Blog 12: The Rain in Spain …!

The rain in Spain falls mainly on … Bilbao!

There’s an old adage – the three most useless things on a sailing boat are “a retired naval officer, an umbrella and a wheelbarrow”.  Well, we don’t have a wheelbarrow but the retired naval officer and the umbrella have been pretty useful!  It has rained so hard at times along this coast, but it’s very unpredictable – one minute it’s blazing sunshine, the next torrential rain!  We definitely need the umbrella every time we go ashore.

Sometimes the view from the marina was like this ….

And an hour later it was glorious sunshine and looked like this.

Or there’d be sun and rain together and a rainbow would appear.

Here are three versions of exactly the same view in very different weather conditions – these photos were all taken within a few hours of each other!  You can’t even see the hill in the first one!

Torrential rain

A watery sun peeping through

Glorious sunshine and blue skies again!

On one occasion, we had gale-force winds …

‘White horses’ in the normally sheltered harbour

Here you can see the contrast between the rough sea in the harbour and the calm of the marina in the foreground.

Despite the very mixed weather, we had a very enjoyable stay in Bilbao.  It is a great city with lots to do.

We spent about a week in Bilbao, staying in the marina at Getxo, which is linked to the Real Club Maritimo del Abra (RCMA), a rather smart yacht club.  This meant we had access to the club facilities – bar, restaurant and two lovely swimming pools. 

Often I had the pool entirely to myself – the weather wasn’t always as beautiful as this though!

Staying for a week gave us time to do repairs and maintenance to the boat, laundry and ‘housework’!

This is our portable ‘twin-tub’ washing machine, which we can use on board for our clothes and small items like tea towels.  We still need to go to a laundrette or ‘lavandería’ to wash bedding and towels, but some marinas and most towns have very modern, easy-to-use lavanderías.

A line of my T-shirts hanging out to dry – looking at this photo, I realise they are all striped!!  Very nautical!

I winched Charles up the mast to fit a new wind indicator which we ordered on-line and had delivered to the RCMA club – the wonders of modern communication!

Fitting a new loo pump – what a delightful task, but necessary!

Other people were doing maintenance too – the doctor who owns this boat has provided his or her ‘volunteers’ with theatre gowns and masks to protect them!

The Club House at the Real Club Maritimo del Abra looks very modern from the outside …

… but inside they have created the atmosphere of a ‘gentlemen’s club’!

We went there for a drink one evening, and this was the view from the terrace …

Quite a storm!

Getxo

This is the beach and town of Getxo.

This is one of the large ‘plazas’ where all kinds of games and communal activities take place, like this tug-of-war.

One of the pleasant pedestrianised streets in Getxo with pavement cafés.

A colourful street of ‘ordinary’ houses in Getxo …

… which all have attractive tiling in their porches.

The Church of Señora de las Mercedes, Getxo

El Faro, our favourite little café for lunch – just a stone’s throw from the marina and such good value – almost cheaper than catering for yourself!

Getxo seems to be rather an upmarket suburb of Bilbao, with easy access to the city via the efficient and inexpensive Metro.  On the journey into the centre we passed some more run-down parts, though, decorated with ugly graffiti.

Bilbao City

We went into Bilbao several times and took in the main sights …

A rather grey day for our first visit – this is the Iglesia de San Nicolás, dating from 1756 and in the Baroque style.

This is the Arriaga Theatre, 1890

This rather impressive building is actually the Tourist Information Office!

The historic tiled façade of La Concordia Railway Station, also known as Santander Station, is rather marred by the clutter of unattractive tower blocks behind.

Casco Viejo – the Old Town

Some typical houses in the Old Quarter – Casco Viejo

A rather beautiful and elaborate Church doorway.

We had lunch in an ancient restaurant in the Casco Viejo.

Even the ‘facilities’ were original – I liked this old-fashioned basin.

The Cathedral of Santiago, also known as Bilbao Cathedral, in the heart of the old town.  Dating from the 14^th century, it is the city’s oldest Church.

The impressive entrance door and archway of Bilbao Cathedral.

The ‘jewel in the crown’ of Bilbao and its most famous and impressive sight is the Guggenheim Museum, designed by Frank Gehry.  It is massive in scale with interesting shapes and curves everywhere, all clad with shiny silvery plates.  Outside is as much a work of art as the exhibitions inside! 

My first glimpse …

The rear entrance of the Guggenheim.

Lofty curves inside, with several large art installations in the main entrance space. 

Even the lift is quite a work of art!

Some are interactive – you can walk through this curtain of light.

You are not allowed to take any photographs inside the exhibition halls, so this is copied from the guide book.  This installation by Richard Serra is called ‘The Matter of Time’ and consists of eight massive steel ellipses and spirals which visitors need to walk through to experience.

The Matter of Time by Richard Serra – an impressive installation.

There was also an exhibition of Marc Chagall’s works, and something called ‘Art and China after 1989’ which, although interesting from the historic point of view, was mostly an exhibition of everyday objects arranged into supposed ‘works of art’!  Not my cup-of-tea!

The Guggenheim’s Main Entrance.

Jeff Koons ‘Puppy’ stands outside the main entrance.  It is a beautiful 12 metre high floral dog and is actually clad with living flowers – whoever is responsible for keeping them watered and looking nice is doing a good job!  I rather liked ‘Puppy’.

Massive long-legged spider sculpture at the rear of the Guggenheim beside the river.

View of the Guggenheim from the bridge over the river.

After the Guggenheim, we walked across the new Zubizuri footbridge over the River Nervión.

View from the Zubizuri Bridge

We took the Funicular up to the viewpoint with its striking red Bilbao wall. 

Great views from the top ...

I rather liked this unusual and effective steel work of art.

Back at ground level, we took one of the inexpensive trams which run in a circle round the city centre ...

I like the way the tram tracks are laid across mown lawns.

The Metro is also excellent …

Super-clean and uncrowded.

This is Plaza Moyúa with one of the famous curved ‘Fosterlitos’ on the right hand side.

‘Fosterlitos’ is the local name for the Metro station entrances which are named after their architect, Norman Foster.

This park is actually in the middle of the huge roundabout in Plaza Moyúa – it’s surprisingly calm and relaxing despite being surrounded by moving traffic.

This interesting building is Palacio Chávarri – it has every single window and balcony in a slightly different style and design, but all built in the same materials so it looks ‘right’.

There are plenty of grand buildings in Bilbao …

This is the headquarters of a bank on Bilbao’s main thoroughfare, Gran Via Don Diego López de Haro, named after the city’s founder.

This is the Church of San Vicente Mártir in the Jardines de Albia, a pretty square a little way back from the main street.

I took a walk through the Doña Casilda Iturrizar Park, which is described as an English-style garden created more than 100 years ago.

Colourful floral displays.

It has a superb Roman-style tiled pergola supporting a luxuriant vine.

At the other side of the park, I came across much more modern architecture …

This is the Palacio Euskalduna – a Concert Hall and Conference Centre.

This is the Iberdrola Tower, the tallest building in the Basque Country and the eighth highest building in Spain at 165 metres.  It’s the headquarters of an electricity company.

This massive statue of Christ is the Sagrado Corazón de Jesús and holds a commanding position at the end of the main shopping and business street, Gran Via Don Diego López de Haro – it’s actually in the middle of a roundabout!

One of Bilbao’s many water fountains - it’s a feature of most of the places we’ve visited so far that fresh drinking water is available from fountains in the street.

This is the Museo de Bellas Artes, which is currently celebrating 110 years of its existence with an exhibition of 110 works of art from its collection spanning the middle ages to the present day.  Interesting. 

This was one of my favourites – Portrait of Countess Mathieu de Noailles by Ignacio Zuloaga – the fine, sheer fabric is so realistic, I’m just full of admiration for how that effect can be achieved!

The temporary exhibition was a video installation, an art form which I often don’t like, but this was really effective: “Infinite Garden – Regarding Bosch” by Alvaro Perdices and Andres Sanz, produced to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Hieronymus Bosch’s death in 1516. 

Scenes from his triptych ‘The Garden of Earthly Delights, The Garden of Eden, and Hell’ are projected onto the walls and ceiling of a large gallery so you immersed yourself in it as it constantly moved and changed.  Scenes merged into each other and zoomed in and out, highlighting tiny figures you may not have noticed. 

You could wander through the display or sit on the comfortable benches provided and it was – surprisingly – totally absorbing!  People were spending at least half an hour there. 

Back in Getxo …

… there was a bit of a carnival going on.

We had an ‘early’ dinner at 8.45pm at a Vietnamese restaurant – we were the first customers and the earliest diners by far – people were still arriving for dinner at 10.30-11pm even with young children!  It just seems to be the Spanish way of life!

The Bizkaia Bridge

Not to be missed is a visit to the Bizkaia (or Vizcaya) Bridge, here viewed from the Getxo side:

The famous Bizkaia Bridge (pronounced Bithcaya) is the main tourist attraction close to Getxo.  It is a fine example of a ‘hanging bridge’ or ‘transporter bridge’ joining Getxo to Portulagete on the other side of the wide river.  It’s a suspension bridge which has a ‘gondola’ hanging beneath it to transport cars, goods and people and is designated a World Heritage Industrial Site.  You can walk across the top at a height of 50 metres above the ground and have fantastic views across the coast and city.  It’s quite an awesome feeling as you can see the sea far below through the floorboards and latticework – not to be recommended to anyone afraid of heights!

It was built between 1887 and 1893 where the River Nervión which runs through Bilbao becomes an estuary and opens out into the sea.  Building a bridge here was a double challenge, firstly because of the differing land relief on either side of the river – steep and uneven on the Portugalete bank and broad flat sands on the Getxo side.  Secondly, it had to be high enough to allow the passage of large ships.

It was the genius and innovative spirit of architect Alberto de Palacio and Design Engineer Ferdinand Arnodin which overcame the obstacles and the estuary’s constraints.  They combined two techniques which had not been tried before – an independently-driven transporter gondola hanging beneath a cable suspension bridge – a pioneering solution which they patented.

The cables are secured into foundations in between the surrounding development.

The view from the lift which runs inside the lattice towers – you can see the people below looking tiny!

The wooden walkway across the top of the suspension bridge – we can see the river 50 metres beneath us through the gaps in the floorboards – quite a strange feeling if you are at all wary of heights!

The view from the walkway of Portugalete on the left bank …

… and Getxo and the marina where we are moored on the right bank.

Looking down at the vehicles on the gondola far below.

The gondola on its way across the river.

On 17 June 1937, during the Spanish Civil War, the Republican command ordered that the bridge be blown up to stop the advance of the insurgent troops and impede river traffic.  The upper deck collapsed completely and the bridge was not operational again until 19 June 1941.

Portugalete

Portugalete on the other side (the left bank of the River Nervión) was founded in 1322.  Despite its name, Portugalete is nowhere near the Spanish border with Portugal, and its name derives from a phonetic adaptation of its Basque name to Spanish.  Its fortunes have waxed and waned over the centuries, but the construction of the transporter bridge and the arrival of the railway encouraged its development in the 19^th century and it remains a business and leisure centre today.  It has some attractive old streets and buildings, and its steep hillsides afford spectacular views of the Bizkaia Bridge and beyond.

The Basilica Santa Maria occupies a commanding position in Portugalete …

… with wonderful views over the river, towards the Bizkaia Bridge and out to sea.

One of the attractive squares in Portugalete. 

The Torre Salazar, constructed in 1380, was originally a prison, now a restaurant!

A variety of architectural details on this building

El Kiosco, a rather pretty little wrought-iron bandstand.

One of the narrow, steep streets in Portugalete with the bridge beyond.

The weather is so unreliable and rainy that people need umbrellas to protect their washing lines!

The Convent of Santa Clara, Portugalete, now a cultural centre.

This is Portugalete Town Hall.

The striking colours of La Canilla, now the Tourist Information Office.

Puerto Viejo – the Old Port of Algorta

One day I cycled along to the old fishing village of Algorta at the far end of the Getxo bay while Charles took the Metro – a good decision on his part as a sudden torrential downpour came from nowhere and I was lucky to find a tree to shelter beneath!

The old fishing port has a great atmosphere, narrow cobbled streets and lots of genuine old bars and cafés serving the local Txakolina white wine and pintxos (tapas). 

The barman told us that you’re supposed to eat each pintxos skewer in one mouthful so you get all the flavours mixing together – anchovy, olive, chilli etc – and he was right, it was delicious.

Quaint cottages.

Crocheted ‘covers’ for the railings in the colours of the rainbow!!  Some people must have plenty of time on their hands!

A wonderful window-box display!

But literally next-door to the ancient fishing village uninspiring modern development has been allowed.  The old village is only a tiny area which has been left untouched.

The village rises steeply up from the Old Port.

The footpath up this hill has hairpin bends – or you can take the lift to the top!  We found outdoor lifts in quite a few of the villages situated on the steep hillsides of the northern Spanish coast.

In the past, without modern navigational aids, the approaches and sandbanks were very treacherous for ships heading towards the port of Bilbao upriver, so local fishermen saw a job opportunity – they would keep a look out from their cottages on the hillside for approaching ships, row out to them, and the first to get there would offer his services to guide the ship through. 

I cycled back past some massive houses with huge gardens along the seafront …

Plenzia

On another occasion we took a trip to Plentzia – at the far end of the Metro line.  We took waterproofs and umbrellas, as usual, but for the first time didn’t use them at all! 

The footbridge to the town from the station

A cool avenue of trees to stroll along with pavement cafés for refreshment

Plentzia has an old town area with very steep streets.

We arrived at the main square just in time to see a wedding party leaving the church – the whole village seemed to turn out for this and it was hard to get a photo of the newlyweds and their twelve bridesmaids!

Traditional dancing and musical entertainment is provided for the happy couple as they leave the Church.

Another attractive square in Plentzia.

This is the beautiful beach at Plentzia.

This is the pretty little harbour …

… and the narrow, twisting, shallow entrance channel into it!

We walked back along the promenade past some substantial residences in various designs:

… some quite grand …

… some more rustic …

… and some apparently based on a design for posh public loos!!

Back on board …

… we enjoyed watching a beautiful sunset …

… while sharing drinks and nibbles with fellow sailors …

… Håkon, Laerke and Judith.

On our last night in Bilbao, we had a delicious dinner with Mo and Bill on board their lovely boat, Shakura.  Missing from these photos is their Westie, Archie (who seems to have been camera-shy!)

After all this lovely food and wine, we found we had been locked onto the pontoon and Charles gallantly climbed over the gate to release us!

Sunset over Bilbao harbour on our final evening.

The next morning was grey as we set sail from Bilbao – here we’re taking down the Basque courtesy flag and hoisting the Spanish flag as we leave the Basque Country and enter the region of Cantabria, heading for Santander.