Out and about ... North of Bilbao - Saturday 26th sept

A beautiful day dawns. After a yummy breakfast on a little square at a funky little cafe called The Beetle, all blond wood and pastel teal colour tones, we take the Metro north west of the city to Portugalate.  Getting around Bilbao is easy, no car required, ours is parked for the duration.

Metro, tram, bus, take your pick. Walking is easy and pleasant with lots of pedestrianised areas. There are hardly any cars on the road, even last night at 5 o'clock Friday rush hour. Just a handful here and there. Public transport here is cheap, regular, streamlined, integrated and efficient and puts Auckland to utter shame (Bilbao population 350k). What they have done with this city since its industrial days is forward-looking and fabulous in just about every way. We love Bilbao! I suspect its residents do too. 

In Portugalate we wander down the streets to the river ... And there it is, the engineering feat that is the Vizkaya Bridge. High, long and red, it spans the river like a giant meccano creation.  It evokes Gustav Eiffel's work so it is no surprise to learn it was designed by one of his disciples. This is a transportation bridge, built in 1893 with support and funding from those who believed. The port area was changing and so they built this to cater for their needs. Suspended below the platform that stretches between the giant towers (which at 45m high is a little higher than the Auckland Harbour Bridge) is a huge gondola that transports people and cars and cargo across the water. Back and forth it goes, hanging from massive wires, dangling like a huge caravan.  A bungee jump operates from the top.

We buy tickets and take the lift up to the top. It is very very high. We begin our walk to the other side. I shuffle out, feeling giddy. This is a long bridge and it's a very long way down.  And it's mostly all open cracks and a huge expanse of water far far below. During the walk across, which takes some time, there are information points telling of its construction, purpose, updating etc. Quite a splendid story and a truly impressive piece of engineering. Every so often during the traverse, the transporter gondola travels back and forth. It goes right under our feet, we can see it through the cracks and grid work. And feel the vibrations as it slithers across.
As we get to the centre of the bridge, there is an ever so slight swaying. This does nothing for my sense of angst. The information plaque says that if everyone currently on the bridge jumped at once it would not be a good idea and advises against it! I have been up so many high things these past weeks you would think I would have got used to it, but this is not the case. Actually, I fear I'm swaying (quite literally) on the edge of acrophobia!!!  But it won't stop me going up high things!

Taking photos on my iPad requires a big dose of "height stamina" as it means I can't hold onto anything. But the photos are worth it. 

We pause to watch a bungee jumper. Great coordination is required, with the operators on the lookout for the transporter and passing ships and boats to make sure said jumper doesn't get tangled up in such things. It's a busy area.  And a great bungee jumping spot.  The howls of terror mixed with glee echo out across the river. Health & safety? Maybe a work in progress ...

We make it to the other side and even though it is perfectly safe, I feel a sense of relief. I am rather awestruck by this interesting bridge and cannot imagine the burden of creating it. Rivet after rivet, strut after strut, peseta after peseta, toiling away until completion, and all done so long ago.

As we walk along the promenade at the beachside town of Getxo, on the other side of the bridge, passing mansion after mansion, we learn of the history and immense wealth in this area. Thanks to resources and industry, and obviously some sharp minds and philanthropic people, it was ahead of its time and a playground for the rich. The Basques were in fact the wealthiest people in Spain at one point, and commissioned large homes here, designed by the eminent architects of the day. These homes are impressive if somewhat austere and certainly large. Some are really magnificent and still owned by the same family that built it. 

We have lunch by the sea, joining families and day trippers out enjoying the weekend sunshine. There are some cruise ships in port, and plenty of tourists about; most seem to be English. The locals get about on roller blades. It's a very nice beach sojourn on the Bay of Biscay.

We take the funicular up the cliff - it is very steep and the steps don't look in the least bit inviting even, I suspect, if you love steep steps up cliffs! At the top, we take in the panoramic views and then find the Metro. We are heading for Plentzia, further east up the coast. We alight a couple of stops beforehand as they are working on the line or something so we take a bus the rest of the way. It is smooth and simple.

Plentzia is a sweet little town. And it has a rugby ground. Everyone is out in force on the river today, a Stand-Up Paddle board competition is on and the mood is merry. It's warm and sunny. We walk around the town, stumble upon an authentic long lunch in front of the church where a large group of people are eating, drinking and singing merrily, not a care in the world.  We are the only foreigners in sight and when we have seen our fill of this sweet little town we take the bus and metro back to Bilbao. 

After a quick freshen up we return to Rafa's bar for more chat and laughs and drinks. It is busy and he juggles serving his patrons with indulging us with local info in his very good English. We learn a few new Spanish words. He tells us he had a very big night last night, having been tempted out by friends after closing up. It finished at 7am so opening up this morning was not much fun for him. We comprehend. Bloody Mary's are the best cure, he says, and we agree, although have not had to put that theory into practice so far on this trip!

England is playing Wales in the Rugby World Cup tonight and Rafa directs us to the nearby Irish bar where they are showing the game. We meet a group of Spanish people supporting Wales and an English couple supporting the obvious. I am torn and really don't mind who wins. It's a good game to watch although I spend much of it chatting. The English couple have a friend who competed in the cliff diving finals of the bridge today, and he came third so that was a great achievement and they are ecstatic for him. One of the Spanish group is an English teacher and speaks impeccable English. It's a great night. 

After the game ends we bid farewell and go on a Pintxo crawl. The streets are humming, it is Saturday night and everyone has come out to play. Old, young, kids, locals, tourists ... All having a fine old time. 

Wines here in Bilbao are around the €1.20 mark for a glass. With plenty of wine in it. Here we are in Rioja territory. Rosado and blanco wines are good too. Especially at that price, the cheapest we have come across on the trip to date. In San Sebastián they were around €3 but here they are less than half that.

A fun day out and about around Bilbao and its fringes, capped off with a great evening. Tired now ...!

Observation of the Day: It beggars belief that Auckland can't decide what to do about a second harbour crossing in the 21st century but the Bilbaons just got on and built what they needed well over a century ago, and it is still in use all these years later, as well as being a major tourist attraction. 

As Francis 1st said, in relation to the planning and construction of the incredible Chambord chateau (see separate earlier post), 'If we were to worry about completion we would never begin anything.'  Alas, in New Zealand, I fear the powers that be are so focussed on completion, not to mention cost, that nothing ever does begin. And generation after generation misses out. 

Subways, bridges, rail, roading ... In Spain, the facilities for the people are prime examples of a country that begins. Thus, great things are completed.