Bilbao

Alarm goes off at 4am. Shower, cup of tea. Taxi arrives on time. We leave without ever meeting our AirBnB hosts.

Through security and customs fast! Doha could learn a lot from this. Airside the cafes, bars and shops are packed. Only 1 in 30 people wearing masks - Covid long forgotten. 

7am flight. Land in Bilbao at 9.45am. Lost an hour time difference. Customs and COVID Vax check easy. Bus into city centre. There is citywide free wifi, that makes navigating to our accommodation a breeze. 20min walk.

Meet our host Yulia. Great views across the city. Drop off our bags and off to explore. 

We've been here a few times before, the last was 10 years ago. We head to for the old town. Before long we stumble upon our first Camino sign.

Walk on to the old town square Plaza Barria. It's time for lunch and there a dozens of Tapas bars around the perimeter of the plaza. After doing a loop we settle in at bar Zaharra.

The Tapas in this part of Spain are called Pintxo. We have 2 tortillas (Spanish omolette) one traditional,  the other with Jamon Iberico ham. We also have a mini-hamburger, and a pork mince and cheese roll. Washed down with beers for me and local green wine (basque txakoli) for Kim. Delicious 😋

Back on the hoof around the old town and we find Cathederal de Santiago where we can get out Pilgram passports and our first of many stamps along the way.

Also on our wondering we find some a butcher with aged beef in the window, a cheese shop - Kim was in her happy place, with a Jamon and other cured delights.

4pm and jetlag hits us hard. We decide to head back for a nap. Kim grabbed some fruit and veg for snacks at a local green grocer and nearly fell over when he only charged us 82 cents. We checked, he had charged us correctly.

Heads hit the pillow for our nap at 5:30pm, we don't wake until 4am.