Day 16: "rest" day
Marise left in the early morning to begin her traverse of the Meseta. I'm sorry not to be joining her, but deeply hope I can rejoin her further on down the Way.
Not a very eventful day. Slow morning, packed up my stuff to move hotels, then ambled, er... shuffled, around a bit to find the last bits I needed for re-entry to civilization.
Came across a military ceremony with speeches, bayonet salute and military band.
Checked into my cute new hotel, had lunch at the excellent Italian restaurant next door, then laid low for the rest of the day and evening.
Enjoyed the bathtub! (No pictures!)
Day 16: travel to/experiencing Bilbao
East morning. Packed up my stuff again, breakfast in hotel. Met a fellow Californian, Chris, and spent a delightful half hour talking about our respective Caminos. One thing he shared really resonated with me. Along the Camino we meet fellow Peregrina/os and share intense, open conversations, with the thought that the conversation will continue over the days. But people move at different paces, and as we spread out along the Way we realize that we miss those people and long to continue the paused conversation. I think of all the faces and stories of my fellow travelers and realize that those open-hearted conversations were the gifts of the Camino. Freely-given personal gifts, shimmery glimpses of the universal connection among us all, suspended in time.
I left Burgos by bus, having passed through a medieval fair on the way to the station. Lots of chain mail in evidence. Sorry to experience the fair in action.
2 hours to Bilbao to look out the window, think and reflect. Passed through a fantastic cleft marking the north /south flanks of the Basque Mountain Range. Huge upheaval of the earth's crust, nearly vertical. Reminds me of the Seneca Rocks that Jack Cooper and I unwittingly came upon on our scenic route back from DC is 2021. Descended to the Ebro valley, into what looks like a dust or smoke haze. Maybe just low-hanging clouds. Smog?
As I get further from my Camino route (although Bilbao is on the Camino del Norte), I still feel the tug of the Way. More on that in a later post.
Early evening finds me in a hotel close to the Bilbao airport. I arrived in the city center around 1 PM, and decided (stupidly) to trek down to the Guggenheim on foot. It's much warmer here than in Burgos, and with my extra purchases in my pack, I was sore and steamy when I reached the museum. I've wanted to see it since it opened 25 years ago, and it did not disappoint.
Jeff Koons' living sculpture, "Puppy"
I stopped at the terrace cafe for gazpacho and a sandwich before checking my pack and heading into the museum. Beautiful view and a breeze.
The architecture of the museum is inspiring. I'm giving some thought to artist Richard Serra's description of its interior lines as "tectonically false." Still, beautiful and apparently gravity-defying.
Serra's " The Matter of Time" installation, 8 enormous structures of lines, curved mazes and elipses that distort your sense of balance and space, is absolutely stunning. I could go back every day for a year and see something new. I didn't take any photos.
Lots of other striking works, including this simple bench of red granite:
Again, too much walking. I so wanted to explore the city, but just had to stop. With no taxi stands in evidence, other than at the bus station I had walked from earlier, I had to ask for help. I went into the fanciest hotel in town, explained to the supremely professional staff that I had an injured leg, and asked them to call me a taxi. My pack and poles gave me away as a Peregrina, and the staff couldn't have been kinder. The cab was there in 5 minutes, and with a "Buen Camino," I was off. An expensive 15 minutes later found me at my hotel and the near-instant delivery of ice to my room confirmed that my Camino, while a considerable variation from the original plan, continues to reveal its gifts.
Today, Spain and movement. Tomorrow, England and stillness. Approaching each transition as an opportunity to pay attention.
I just caught up. What a beautiful trip already! As you say, the journey continues... I hope your leg heals up! <3 Kitty
So many gifts already... Open heart, open mind. You'll start to see more as you look back. Store them all they will give you fortitude and comfort. Nothing has been wasted Bettina. We all have limitations and will never be perfect, strive though we might. Such wonderful scenery - another gift with open eyes - and so many others you've met who have also been compelled by unknown forces to embark on The Way. It's more The Way of Life. Love to you and I'm thinking about what you've been looking at from the train window. I love train rides.