We docked in Getxo in northern Spain, in the rugged Basque country on the Atlantic coastline - most people forget that Spain has a second coastline beyond the Mediterranean. A quick shuttle bus later saw us deposited in downtown Bilbao, where we walked a few blocks to the Guggenheim museum. Being Sunday it was closed, but we followed the Nervion River around to the Casco Viejo, the old town portion of Bilbao.
My limited and dated high-school Spanish proved even more limited, since the Basque country has its own dialect - including a lot more X's and K's than I remembered from "conventional" Spanish!
We enjoyed a quick ham sandwich (bocadillo), Bilbao-style, as we wandered the old town. There was some momentary drama as I thought Jane was choking - apparently she inhaled a little bit of the crusty baguette and was coughing a lot but was still enjoying the sandwich! We also stopped shortly thereafter for coffee and pastries near the cathedral, as an "excuse" to use a washroom.
Unlike a lot of such places, the Casco Viejo actually felt lived-in. We wandered the curving streets and undulating alleys, before stopping again for lunch at a small watering hole in the main square to try some local beer and pintxos, a Basque specialty involving different kinds of toppings on bread - somewhat similar to smorrebrod in Copenhagen!
We also witnessed a police takedown from the advantageous vantage of the bridge - involving a purse-snatcher who we could see from our position was running from police, towards more police. Rather quickly, he came face to face with an officer, who produced his expandable baton menacingly (the sound said it all)....and the man sat down and surrendered, as five other officers closed in. It was the perfect example of a show of force, without having to actually use force.
Even the "new" town was quite nice, with lots of trees and park space among the modern shops and amenities. Once we walked back to catch the shuttle, we enjoyed a few more beers and some conversation at a local establishment as we awaited our bus.
The ride back to the port highlighted the wealthy mansions of Getxo, and the famous Vizcaya Bridge designed by a disciple of Gustave Eiffel, with an actual gondola that transports vehicles across the river.
Coming in with no expectations, Bilbao was a pleasant surprise!
Coming ashore in Spain
Signs, signs....everywhere signs!
Puppy - the floral dog
The Guggenheim
Maman sculpture
Walking along the Nervion River with the Zubizuri Bridge in the background
Delicious Bocadillo!
Pork sold on the Hoof
Yummy snack
Donejakue Catholic Cathedral in Casco Viejo
Casco Viejo comes alive
Bilbao City Hall
Back of the Cathedral
Pintxos and more bocadillo for lunch at a local watering hole
Train Station on the river
Protests at City Hall for pensioners' rights
Farewell to Basque Country!
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment