! There are ropes, trampolines, 360 seesaws, giant swings, and all kinds of different contraptions
• Escalators and elevators on the mountains instead of walking up 92034892 stairs
• Public transportation- there are buses, trams, and metros. There is no need for a car!
• Vending machines that say 'gracias' after you grab your snack
• Due to the high cost of utilities in Spain, everyone is about conserving energy
• Light switches that automatically turn off after a certain time
• Escalators that run slowly if nobody is on them and then speed up
• Doors on the metro only open if you press the button
• Some toilets have two buttons, one is more energy efficient b/c it uses less water

Conserving energy is so important, and the little things count.

• Always turn the lights off when you leave a room, even if it's for a few minutes
• Don't run the shower water unless you're rinsing
• If you buy something small at a store, you probably won't get a bag
• No clothes dryers! Everyone just hangs their clothes outside.
• Only buy groceries that you need for the moment. Don't buy in bulk.
• Don't waste food. Use leftovers to make other food.

London, 3 Days and Counting

Yesterday we made a tentative schedule for our trip to London. Here it is!

Friday, July 20
9:55pm Plane leaves from Bilbao to London
10:55pm Arrive in London (1 hour time difference)
Take metro to hotel & go to bed!

Saturday, July 21
Wake up early and visit King Cross Station (Platform 9 3/4)
11:00am Tour of Olympic Park
TBA Tour Chelsea Stadium (Olympic soccer games will be played here) & Kensington Palace (where Will & Kate are going to live)
Dinner!

Sunday, July 22
Take a double decker bus tour or duck tour of London to see all the monuments
6:20pm Plan leaves from London to Bilbao
9:20pm Arrive in Bilbao

http://www.demotix.com/news/1318882/london-bridge-shard-unveiled-londoners-laser-light-show#slide-1

Santilla del Mar/Santander

Yesterday I joined the Mary Washington students on their excursion. There were some open seats, so I asked their professor if I could join them. It was only 12 euros to go! We went to three different places during the trip. The first place we stopped at was the Neo Cave and Exhibition Center. The cave was discovered in 1879 by Marcelino Sanz de Sautuola and his daughter Maria, and it was declared by the UNESCO culturual heritage site. The cave, about 300 meters long, has 150 engraved figures made by the Palaeolithic man and great polychromatic paintings (based on natural pigments), especially the ones with bisons and wild boars. We were able to tour the musuem about the cave as well as a replica of the cave. The cave was closed in the 1980s to tourists because the amount of people touring the cave caused the temperature to increase in the cave and destroy the paintings. My host mom toured the cave before it closed!

After the visit to the cave, we went to Santillana del Mar. This town is an "alive museum" of a medieval village developed around the "Santa Juliana" collegiate church, although most of the houses were built between the XIV and XVII century. The whole Santillana can only be visited on foot.

The last place we visited was Playa del Sardinero in Santander. It was beautiful!!

When in Europe...Go to LONDON!

So during class this week, two girls mentioned to us that they were going to London this weekend. They said the flight and hostel was reasonable. We were sold on the idea instantly!! A couple days later we booked our flights to London. We will be leaving next Friday night and coming back Sunday night. We had a difficult time looking up flights, because one girl has class until 4pm, and some flights were pretty expensive. However, I worked my magic and somehow found us a round trip, direct flight with perfect times for only $200! We also found a reasonable priced hotel, that is only $70 per person for both nights. We decided against staying in a hostel since there are four of us, and we could split the cost of a nice hotel. Of course then we have the cost of transportation while we are there, food, and admission fees, but this trip will cost a whole lot less flying from Spain than the US. Plus, I save every penny I earn, not knowing what I'm exactly saving for, but now I have the money to splurge! And luckily, one girl in our group has been to London before, so she knows how to get around and what's worth seeing while we are there. Here is a list of a few things we want to see:

London Eye

Olympic Park

Torch Relay(comes near London on July 21)

Newham 10:20

Tower Hamlets 13:52

Hackney 15:54

Waltham Forest- evening celebration

Buckingham Palace

Westminster Abbey

King Cross Station- Platform 9 3/4 from Harry Potter

Big Ben

London Bridge

That weekend will be my last weekend in Europe! I will leave the following Saturday, July 28. I can't believe I only have two weeks left :(

http://desktopnature.com/Nature-World%20Travel/Big+Ben_+Houses+of+Parliament_+London_+England.jpg.html

The Economy Takes Another Hit...No a Blow to the Head!

Last night at dinner, I was watching the news with my host family. As usual, some government and politics stuff came on, and my host mom continued to say how terrible the economy is here. However, last night she was making a bigger deal out of the economic crisis than normal. I didn't quite understand why until I had class this morning. During the last few minutes of my culture class, our teacher informed us that yesterday the Prime Minister of Spain announced major budget cuts and tax hicks that will be in effect starting on Monday. Once I saw the outrageous numbers, my heart skipped a beat...

'This is reality': Spain slashes spending, raises taxes in $79B austerity plan

MADRID -- Spain announced a 65 billion euro ($79.85 billion) austerity package that includes tax hikes and spending cuts on Wednesday, a day after it won approval from its euro partners for a huge bailout of the country's stricken banks.

Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy told parliament the country's future was at stake as Spain grapples with recession, a bloated deficit and investor wariness of its sovereign debt. He said the nearly $80 billion in savings will be achieved through 2015 by a hike in sales taxes and a series of spending cuts through 2015.

"We are living in a crucial moment which will determine our future and that of our families, that of our youth, of our welfare state," Rajoy said.

Spain's unemployment rate is more than 24 percent overall and 50 percent for young people. 

"What motivates us is the five million people out of work," the BBC News quoted Rajoy as saying.

Wednesday's increases in sales tax include a hike to 21 percent on products and services like clothing, cars, cigarettes and telephone services to 21 percent, and increase to 10 percent on goods such as public transport fares, processed foods and bar and hotel services. The sales tax on basic goods like bread, medicine and books stays at four percent.

The increases were widely expected but go against campaign pledges Rajoy made before he was elected in November and since he came to power.

Other measures outlined Wednesday included:

• further cuts in government spending beyond the reductions already outlined in the 2012 budget
• wage cuts for civil servants and members of the national parliament
• further closures of state-owned companies
• tax deductions for homeowners to be scrapped
• a 30 percent cut in the number of town councilors
• changes to unemployment benefits designed to encourage jobless people to seek work quickly.
• 20 percent cut in government subsidies to political parties and labor unions.

To read more http://worldnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/07/11/12677091-this-is-reality-spain-slashes-spending-raises-taxes-in-79b-austerity-plan?lite

The teacher also informed us that due to the tax increase, employee salaries will decrease by a lot. Her sister's salary is expected to decrease by 50%!!!!! Wow, I don't want to hear anymore about how bad the economic crisis is in the United States. Be thankful you have a job, a decent salary, and not as much taxes to pay. The situation is already bad enough here, and I can't imagine how people are going to be able to afford this huge tax increase.

Pamplona!!!

So today I got up at 3:15am to travel to Pamplona for the running of the bulls. We had to get to the city early before they shut it down for the event. We got tickets to sit in the plaza, which is where the runners and the bulls end up after the run. There were two large tv screens in the plaza, so we could watch the running that took place outside. The running only lasts around 3 minutes, and then for a half hour after, the runners stay in the ring with baby bulls. I don't think anyone died, but there were a few injuries. Afterwards, we walked the path that the bulls ran down and also indulged in some churros and chocolate! The festival was one of the best experiences of my life! It was so exciting to witness a huge festival that I learned so much about in my Spanish classes.

                                                                   The Plaza

                                                      Bulls & runners coming in

                                                                 Lots of people!

                                                      It's Nebraska....no Pamplona

                                                  Where they keep the bulls before the run

After Pamplona we traveled to San Sebastian, which is a big city located along the coast. Although there was plenty of beaches, the weather wasn't cooperating. It was cold and misty. We walked around and took pictures. I also had my first European Mc Donalds french fries! The Mc Donalds was so high tech. They had a kiosk where you could order your food, pay with a card, and then pick it up at the front before everyone else! Overall the day was amazing, and I didn't mind getting up so early after all!

                                                      Their playgrounds are amazing!

                                                                     Beautiful

                                                                         Mc Donalds

Running of the Bulls

Remember watching on tv a bunch of idiots, dressed in white, running from bulls in the streets?? Well, I get to watch these idiots live in person! Tomorrow we will be leaving at the crack of dawn to travel to Pamplona for the running of the bulls. The event begins at 8am.  Don't worry, none of us are allowed to run with the bulls. We will be watching the event from the plaza, where the running of the bulls ends. Following our visit to Pamplona, we will head to the coastal city of San Sebastian. Here is a little history about the running of the bulls.

The Running of the Bulls in Pamplona
As they have each July for centuries, the narrow, cobblestone streets of Pamplona, Spain, are thundering with the sound of charging bulls. The weeklong annual celebration originated as a religious festival to honor St. Fermin, the patron saint of this small city in Spain's northern Basque region. Today the festival attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors from around the world, many of whom are drawn to its world-famous encierro, or running of the bulls, which begins July 7 and was made famous outside Spain by Ernest Hemingway's 1926 classic The Sun Also Rises.

The running of the bulls began as a way to move bulls from Pamplona's corral to its bullfighting ring. The animals would run the roughly half-mile stretch as children and adults herded them with shouts and sticks. The practice may date back as far as the 13th century, but it is known to have continued virtually uninterrupted since 1592, when the festival was moved from September to July. People are thought to have joined the herd sometime in the 1800s.

Nowadays, thousands of participants from around the world dash through Pamplona's streets trailed by charging bulls. Thousands more watch from safe nooks and balconies along the route, and spectators can also follow the events on national TV. Every morning from July 7 to 14, hordes of daredevils gather in a historic section of the city, many dressed in traditional garb and carrying rolled-up newspapers to swat the bulls if necessary. They sing a traditional homage to St. Fermin, asking him to guide them through the run. After two small rockets are fired, six bulls are released (along with a herd of steers), and the chase is on. The event generally takes just a few minutes.

As one might imagine, running with an angry, half-ton bull on your heels is not a particularly safe pastime. Since 1924, 14 people have been killed at the St. Fermin festival; the last to be fatally gored was a 22-year-old American, Matthew Tassio, in 1995. Witnesses said Tassio was knocked to the ground by a bull, then got up again and was struck by a second animal — a violation of the axiom that runners should remain on the ground if they get knocked down. Many people are injured each year, by both the animals and the crush of sprinters frantically making their way to the bullfighting arena on slippery cobblestones. Observers say foreigners — especially, for some reason, Americans — are most likely to be injured. "Americans come here with the image of The Sun Also Rises and just don't realize how dangerous it is and how easy it is to trip up," Daniel Ross, an American vice consul in Spain, told the New York Times after Tassio's accident.

Another factor fueling injuries in Pamplona is alcohol. As Hemingway chronicled, the festival is awash in wine and sangria, and runners partake copiously during long nights of partying. Participating in the run while tipsy is against the festival's rules, but violations are common. Another oft broken requirement is that all runners be at least 18 years of age. Many Spaniards were outraged to see televised images of a smiling 10-year-old boy dashing through the streets of Pamplona in 2007. The boy's mother was horrified as well; her ex-husband, who took the youngster to the festival, lost his visitation rights and was fined $200.
Read more: http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1908948,00.html#ixzz20Cs2AjUR

Bebidas!

When most people think of Spanish drinks, they think of frozen, fruity drinks or beer. Well in Spain, it's all about the wine!! Here is a list of some common Spanish drinks.

Sangria- red wine with fruit, lemonade, sugar and usually some other liquor
Tinto de Verano- red wine and lemonade, like a poor man's sangria
Calimocho- red wine & coke
Mojito- fresh mint leaves, lime, sugar, white rum & club soda
Cerveza- most common types include Cruzcampo, Mahou & San Miguel
Gin & Tonic- speaks for itself
Chupitos- shots

La provience of La Rioja in Spain, which is just south of Bilbao, has the best wine in the whole country! There are over 500 wineries and is internationally famous for the quality of its wines. There is a Haro wine festival held every year in La Rioja. Everyone dresses in white and then spray each other with wine until everyone's clothes turn purple.

Urdaibai, Mundaka, Gernika

Yesterday we went on an all day excursion to the Biosphere Reserve of Urdaibai. The trip was about 40 minutes by bus.

Urdaibai
Declared a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1984, it's one of the most interesting landscapes of the Basque Country. Urdaibai is a large natural area at the mouth of the river Oka, located in the region of Busturialdea. From the cliffs and beaches to the inland forests and rivers, through wetlands and watercourses in Urdaibai concurs probably the most diverse scenery and ecology of the Basque Country. This area enjoys a mild and wet maritime climate, characterized by slight temperature fluctuations and lack of frost. It is, in turn, a protected bird sanctuary and plant species unique to our geography. Urdaibai Reserve has become in recent years an excellent area for leisure, sport and tourism. Urdaibai extends over 220 km2 and hosts on its territory 45,000 inhabitants. It includes 22 villages within them (11 of them in full), among which include Gernika, Mundaka and Bermeo.

The first two villages we visited were Bermeo and Mundaka. We didn't stay long at Bermeo, which is a fishing village. However, the visit to Mundaka was wonderful! Below are pictures from Bermeo.

                                                                          Fish!

Mundaka
It's situated at the mouth of the estuary of Mundaka. This is a small fishing village with a unique charm. It has a beautiful natural harbor, which resembles a large swimming pool, around which lie the typical fishermen's houses of the village with winding streets. It also has the cozy little beach Laidatxu. Mundaka today is known worldwide, especially among surfers, for the many good qualities of its waves, which makes this small town one of the headquarters of the World Surfing Championship.

Gernika
The town of Gernika is situated in a privileged setting in the heart of the Biosphere Reserve of Urdaibai. It is the historic capital of the Basque Country for its ancient tree (Tree of Gernika), symbol of Basque freedoms and the old protagonist of the past Vizcaya and under whose shade the nations of Biscay made ​​their decisions. Gernika is also a symbol antifrancoist since suffered a tragic bombing on April 26, 1937, during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), a fact that Pablo Picasso immortalized in his famous painting "Guernica." Today is a modern town, markedly Basque (the population is mostly bilingual), which hosts a major market, a meeting of farmers in the area, every Monday and Saturday during October shows.

Gernika is also home to the Museum of Peace-Gernikako Bakearen Museoa. His exhibitions offer a glimpse of what Gernika represents through its history for all Basques (Democracy, Jurisdictions, Freedom), and what today symbolizes world (Human Rights, Peace).

In April 1937, Guernica was the first city to be deliberately targeted for aerial bombing. Guernica was the ancient capital of the Basques - a group who had withstood the advances of the army since the Spanish Civil War begun in 1936. The region's resilient stand was punished by Franco when he allowed the unprotected city to be bombed by Hitler's air force. 1,654 people were killed and 889 wounded. The world was horrified but Franco denied that the raid ever took place. He blamed the destruction of Guernica on those who defended it. The whole town was detroyed except for one bridge and the Tree of Gernika.

                                                                             Museum

                                                              Replica of Picasso Painting

                                                                   Tree of Gernika

                                                            General House of Assembly