All Paths Lead to Portugalete

Hiking Day 8    Bilbao to Portugalete

Miles             13.1

Total miles     l04.6

Ascent         1396

Descent       1471   

Yesterday was a “Zero Day” or rest day in Bilbao. While we hiked all over the city we don’t count any miles except the actual miles on the Camino, according to our GPS apps, not the guidebooks as the books are always incorrect about the mileage.

We had dinner with our Ashville friends, Elaine and Chris, the night before as well as breakfast yesterday and then bid them a hearty farewell. They have completed their week on the Camino and are off to Paris for a few days. I checked to be sure they were not in the witness protection program and they gave me the okay to post their picture. They were great hiking companions and Scot and I will miss them!

We did manage to have drinks last evening with the only other Americans we have been hiking with so far, they being Pete the Professor and Andrew the Pastor from Michigan. They are also hiking all the way to Santiago but are staying on the del Norte the entire way and not diverting onto the Camino Primitivo as we are. We should see them for the next 2 weeks or so.

As Scot and I discussed routes for today’s hike, we found 3 options on the Gaia app and one on the newly renovated  Mac’s Adventure app. Two were on either side of the Nervion River, one was high above Bilbao on the east side of the river, and the final route was high above Bilbao on the west side of the river. That route was the suggested route on our Mac’s app and we chose that one. We would come  to discover the error of that decision.

The morning starts early with a wonderful buffet breakfast. Filled with food and coffee, we start hiking a bit after 8. The forecast was no rain until 4 pm. We step out of the hotel into overcast skies and a light but constant drizzle. On go the rain jackets. A mile or so through the streets of Bilbao and then up we climb, out of town into the surrounding hills. We are high above Bilbao on tarmac roads with occasional views into the valley below, passing farms, industrial buildings, and close-by animals as we proceed.

        A sheep recharging station under a high voltage power line tower

Eventually we begin to descend, losing the elevation gains of the morning. The drizzle lets up but it is very humid. As we descend the areas we pass through become more and more unpleasant. The outskirts of the next town, Sestao, are dirty and run down. We hit a paved path along the Galindo River  and the foul smell of the water is almost overwhelming….essence of open septic tank. We are unsure why Mac’s would choose this route instead of one along the Nervion River.

We finally leave the smelly river and enter Sestao where we find a place to eat our sack lunches in a plaza where the only patrons are old men sitting and talking….soon we realize that we fit right in!

In time we are walking along the Nervion River into Portugalete. In the distance we see the very unique Vizcaya Bridge, built in 1893 and is the world’s oldest transporter bridge, built by one of Gustavo Eiffel’s disciples. Here is a description:

The Vizcaya Bridge was built to connect the two banks which are situated at the mouth of the Nervion River. It is the world's oldest transporter bridge and was built in 1893, designed by Alberto Palacio, one of Gustave Eiffel's disciples. The Engineer Ferdinand Joseph Arnodin was in charge, and the main financier of the project was Santos Lopez de Letona. It was the solution given by the engineer to the problem of connecting the towns of Portugalete and Getxo without disrupting the maritime traffic of the Port of Bilbao and without having to build a massive structure with long ramps. Palacio wanted to design a bridge which could transport passengers and cargo, and that could allow ships to go through. Palacio's shuttle bridge was adequate and could be built for a reasonable price.

The service was only interrupted once, for four years, during the Spanish Civil War, when the upper section was dynamited. From his house in Portugalete, Palacio saw his masterpiece partially destroyed just before his own death.

After riding the transporter and enjoying coffee on the east bank we head to our hotel, a wonderful upscale place right on the river within yards of the base of the bridge. Magnificent!!