Bilbao (Spain) | Another Grinder - Day 92

This little old church is adjacent to the Albergue, and I like how it looks this morning. There are two giant millstones on either side of the staircase.

I slept great last night. It was quiet and calm. A little old Spanish lady is already awake and preparing breakfast for the Peregrinos this morning. She asks if I want a fried egg. Yes, that sounds delicious. I drink some fresh orange juice. It tastes so much better than back home. My breakfast includes a bowl of cornflakes to which I add a banana from my pack, a fried egg, bacon, toast, and a little piece of Basque cake. Finally, I am ready for the road. 

Day 6 on the Camino is another difficult day with lots of climbing and steep descents. I climb above  350 m (1,150 ft) twice today and walk approximately 32 km (19 mi) from Elizetze to Bilbao.

Céline and I head out near 730 am. It is a bit later than the past few days, but breakfast was incredible! I would make that trade every day. Yet another astonishing sunrise this morning. Hard to tire of this.

We are back on the Camino after a short 0.5 mi (0.8 km) climb uphill and steep descent. We pass the Albergue Pozueta shortly after that. There are still a few tents on the lawn when we reencounter Mary Ellen and Sylvie. The four of us begin the climb up from Pozueta Ouzoa. "There is a lot of pavement today before we get to Bilbao," she says. Sylvia has a little tiny French voice and speaks fast. Sometimes I have a difficult time understanding her. She is correct. There is a lot of pavement today; however, there are some lovely parts and lots of shade today.

We all walk together for a bit, then our little group dissolves, and we each begin walking our own Camino again. This is pretty typical on the Camino. Everyone is here for different reasons. There is enough room for things that are important to each of us as well as things that are important to others. The kilometers (miles) almost seem automatic today. One foot in front of the other. 

Somewhere along the trail, Borja comes up behind me. He looks exhausted. "Hola Martin," he says. Hola Borja, me hermano [hello brother]. Somehow we managed to hug with our packs on and never missed a step. He tells me he stayed at the Albergue Pozueta last night. He shakes his hand and says, "Too much vino and beer last night." I can smell the alcohol oozing from his pores. After a few minutes together, we wish each other Buen Camino, and 5-minutes later, he starts to fade out of sight. 

When I arrive in Zamudio, the French connection, my name for all the little French pilgrims I keep leapfrogging, is resting at a picnic table. I take my backpack off and pause for a bit. There is a water fountain nearby, and I could use more water. I pull a carrot out of my back and start eating it.

I am glad to find the little French couple at the picnic table. I introduce myself, and the old man says, "Je sais qui tu es grâce aux autres [I know who you are thanks to the others]." Je suis Guy and ma femme est Yvette. J'ai 47 ans. [I am Guy, and my wife is Yvette. I am 47 years old.]" he says as he laughs. Then he flip-flops his hands and says, "à l'anvers [in reverse]." Guy is 74, and Yvette is 72. They started the Chemin de Puy in 2020 but had to cancel their walk through Spain due to Covid. So, they are here now, completing the pilgrimage. Sylvie (blonde), Mary Ellen (brunette), Yvette, and Guy are left to right.

I really like Guy. He reminds me of my grandpa Bouthillier. He has a great sense of humor, is very entertaining, and loves to talk. After 15 minutes, we all gather our things and head out. The group dissolves again as we resume.

I get the first indication that I am approaching Bilbao when an airplane flies by. However, from the size of the plane, I can tell I have a long way to go before I reach Bilbao, and it is only 10 am.

I finally piece together the story of the signs I saw yesterday, Free Them All. The Basque would prefer to be an independent state, not Spain or France. But unfortunately, there are still > 200 Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (ETA) prisoners in Spain and France today. The ETA is an organization similar to Ireland's Irish Republican Army, which believed that terror was the best way to freedom. This mural makes it clear that the Basque people view themselves as separate from other nations.

Around 1130 am, I finally arrive in Zamudio. This little stone house is quite attractive, but the contrast of the red peppers hanging to dry on the south-facing wall catches my attention. This is a common site as I arrive in the city.

I have gotten in the habit of taking off my shoes and socks when I break for lunch. The fresh air helps to cool my feet and dry my boots and socks. It feels great, and avoiding more significant problems is necessary. Around 1 o'clock, as I leave the town, I begin to steep, hot climb over the mountain into Bilbao.

Halfway up the first and most challenging part, I can hear in the distance, "Al-lez. Al-lez. Al-lez. [Come on]" As I bend up the hill, Yvette and Guy, who are further up the mountain, cheer me on. That little chant picks me up, makes me smile. I power up to them. We visit for a while, and when a Peregrino on a mountain bike comes up the hill, I join in the chant. Then a group of 5 Spaniards appears, and we start again, "Al-lez. Al-lez. Al-lez." Yvette is struggling with the heat, so they stopped here for a break. I thank them for the pick me up, wish them Buen Camino, and resume the trek up the mountain. This last climb is a grind. It is steep and hot.

Around 240 pm, I finally crest the top and get my first view of the most populous city in northern Spain, Bilbao.

The descent into Bilbao is steep and concrete initially. It is also all in the sun, being a south-facing slope. I think I am sweating as much going down as I did going up. I catch up with Céline and continue to descend. On the edge of the city, the descent turns into stairs. Lots and lots of stairs. Céline says, "This is the San Francisco of Basque Country!" She is right. The city has invaded the steep mountains, and there is not a flat street to be found. Worse yet, you can't go anywhere without these endless steps. I like walking with Céline because she is also very observant.

In the city center, we encounter Sylvie and Mary Ellen. Tomorrow afternoon they head home. So, we celebrate reaching Bilbao with a beer. We have already walked 160 km (100 mi) since we started 6 days ago. Then Celine and I make our way to an Albergue downtown. It feels great to be here. After getting cleaned up, we head out of the Albergue in search of food and settle on sampling Pinxots (Pin-chos). Pinxots are small finger foods found in the Basque country in bars and taverns. Some are served on a baguette, similar to the ones I had in Bordeaux. Each bar has a different variety of Pinxots. After eating half a dozen and a few beers, I am done for the day and decide to head back. 

I am grateful to have made it through this first hot and challenging stretch of the Camino. I've already made some great friends and can't wait to see what lies ahead. I won't miss the steep descents and am so thankful to be in excellent health. But, most of all, I look forward to returning to the coast in the next few days.