Arrival in Spain

Our pilgrimage to the Ignatian sites to Spain began with a two-hour travel delay as the plane arriving from Air France was scheduled to be late. No one minded. We had additional delays getting to Bilbao because the group was split into two as the planes going into Bilbao were much smaller. What to do? Have a croissant in Paris. Not a bad way to begin a trip.

 Bilbao has 600,000 residents in the central city. Including the suburbs, the population exceeds one million people. It has an industrial background. Most of the architecture, including the Guggenheim, incorporates metals from the area to celebrate its past.


Bilbao lies on the northern seacoast of Spain touching the Atlantic Ocean. It is a mountainous area as the Pyrenees extend into the Basque region. While we were welcomed with bright sunshine and a cloudless day, the area is known for its rain. The area’s vegetation is lush and the place is picturesque as the mountains provide a frame for the city’s increasing modernization. It is nestled between the Asturias region to the west and the dray Aragon region to its east.


Spain entered the EEU in 1985 and benefited greatly from the economic infusion. Bilbao recently had a reputation for being an industrial city tarnished by its waste. It is not a modern, thriving city that reveals its edginess.


We arrived in the city on a Sunday afternoon. Most residents of the city will return home after lunch to be with family and friends. They enjoy a relaxed afternoon, but many can be seen going out for dinner again before the workweek begins anew. The shops are closed on Sundays so many people engage in simple leisure activities. As we arrived at the Guggenheim Museum, a weekend-long festival was ending, and many people lulled around the area and enjoyed a stroll along the promenade along the riverfront.


Bilbao’s mascot is the Cat. Directly in front of the Guggenheim Museum is a massive (50-foot?) steel and flower cat statue.


From the museum to the city’s southern side is the Father Arrupe bridge that leads to the Jesuit college of San Sebastian.


We arrived late to the Guggenheim so I spent the little time we had outside the museum to take a few photographs. The inside seemed to have architectural display, which was interesting, but the real story of the museum is its iconic outdoor structure. It was made to represent the industrial past while shaping a future that is formidable and bold.


In the center of the city is a large statue of the Sagrado Corazon (Sacred Heart Statue). Catholicism has been a major trait in forming the Spanish people over the millennia.


From Bilbao, we travelled through Izquieda down to Azpetzia, where Ignatius was born. We met our tour guides: Jose, the bus-driver, and Teresa, the tour guide. We began the tour on Teresa’s feast day, Teresa of Avila (south of Madrid.)


The Basque language that is spoken in the area has survived for 2,000 years. It endured and was largely untouched by the Roman occupation of the Iberian Peninsula. The Romans settled into the lower regions while the Basques remained high in the mountains. The two cultures seldom touched. The Romans opened roads for commerce and military exploits. The Basque language has a cousin that is found far away – in the southern part of Russia. The language is now taught in the region’s school systems.


In Azpetzia, we arrived at the Hotel Arrupe where we unpacked for our four-night stay, had Mass, and enjoyed a leisurely dinner. Most of us were in bed by 9:30 p.m., which means I could not stay up to watch the internet version of the Patriots win over the Dallas Cowboys.


However, I did venture out into the Loyola Basilica to listen to an organ recital by Mario Ciferri. It was the Twelfth International Romantic Organ Series concert. He played Liszt’s Orpheus, Brahms “Schmucke dich, o liebe Seele,” Bossi “Stunde der Freude,” Ritter’s “Sonate n. 1 op. 11 d-moll, Karg-Elert’s “Harmonies du soir,” and Tournemire’s “Improvisation sur le “Te Deum.” Most pilgrim’s did not know this was going on. It was a rare treat.