Distance walked so far : 141 kms
Distance to Santiago de Compostela : 671 kms
We met Julie and Bob in one of the plazas in the old part of Bilbao at 7.30am and fortunately there were a few cafes open for breakfast. The Cafe Bar Bilbao is an exquisitely tiled cafe - opened in1911.
Delicious pastries, fresh orange juice and coffee to set us on our way.
The guidebook suggests catching a metro to Portugalete to eliminate 10.3kms walking along the river path. Good suggestion as it was 20o at 9am. Here is the bridge, which you can cross on foot or in suspended carriage just above the river.
Portugalete is a port town at the river mouth and as its name suggests, has a Portuguese flavour to its architecture.
A welcome sight of moving walkways to carry us up from the port to the main part of town to connect us to the prescribed path.
Scallop shells set in the path for us to follow.
Mainly road and pedestrian paths today, crossing over the main motorway.
It wasn't long before we could see the sea and our destination for the day.
Summer fruit ripening, including this passionfruit vine.
We arrived at Arena de la Playa, where Julie and Bob found an apartment for the night. We continued on the path for another kilometre to Pobena at the end of the beach to the albergue.
It is a purpose built structure in this small seaside town with one main bedroom, a kitchen and bathrooms. To cope with the increasing number of pilgrims for the summer, there are 2 tents sleeping another 20 walkers. Some latecomers are sleeping on the kitchen floor, too.
We were glad to settle in to the albergue, wash clothes and relax before the main heat of the day.
Pinxtos and drinks in the small square
View down the beach.
Arena de la Playa, where we had dinner.
Hamburgesas - delicious!
Albergue packed to the rafters. All beds inside, in the marquis, in individual tents and on the kitchen floor taken and accounted for.
M&M
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