Leaving On A Coach For Irun
The only way to get sensibly towards France, was to take a coach to Irun. But even the coaches were rather infrequent, with about one every two or three hours or so.
So it was just after two that I caught one from the logically-named Termibus.
It wasn’t a bad journey and by luck I had chosen one of the better seats. But it would have been so much better on a train.
A Trap For The Unwary
Several times in Bilbao, I saw steps that were not easy to spot.
A Trap For The Unwary
In fact, I was first alerted to the problem, when a sensibly-shod middle-aged lady fell sat the bus station.
Many semed to have been designed the way I saw them.
A Virtually Deserted Station
Abando station in Bilbao is the main station fromn where the citry connects to the rest of Spain.
A Virtually Deserted Station
But it seems not very often and as my next destination was Hendaya, it wasn’t any use. So I would have to take a coach to Irun. But the coach would take under two hours, as opposed to an early morning roundabout route by train that would take over six.
It would appear that most of the trains, metros and trams are owned and controlled by the Basque regional government and it looks to me as an outside observer, that they don’t believe in connecting their part of Spain to the rest of the country or for that matter, France. It does seem though, that the whole area could benefit from better train links.
Steps Everywhere At The Guggenheim
The more I walked ariound and looked at trhe Guggenheim Museum, the more I realised that my choice of hotel had been wrong.
My hotel had been close to the hotel and it was on the same level as much of the city. But the Guggenheim Museum and the excellent tram sat below the hotel and steps like this were the only way to get between the two levels.
Steps Everywhere At The Guggenheim
I did find later that a lift was positioned at the next tram stop, but surely a more direct method is needed at the Guggenheim Museum.
As I said earlier, if you have a mobility problem, make sure you stay close to the tram and get one to the museum.
Inside The Guggenheim Museum
I finally went inside the Guggenheim Museum on Tuesday morning.
The building is impressive, even if as I said before the art didn’t move me at all.
Up The Artxanda Funicular
The Zubizuri bridge leads to the Artxanda Funicular, which takes you up for views of the city.
There wasn’t much to do at the top, except admire the view, but I suspect in summer, the cafe and a lot more besides is open.
But I did feel very much better at the toip and I was breathing well.
The Zubizuri Bridge
The Zubizuri bridge links the two banks of the River Nervión.
It seems that these white bridges are becoming fairly numerous.
Bilbao Cathedral
Bilbao Cathedral was closed on the Monday.
But I did get a chance to see it on the Tuesday before I left.
A Bathroom For Flirts?
I took these two pictures in the Silken Gran Dominie hotel.
C would have loved this, it gives endless opportunities for discrete displays of flesh to your partner.
She could be an exuberant flirt at times.
I remember one incident, where in a hotel in Berlin with a two-star Michelin restaurant, she’d secretly put the full set of underwear with stockings on for our mutual enjoyment. She was demure to everyone in a silk suit and I knew nothing of any surprise, until she returned from the loo, felt for my hand under the table and put a small scrap of fabric into my grasp.
The small scrap of fabric was her knickers.
She was then unduly slow with the rest of the meal!
The Anonymous Widower 