10 Things that made me fall in love with Bilbao and the Basque Region- Part 1
I didn't exactly choose Bilbao as my next travel destination, fate (and Skyscanner) did. This is because the Skyscanner site has a cool feature where you plug in your dates, home airport and choose "everywhere" as your destination. It then gives you a list of options, starting with the cheapest. I decided I would go with whatever came up as the cheapest place I hadn't been. Bilbao was the winner at a cool 155€ round-trip.
All I knew about the city was that it was home to the iconic Frank Gehry designed Guggenheim Museum and honestly this was enough for me. I was first introduced to Gehry's work in 2001 via an exhibition at the NYC Guggenheim. Ever since, I have actively sought out his work all over the globe. To see his most famous building in person had me giddy beyond words.
Well, not all words. I did scream "Para, para, para!!" on a crowded bus en route from the airport to the city. It was my first time laying eyes on this titanium mirage and I wanted off the bus. The bus driver had a route to follow and letting me go snap happy at the museum was not a part of it. I had to wait until we did a walking tour the next day to really have a chance to take it all in.
It is as glorious as is it difficult to photograph. Between the crowds and all the different angles to choose from, this beauty really is best appreciated in person. It's the kind of place I could view every single day and never get tired of.
The exhibitions inside were equally fantastic, featuring a retrospective of work by 94 yr old it-girl, Yayoi Kusama and a series of trippy labyrinths to explore by American artist, Richard Serra.
There are plenty of beautiful photogenic bridges in the world but this has to be one of the most unique. Architect Alberto de Palacio faced the challenge of linking Portugalete and Getxo, town on opposite sides of the Nervion River, without disrupting maritime traffic. His ingenious solution was to build two 45 meter (or 147 ft) towers and have a dangling gondola ferry both cargo and people back and forth.
More than 100 years later, it is still operational and has been named a UNESCO world heritage site, the only one in Spain relating to the Industrial Age.
3. The Basque Villages
There's no question that the formerly industrial city of Bilbao has been transformed into a hip, artsy must-see city but the heart of the Basque region can best be found in the smaller towns and villages. Take for example, Bermeo, a fisherman's village near Dragonstone that just screams "charming".
As with all the towns we visited, there was a well-situated tourist office to provide maps and advice on where to go and what to see.
This is how we ended up at a Franciscan convent founded in 1357...
And at St Juan's Gate, the only remaining entrance of the city's original medieval wall and location of a magic footprint. The story is that St John the Baptist left the city through this door, making it to Dragonstone, about 8 miles away with just 3 footsteps. The footprint under the arch marks the 1st step and rumor has it if you place your foot on top of it, you will not get calluses for a year. I gave it a try and ended up breaking a toe a week later, so be careful what you wish for is all I'm saying.
Example #2, the adorable coastal village of Getaria.
Its 1397-built Iglesia de San Salvador is unique in that it was built directly into the city walls, resulting in the floor of the church sloping upwards towards the altar.
The town is mainly known for two things: freshly caught seafood that is grilled in specially made ovens built right into the outside walls (so as to not stink up the restaurants themselves, just the town) and for being the childhood home of fashion designer, Cristobal Balenciaga. I personally don't eat seafood or care even the slightest bit about high fashion so I prefer to remember lovely Getaria as the home of the vending machine ass stickers.
4. Dragonstone
This would have been where St John the Baptist planted that third step, only he probably wouldn't call it by that moniker. He would most likely prefer its real name, San Juan de Gaztelugatxe (meaning St John of the Rock Castle). It did not become Dragonstone until season 7 of Game of Thrones when good girl gone bad Daenerys arrived at her ancestral homeland.
She brought with her a couple of dragons and a whole lot of interest to what was previously a quiet place of religious pilgrimage. The tiny islet connected by 241 man-made steps leads to a church dedicated to Mr 3 Steps himself. It is still popular with fishermen who come to have their boats blessed prior to tuna season.
It is even more popular with fans of GoT who now swarm the place, causing the protected area's
custodians to put a reservation system into place. It is free to get in but you do have to make a reservation online before arriving. They are generally booked months ahead of time but if you check at the designated times for that day's no shows, you have a good chance of getting in.
Or maybe we just really lucky. Either way, I'm so glad we got in because it is ridiculously rugged and gorgeous. Rorgeous?
5. Public transit
Of all the impressive things we experienced, this is probably the one that most blew me away. The public transportation system is not only extremely reliable, clean and accessible, it is also incredibly cheap once you buy the transit card. We were going for hour + long rides to neighboring towns and paying a total of 50 cents each way. The buses will get you to the most remote of places with the longest wait we experienced being 30 minutes. The same card that gets you on the bus also gets you on the metro, the Vizcaya bridge and even a funicular with fantastic views over Bilbao.
I could (and will) go on but this post is getting too long so...to be cont'd.
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