Schlagwort: ‘Bilbao’
My Internship at the EHU Bilbao
- Biology M. Sc.
- Spain, Bilbao
- Universidad del País Vasco (UPV)/ Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea (EHU)
- 07/2024 – 09/2024
When I reached out to the Cell Communication and Transcription Lab at EHU Bilbao for a placement, I was quickly connected with my future supervisor. We arranged an online Zoom meeting, and from the start, I felt genuinely welcomed. She was incredibly helpful in organizing my stay, handling all the necessary university paperwork, and went out of her way to ensure everything was in place. It was at that moment I knew I would be well-supervised, and that this internship would be a great success.
© Jule Wahl
Although the university is located far outside the city, I was advised to find accommodation in the city center for better social connections and public transportation. I found my room on Idealista, a popular platform for finding apartments in Spain. For me, finding a reasonably priced room in a shared apartment near the river was relatively easy, but knowing at least some Spanish greatly helps in communicating with landlords, who often speak only Spanish. I ended up living with a girl from Catalunya, a girl from Peru, and one from France. Two of them were students, and the other was working. We got along really well, and they made every effort to make me feel welcome and comfortable in the flat. While we didn’t spend much time together in the end, it was still nice getting to know them!
© Jule Wahl
My first impression of the city was different from what I expected of a typical Spanish city. This is because Bilbao is not quite Spain—it’s the Basque Country, something I later learned is very important to acknowledge. The architecture reminded me more of Central Europe, with modern and stylish buildings. The Nervión River flowing through the city provides a contrast to the otherwise dense urban landscape, creating a special atmosphere, especially at night when the lanterns reflect off the water. I really enjoyed taking walks by the river towards the old town, chatting with friends or responding to voice messages, as there are parks and green spaces along the way. The old town (Casco Viejo) is beautiful to explore and becomes even more vibrant at night. Every day of the week, you can find people enjoying drinks and Pintxos, the Basque version of tapas. My favorite Pintxos were the mini burgers and slices of baguette topped with various salads.
© Jule Wahl
Nature in Bilbao is lush and green, thanks to the high humidity and frequent rain. The surrounding hills and mountains offer excellent hiking routes with stunning scenery, such as the trails around Trapagaran. About 40 minutes from the city center by public transport, you’ll find large, beautiful beaches with breathtaking cliffs and sunsets. My favorite was Sopelana Beach, which I highly recommend for a spectacular sunset.
Because my stay coincided with exam season and the university’s semester break, there weren’t many students on campus, and the Erasmus students left a week after I arrived. However, I was part of the Happy Erasmus WhatsApp group for Bilbao, which allowed me to join their last gathering. Not knowing anyone in the city, I simply asked in the group chat if anyone was going out that night and if I could join them. A really nice Czech girl replied, and we met up with her group for a pre-party. We clicked instantly and had a fantastic night, which ended with a spontaneous swim in the sea. We went to a techno club called Sonora, which was a nice change from the usual bachata and salsa music. In general, Bilbao doesn’t have many clubs; it’s more common to go to small bars, particularly in Casco Viejo, where you can dance to loud music. If you’re looking for an experience full of partying and socializing with Erasmus students, I recommend coming during the semester when there are more activities and it’s easier to meet people. I also attended some language exchange meetings that I found on the Meetup app (which I highly recommend for meeting new people in a new city!) and created a Bumble BFF account specifically to find friends.
© Jule Wahl
During my stay in Bilbao, I was eager to follow the Euro 2024 football tournament in Germany, especially in the company of others. I heard about a German bar that always showed football matches, so I went there for the Germany games. I struck up a conversation with a group of young Germans, and we immediately hit it off. They were taking a language course in Bilbao, and from then on, we watched all the games together. The bar is also worth visiting—the owner is very friendly, and you can speak German with him! While I didn’t try the food, I heard great things about it. We watched the final at a public viewing event in Parque de Doña Casilda, which culminated in Spain’s victory. I also attended the popular BBK Bilbao festival, held on a hill just outside the city. It was easy to get there by bus, and we walked back afterward. I asked in the Erasmus WhatsApp chat who was going and if I could join, as I didn’t want to go alone. Fortunately, a German guy replied, inviting me to join him and his friends. We had an amazing evening, with the highlight being dancing to Jungle’s live performance. Bilbao and the surrounding towns have a lot to offer young music lovers, with numerous street fiestas and concerts during this time of year.
I highly recommend exploring the various towns around Bilbao, such as Portugalete, Santurtzi, Getxo, and Muskiz, which offer beautiful nature and charming towns. A day trip to the stunning city of San Sebastián is also well worth it, and the bus tickets are quite affordable! You can also easily travel to Madrid, Santander, Zaragoza, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Burgos, and other cities by bus or train, and if you prefer to fly, there are plenty of low-cost options to explore all of Spain.
© Jule Wahl
My academic experience was also incredibly valuable. I learned a lot of methods and concepts related to working with mammalian cells and maintaining them in culture. The atmosphere in the lab was everything I could have hoped for, helping me realize what aspects are important to me in a working environment. I made many friends and colleagues who enriched my network, and I plan to stay in touch with them. This experience made me more open to meeting new people, finding ways to connect, and getting along with them right away. I’m certain it shaped my character in ways that only an experience abroad can.
My internship in Bilbao
- Business Administration and Engineering M.Sc. Mechanical Engineering
- Spain, Bilbao
- FEV Iberia SI
- 10.10.2022-15.01.2023
Preparation:
When it comes to preparing for a stay in Bilbao, the most important thing is housing. In general, finding a place to live in Bilbao is not as stressful as in other cities. The best place to look for housing is “idealista”, a Spanish online real-estate marketplace. Prices obviously differ, but finding adequate housing for around 500 Euro/month is possible. Especially, when you can communicate in Spanish and also stay for at least half a year. Also, there are Erasmus Telegram and Whatsapp groups (you can find them on Instagram or in the Internet) where rooms are offered as well. Besides to look for housing, this is also a great way to make first contacts in the city. Another important preparation would be to look for health insurance. I had the luck that it was organized by the company.
Finding an internship:
In my case, I was a working student in the Aachen Office of the company I then worked for in Bilbao. Generally, going for an international company is the easiest way to find an internship abroad and that’s also how most people I talked to did it. Especially, when you are not fluent in Spanish, a regular local company will be tough to convince to take you.
Culture:
Most people have been to parts of Spain before, so I guess a Culture shock is not to be expected in
© Lukas Tacke Genannt Unterberg
that case. However, Bilbao is part of the former Basque-county. Even if it is technically Spain, the people are often quite proud of their heritage. Some might take it as an insult, if you call them Spaniards. Additionally, the Basque language is very prominent. You will hear it on the streets and read it a lot on signs. It is very different from Spanish, so don’t be fooled thinking it is just some form of dialect you might be able to understand! All in all I must say, people were very welcoming and most of the time happy to help and communicate, even if there isn’t actually a common language between you. The level of English capabilities is very low in that area, so basics in Spanish or Basque can be very helpful.
Day to day life:
Coming from the culture, food plays a very significant role there. Pintxos (A slice of bread with ANY savory toping you can think of) might be the most prominent one. You can take them for lunch or in the evening with some drinks. Since the city is next to the ocean, fish and other seafoods are integrated in a lot of dishes. If you are a vegetarian or a vegan, it might be hard for you. In more traditional restaurants the vegetarian dish is just a salad or something along that line, so you might want to go to more modern places.
When it comes to going out in the night, Bilbao has a lot to offer. Especially in the casco Viejo (old town) the bar density is very high. But also throughout other parts of the city, you will always find a nice place to grab a beer or a Kalimotxo (popular Basque drink, red wine with cola) and some Pintxos. The club landscape is definitely more restricted. For most clubs, you have to love reggeaton, since it will be played the whole night. But there are also some clubs, where the music choices are more diverse (strong recommend for “Sala Sonora” for Saturdays).
© Lukas Tacke Genannt Unterberg
Public transport is ridiculously cheap and easy in Bilbao. You go to any bigger metro station and buy a “Barik Card”, on which you then can load money. From then on, you just touch-and-go for trains, buses and the metro for prices mostly below 50 cents per ride. The metro also goes all the way to the ocean. Plentzia and Sopella are the beaches reachable by metro I recommend the most. If you want to explore the area, for hikes or to visit other towns nearby, going by bus (Asta or bizkaibus) is a very good option. Most beautiful places I have seen are: San Sebastian, Gangekogorta and the Urdaibai area.
When it comes to work life, in my case it was very similar to my experiences in German companies. Similar working hours, with maybe a longer lunch break and in my case an amazing office climate. My co-workers were always happy to help with tasks or problems at work, but also with recommendations what to do in the area on weekends or which restaurant to go to.