Bilbao, Spain: John Adams Monument

Say, isn't that a monument of John Adams? You know, the Sccond President of the U.S. and all-around remarkable Founding Father? What the heck is John Adams doing here, in Bilbao, Spain?

There's a simple answer to that. John Adams once visited Bilbao.

It seems that Adams was on the hunt for money to help finance the American Revolution in the middle of the Revolutionary War. He also wanted a bit of an education on what the government was like in the region.

Adams came away impressed. He even wrote bout the Basques in an 1787 book: “This extraordinary people has preserved their ancient language, genius, laws, government and customs unchanged, far more than any other nation in Europe.” 

The sculpture went up in 2011. Nice gesture.