[ElJefe]

What would you guys opt for for a 4-month stay (grad school) abroad? I have decent German and Spanish (although they speak Basque in Bilbao), so I'd attain a decent level of fluency if I went to either.

Bankroll will be modest.

Given the choice, what'd it be?

[Julio]

Bilbao is not a great city to get laid and is not very pretty either. The only good point is you are close to San Sebastian and not too far from Biarritz.

[Branimir]

Munich is like the most expensive city in Germany.

[Belgrano]

I know you´ve probably narrowed it down for a reason, but I just have to ask if those are really the only destinations available?
And when do you plan to go, autumn/winter or spring/summer?

[ElJefe]

This autumn. Oct-Jan.

There's also Cyprus.

Munich seems like the only serious university (LMU).

[thegmanifesto]

(03-20-2013 10:14 AM)julio26 Wrote:  

Bilbao is not a great city to get laid and is not very pretty either. The only good point is you are close to San Sebastian and not too far from Biarritz.

Agreed.

Bilbao is good for a weekend trip, which is what I did a few summers ago.

The Guggenheim is nice, the food is great, but other than that, I didn't see a lot in the city that would want to make me stay. And I love Spain, even with all its faults, so take that for what it is worth.

There are some beaches if you go directly to the coast, but I never went to those. If you live in Bilbao, I would guess you wouldn't go too much unless you have a car. The countryside is beautiful there though.

I would suggest, Santander, San Seb or Biarritz in that area.

Or Gijon, which is interesting to me, although I have never been.

Or if you want to get real stoney, maybe a small coastal town in that region, although I could see that as being a great experience or terrible depending on your personality, likes etc

Out of curiosity, why Bilbao? It seems like the odd man out in your choice of three.

[ElJefe]

There's also a possibility of Zürich

[michelin]

none of the above . any other option?

[ElJefe]

No.

Just need help picking one.

[michelin]

I'd say Venice, but not in summer. Huge tourist trap, no local poon.

[Belgrano]

(03-20-2013 10:31 AM)ElJefe Wrote:  

There's also a possibility of Zürich

Is it the ETH?
It depends on what you are studying and what´s more important to you, vacation/traveling or your studies. Considering academic reputation, the ETH should be a no-brainer. Cost of living however...

[ElJefe]

It's economics.

I had to make the call fast. Both Zürich and Münich seemed like pretty serious places, so I ended up choosing Munich. CHF is just a bit too crazy right now.

[Garzero]

Venice is terribly expensive and has a strong a majority of elder people. Very few spots to hang out. Of course you have a lot of female tourist to play with, but rarely they go to Venice for night life and sex tourism. Consider also that the logistic is not the best (most probably you'll have to take a ferry to bring her to your house)
Munich is the most "posh" and expensive city in Germany, though you can meet a lot of young chicks from the suburbs that would be more than happy to date a foreigner who doesn't judge them for their low income or scarce college education.
Bilbao is a nice city, though not as nice as San Sebastian and a lot of other spanish ones. Basque people (all of them speak spanish btw) are known for being a bit closed to strangers, due to their trouble past with spanish government (Basque countries were the most tyrannized by dictator Franco). But if you play honest with chicks, you'll go smooth and sex will occurr without big problems.
(Consider also that from Bilbao you can take weekend trip to a lot of other spanish cities, the buses are not expensive in Spain)

[ElJefe]

Thanks for the input, gents.

I opted for Munich due to its better academic credentials. The weather Oct-Jan won't be too spectacular, but I've never tried skiing so this could be good.

[AlbertoDelMuerto]

Jordan Carver is from Munich, so I'd definitely say Munich!

[Belgrano]

Good choice, the LMU is a good university. Munich´s location in Central Europe means you can do some nice weekend trips to Eastern Europe, and also go skiing in Austria or Switzerland. Also try to arrive early so you can experience Oktoberfest.

[thegmanifesto]

(03-20-2013 10:56 AM)Garzero Wrote:  

Basque people (all of them speak spanish btw) are known for being a bit closed to strangers, due to their trouble past with spanish government (Basque countries were the most tyrannized by dictator Franco). But if you play honest with chicks, you'll go smooth and sex will occurr without big problems.

You had success with girls in Bilbao?

Break it down a little bit.

[Timoteo]

(03-20-2013 10:25 AM)thegmanifesto Wrote:  

(03-20-2013 10:14 AM)julio26 Wrote:  

Bilbao is not a great city to get laid and is not very pretty either. The only good point is you are close to San Sebastian and not too far from Biarritz.

Agreed.

Bilbao is good for a weekend trip, which is what I did a few summers ago.

The Guggenheim is nice, the food is great, but other than that, I didn't see a lot in the city that would want to make me stay. And I love Spain, even with all its faults, so take that for what it is worth.

There are some beaches if you go directly to the coast, but I never went to those. If you live in Bilbao, I would guess you wouldn't go too much unless you have a car. The countryside is beautiful there though.

I would suggest, Santander, San Seb or Biarritz in that area.

Or Gijon, which is interesting to me, although I have never been.

Or if you want to get real stoney, maybe a small coastal town in that region, although I could see that as being a great experience or terrible depending on your personality, likes etc

Out of curiosity, why Bilbao? It seems like the odd man out in your choice of three.

A married chick in the LA area that I had been seeing for years is from Gijon (so is the hubby). All of her family is still there, and she returns almost every year during the summers. From what she describes, it's a great city that's right on the ocean. I think it's worth exploring.

[Hencredible Casanova]

I'd be interested in checking out Bilbao and it seems that out of the three it's better positioned to hit up other, possibly more interesting or funner, places with ease. Spain is dope. Every region of the country seems to have multiple places worth checking out. When I was in SF last month I stopped by this high end Spanish market called Nosa Ria in the old neighborhood I used to live in. Tried some Jamon Iberico and the owner had me wanting to return to Spain asap. I might hit it up this summer for La Tomatina.

[Garzero]

Yeah, it was last summer during the "fiesta" (of course I suppose girls are more eager to have sex with foreigners in those days). I had one bang with a girl from Irun I met on the train to San Sebastian (fucked the same night), and one make-out some days later with a girl who lives in Bilbao (though from another little town still in Basque countries). Both were not difficult, if I stayed longer I guess I would have banged also the girl in Bilbao. Consider I have fairly skilled game with spanish chicks (I had more than one spanish gf and speak fluent spanish) and travelling by myself helped a lot (for spanish girls: italian travelling alone = irresistible romantic adventurer)

(03-20-2013 11:28 AM)thegmanifesto Wrote:  

(03-20-2013 10:56 AM)Garzero Wrote:  

Basque people (all of them speak spanish btw) are known for being a bit closed to strangers, due to their trouble past with spanish government (Basque countries were the most tyrannized by dictator Franco). But if you play honest with chicks, you'll go smooth and sex will occurr without big problems.

You had success with girls in Bilbao?

Break it down a little bit.

[Laner]

Good call on Munich. By far the best out of those cities (including Zurich, IMO).

Also good location to get some skiing in. About an hour south is the Austrian Kitzbuhel which is amazing.

[thegmanifesto]

(03-20-2013 12:35 PM)Garzero Wrote:  

Yeah, it was last summer during the "fiesta" (of course I suppose girls are more eager to have sex with foreigners in those days). I had one bang with a girl from Irun I met on the train to San Sebastian (fucked the same night), and one make-out some days later with a girl who lives in Bilbao (though from another little town still in Basque countries). Both were not difficult, if I stayed longer I guess I would have banged also the girl in Bilbao. Consider I have fairly skilled game with spanish chicks (I had more than one spanish gf and speak fluent spanish) and travelling by myself helped a lot (for spanish girls: italian travelling alone = irresistible romantic adventurer)

(03-20-2013 11:28 AM)thegmanifesto Wrote:  

(03-20-2013 10:56 AM)Garzero Wrote:  

Basque people (all of them speak spanish btw) are known for being a bit closed to strangers, due to their trouble past with spanish government (Basque countries were the most tyrannized by dictator Franco). But if you play honest with chicks, you'll go smooth and sex will occurr without big problems.

You had success with girls in Bilbao?

Break it down a little bit.

Well, I am not hating on your game, but that is only one girl you swooped if I am reading that correctly.

Not exactly setting the world on fire.

Again, no diss, but you implied girls there were easy:

Quote:

for spanish girls: italian travelling alone = irresistible romantic adventurer

Sh*t, if swooping one girl during a festival is the criteria, everywhere on earth is easy.

Good work though, there are some hot girls in Irun.

[Timoteo]

(03-20-2013 12:25 PM)Hencredible Casanova Wrote:  

I'd be interested in checking out Bilbao and it seems that out of the three it's better positioned to hit up other, possibly more interesting or funner, places with ease. Spain is dope. Every region of the country seems to have multiple places worth checking out. When I was in SF last month I stopped by this high end Spanish market called Nosa Ria in the old neighborhood I used to live in. Tried some Jamon Iberico and the owner had me wanting to return to Spain asap. I might hit it up this summer for La Tomatina.

I'm watching the "No Reservations" episode Bourdain did from Madrid in 2010, and he nutted in his pants while eating the Iberico...HA HA!

[Garzero]

For an italian living in Rome, a girl who get fucked during a festival IS easy (though I met the girl I banged on a train, not while drunk at the fiesta)

(03-20-2013 01:20 PM)thegmanifesto Wrote:  

(03-20-2013 12:35 PM)Garzero Wrote:  

Yeah, it was last summer during the "fiesta" (of course I suppose girls are more eager to have sex with foreigners in those days). I had one bang with a girl from Irun I met on the train to San Sebastian (fucked the same night), and one make-out some days later with a girl who lives in Bilbao (though from another little town still in Basque countries). Both were not difficult, if I stayed longer I guess I would have banged also the girl in Bilbao. Consider I have fairly skilled game with spanish chicks (I had more than one spanish gf and speak fluent spanish) and travelling by myself helped a lot (for spanish girls: italian travelling alone = irresistible romantic adventurer)

(03-20-2013 11:28 AM)thegmanifesto Wrote:  

(03-20-2013 10:56 AM)Garzero Wrote:  

Basque people (all of them speak spanish btw) are known for being a bit closed to strangers, due to their trouble past with spanish government (Basque countries were the most tyrannized by dictator Franco). But if you play honest with chicks, you'll go smooth and sex will occurr without big problems.

You had success with girls in Bilbao?

Break it down a little bit.

Well, I am not hating on your game, but that is only one girl you swooped if I am reading that correctly.

Not exactly setting the world on fire.

Again, no diss, but you implied girls there were easy:

Quote:

for spanish girls: italian travelling alone = irresistible romantic adventurer

Sh*t, if swooping one girl during a festival is the criteria, everywhere on earth is easy.

Good work though, there are some hot girls in Irun.