Sunday August 31, 2014

What a lovely day we spent with Jagoba, our warmshowers host.  He took us around the old City along little passage ways and lanes that I am sure if we were on our own we would have gone in circles. Around 1:00 pm we stopped in the square and at one of the restaurants for a small beer and some pitxios (small snacks).

All the bars have these little snacks on the bars and you pick one to go with your beer. Jagoba took us to one of the these little restaurants which had some good snacks.

He asked if we wanted to go on the funicular to see the city from the surrounding hillside. He gave us his Mum & Dad’s transportation pass to use.  I wasn’t comfortable doing it but Jagoba assured me it would be o.k. Ralf explained to Jagoba that I wasn’t very good at deceiving the authorities.  But we did it anyway I waved the pass at the machine and the turnstile opened for me. I was worried that the station police would be waiting at the top for me – Ralf and Jagoba were laughing.  Ralf had no worries about using Jagoba\’s fathers card (who has been dead for a couple of months).  Jagoba said his father would be pleased that the money hadn\’t gone to waste.

We were on the funicular and up we went to the top of the City.

We had a great view of the City and had a lovely wander around the top, where a lot of Bilbaoans (not sure if they refer to themselves that way-but it sounded good to me) come to this area for picnics.  We were getting hungry again, so stopped in at another restaurant for more snacks and a glass of wine/beer.

We talked to Jagoba about what time they eat their main meal – it is usually around 2:30 then they have a siesta, get up around 6:00 have a light meal, then more snacks about 9:30 to 10:00, a late night usually around 12:30 (if they don’t have to work the next day).  The Spaniards seem to graze all day.  Jagoba could not get his head around eating at 6:00 at night.

This monument on top of the hill was to commemorate the fighters in the Civil War. It was a really impressive piece.

By the time we got back to the apartment at about 6:30 Ralf and I were starving.  Jagoba made us a lovely Spanish omellette (tortilla) with a mixed salad.

Jagoba wants to do some big cycling trips and was very interested in our equipment.  At the moment his family comes first and he feels he needs to be near his mother.  He may travel later in the year or next year.  Jagoba was a lovely person very kind and caring.

These murals were painted on the top of this arcade to represent the civil war.  Bilboa has some very surprising features. Old and new buildings trying to work together.