Roaming

It’s too hot for rapid walking, so a train ride and some sauntering is in order on a Saturday.

The train station had some interesting metal sculpture, and along the wall a sort of installation including old railroad ties.

I rode to the end that particular line, which is on the opposite side of the river mouth from where I was at the start of my trip, Santurtzi vs Getxo.

Walking south to Portugalete, it’s again an old industrial waterfront upgraded to housing.

Then there’s the old rich folk housing, what I assume were once single – family mansions, now apartments.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/LwrdvbSPUhajdeQg7a

And hotels

Portugalete was having a huge neighborhood block party, a celebration of Basque culture and cooking.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/LwrdvbSPUhajdeQg7

https://photos.app.goo.gl/VcYpBn5xD7GxwVcQ7

Bilbao still shows lots of its industrial history, some of which is on that mid-river island I rode a bike to, where warehouses are art studios, or torn down for fancy new housing.

Here’s the first building I’ve seen to have any mild Moorish influence. Way too far north for that to be relevant.

My cheap pensión is in Ametzola which is an interesting cultural mix of Chinese electronics stores, used clothing stores, halal carneceria and kebab shops and what have you.

Here the apartments run more like 9 floors and fewer balconies, much higher density. Lots of old people in the parks and bars, and visiting adult children on a Saturday afternoon, so some of these are elder care spaces. Feels pretty safe!