We were on
the road pretty early today. Last night when looking at pics from the day we
discovered that the phone had not saved any of our pics from lighthouse
adventuring! Gutted.
So we went
and had breakfast next to it and wandered around with our sandwiches looking at
people fishing off the cliffs, the sun coming over the hill, sail boats, people
on the beaches, flowers, little skinks and birds and coastline. Went along the
road and stopped at two other lookout points (having our breakfast coffee at
one) on our way out of town.
On the road
to Bilbao...it didn’t take long to get there. Once into town we found a park
easily – the thing that took forever was paying for our park! Watched a local
do it, then Roni tried to let the other couple waiting go first...turns out
they are German and didn’t know how it worked either!! With our powers combined
– and an interlude where Bray and Roni helped push start a van – a parking ticket
was obtained. Success! It helped our egos that a Spanish woman ahead of us also
struggled with the machine and had a swear or two at it while trying to get her
ticket too...
Once paid up
we set out in search of the Guggenheim. Wandering through a park with fountains,
along the tramway and the river which we then followed to our destination. It
is a pretty amazing piece of architecture! Many photos later with our usual
walk around the whole building and we were getting peckish. Searched and found
a supermarket relatively nearby (with the assistance of a map from the info
site) where we grabbed an apple, cheap pack of choc croissants (treats!) and
bread for our staple salami and cheese sandwiches. Back to the car and on the
road again.
Next
destination Guernika-Lumo. Roni has read the Basque History of the World by Mark Kurlansky a number of times and
Bray has even read a bit! The Basque history and worldview from that book and
also learning about the bombing of Guernika during the Spanish Civil War etc
meant that this town was something Roni was excited about.
We got
there, found a free park in the shade and made our way to the info site. A
lovely lady gave Roni maps and explained where things were, also gave us info
about the coast and shared some of her fave areas once she learned we were from
NZ. Turns out she lived in Queenstown for a wee while and has even been to
Nelson – she loved NZ and wants to come back.
We went to
the Peace Museum – really well set out with huge impact and great information.
Walked through Fueros Square, past the Town Hall, Cultural Centre and Elai Alai
Convention Centre to Santa Maria Church. Then a mini-tour including a ceramic
version of Picasso’s Guernica mural
(Milan kept the original), Henry Moore’s Great
figure in a shelter, Chillida’s Gure
Aitaren Etxea and through the park of the European Nations to the Euskal
Herria Museum. Next past Santa Clara church and convent to the Assembly House
and oak tree. Amazing stained glass roof in the stained glass room of the
Assembly House and the assembly room itself was pretty magnificent. Free entry
to this too which was a treat.
Continuing
on through the Seber Altube Auditorium with some interesting graf, Pasealekua
Square with Memorial of Geurnika Battalion and the Ferial Gardens, Old Market
and Mercurio Fountain.
It was past
six by this point so we scampered back to the car and drove some back roads
(think a combo of Paekakariki & Takaka Hill) to get to Sopelana where we
planned to camp. Once again the directions from the website were a little
vague...we stopped at the info site in Sopelana but it was closed so we used a
combination of a bus stop map and the map from Guernika info centre to locate
our campsite. Success!
Pretty
packed out with campervans etc but we got a wee site with view of the sun
setting over the sea. Dinner before it got dark then we headed to the
restaurant to charge batteries & laptop and make use of the wi-fi to update
pics for the travel journal etc. To bed before midnight (just!).
