Today marks two months since we received the 🔑 to our apartment in Bilbao. So, Just as they do at the end every House Hunters episode, I figured I’d provide an update on how things are going in our new home.
When our lease started, we had a week remaining on our initial Airbnb reservation. This allowed us a few days to buy what we needed for the apartment and gradually settle into our home. Over the first week we made close to 10 trips each to both El Corte Ingles and the neighborhood import stores to buy the essentials. [We’ve lived in our DC condo for more than a decade, so I’d forgotten how many things you need to live somewhere comfortably.] We also bought a few items, mostly house plants, to decorate the space and make it feel more like our own.
We’ve been pleasantly surprised to discover that the apartment doesn’t seem to have any of the quirks that we’ve encountered when renting other European apartments during our travels. [The water heater produces ample hot water. We can use multiple appliances simultaneously without needing to reset the circuit breaker.] Even without outdoor space we get plenty of natural light and fresh air through the living room skylights [which we recently discovered how to open!]. And, even if the folks on House Hunters International claim otherwise, it’s not that bad living without a dryer.
Before and After
Fortunately, the apartment was well-furnished. Beyond purchasing linens and kitchen essentials, there wasn’t much that needed to be done to make it ready for move-in. It didn’t take long for us to feel at home.
But what about Outdoor Space?
In my original House Hunters post I noted that the apartment didn’t quite meet all of the criteria on our wishlist. [Size and location: ✅, Outdoor Space: ❌] One of my life goals is to spend as much time outdoors as possible. In Bilbao I have been quickly reminded that needing your own outdoor space to enjoy time outdoors is a very American way of thinking.
Here you don’t need your own yard, balcony, or patio to enjoy the fresh air. Like many European cities, very few homes have yards or terraces, so public outdoor space has been made a priority. There are spacious parks throughout Bilbao with all kinds of seating, including lounge chairs and sheltered benches to allow residents to spend time outdoors on the city’s many rainy days.
Our favorite, Parque Etxebarria, has an amazing view of they skyline and the surrounding mountains and is only a 10 minute walk from our apartment. [I’ve lost count of how many sunsets we’ve already enjoyed here.]
There are also lots of chairs and benches along the riverfront, providing us a great place to enjoy a midday snack just outside our front door. Beyond these public spaces, basically every bar has a terrace. When they don’t, patrons spill onto the sidewalk with their drinks anyway. The people of Euskadi seem to love the outdoors as much as I do!
One reason I still wish we had a balcony:
Athletic Club has advanced to the finals of the Copa del Rey and will play Mallorca in Sevilla this Saturday. When we arrived in Bilbao in January there were plenty of red and white flags flying around the city, but mostly only on match days. However, as the Final draws closer, almost every home and shop in the city has put their Athletic Club pride on display semi-permanently.
If you’ve read my prior posts, you know that we’ve also come to love Athletic Club. [We’ve watched every match since we arrived!] We wanted to take part in this celebration of the Club, even if we don’t have a balcony. So, we’ve purchased a flag of our own and hung it from the clothesline outside of our kitchen. Even if the audience that views it is minimal, we’re shouting: ¡Aupa Athletic!
