The albergue in Gernika was excellent. A bit more expensive than the guidebook had indicated (but then I'm coming to realise that much that is in this book is either out of date or irrelevant), but a very high standard indeed and the facilities were great - not least of all the free wifi!
I set off about the same time once more, walking agian with Roland. We sort of fell in together a day or so ago and have been chatting since. He's a retired architect (Swiss) who now lives in Dakar while his Senegalese wife works for the UN. It's amazing the variety of people one meets on the camino.
The early start gave me the unexpected chance to visit the church of Santa Maria in Gernika. I don't know what it is about churches and monuments in Spain but they all seem closed. If I consider the total number of closed museums, information centres, churches and other sights along the route that I have thus far encountered, I can't help feeling that there is an enormous lost opportunity for the further exchange of knowledge and cultures. This is hardly a history tour but I'm curious enough to want to know at least a little more about the places I'm passing through. Anyway, here is the surpisingly sparse interior of the church. Perhaps it was the bombardment or the civil war in general that deprived them of a more elaborate gothic interior:
Time to hit the road, so to speak. Once again our exit took us on a fairly gentle climb up out of the city and into the forest:
The weather was a little overcast and some patches of mist and light fog hung around, giving an interesting feel to the forest:
The trail took us up and around small hamlets, each with an old church or hermitage. Here's the last village before Lizama - which is one of the 'recommended' stopping points. This is the church nestling on the hill at Larrabetzu:
Then it was downhill into Lexama and the possibility of an albergue.
Not much doing in Lezama, and needless to say the church was closed. We found another "ermita" beside the camino and again it had a grill as closure, rather than a wooden door. I took a snap inside:
Another climb out of Lezama before we got to Bilbao. Here you can just about see parts of the city through the trees:
The camino arrives above the city at a large park called Monte Avril:
It's a very steep descent into the city centre but it's well marked with enamelled panels on the pavements showing the shell of St Jacques. Here's my first view of Bilbao proper and some 'fin de siecle' apartments:
From here one passes by the major church of (I believe) Santa Maria. Yes, it was closed but I snapped a nice little detail on one of the side entrances:
From here the pilgrim trail goes down past the old cemetery, the old apartments lining the streets, and the gate to the old cemetery standing impressively:
A small square at the bottom of the hill leads into the old narrow streets of Bilbao and the shopping centres. I was looking forward to walking among the bustle of the crowds and the designer labels, but being 15:00hrs on a Saturday afternoon, everything was closed. Oh well.. on I go.
Past the ancient cathedral (closed), through the ancient arcades and over the river (not closed):
The albergue is on a hillside on the opposite side of town. Having walked the entire length of the city (Roland took the bus but arrived behind me), I climbed up, wearily, to the albergue to find a warm welcome and my bed.
I set off about the same time once more, walking agian with Roland. We sort of fell in together a day or so ago and have been chatting since. He's a retired architect (Swiss) who now lives in Dakar while his Senegalese wife works for the UN. It's amazing the variety of people one meets on the camino.
The early start gave me the unexpected chance to visit the church of Santa Maria in Gernika. I don't know what it is about churches and monuments in Spain but they all seem closed. If I consider the total number of closed museums, information centres, churches and other sights along the route that I have thus far encountered, I can't help feeling that there is an enormous lost opportunity for the further exchange of knowledge and cultures. This is hardly a history tour but I'm curious enough to want to know at least a little more about the places I'm passing through. Anyway, here is the surpisingly sparse interior of the church. Perhaps it was the bombardment or the civil war in general that deprived them of a more elaborate gothic interior:
Time to hit the road, so to speak. Once again our exit took us on a fairly gentle climb up out of the city and into the forest:
The weather was a little overcast and some patches of mist and light fog hung around, giving an interesting feel to the forest:
The trail took us up and around small hamlets, each with an old church or hermitage. Here's the last village before Lizama - which is one of the 'recommended' stopping points. This is the church nestling on the hill at Larrabetzu:
Then it was downhill into Lexama and the possibility of an albergue.
Not much doing in Lezama, and needless to say the church was closed. We found another "ermita" beside the camino and again it had a grill as closure, rather than a wooden door. I took a snap inside:
Another climb out of Lezama before we got to Bilbao. Here you can just about see parts of the city through the trees:
It's a very steep descent into the city centre but it's well marked with enamelled panels on the pavements showing the shell of St Jacques. Here's my first view of Bilbao proper and some 'fin de siecle' apartments:
From here one passes by the major church of (I believe) Santa Maria. Yes, it was closed but I snapped a nice little detail on one of the side entrances:
From here the pilgrim trail goes down past the old cemetery, the old apartments lining the streets, and the gate to the old cemetery standing impressively:
A small square at the bottom of the hill leads into the old narrow streets of Bilbao and the shopping centres. I was looking forward to walking among the bustle of the crowds and the designer labels, but being 15:00hrs on a Saturday afternoon, everything was closed. Oh well.. on I go.
Past the ancient cathedral (closed), through the ancient arcades and over the river (not closed):
The albergue is on a hillside on the opposite side of town. Having walked the entire length of the city (Roland took the bus but arrived behind me), I climbed up, wearily, to the albergue to find a warm welcome and my bed.
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