Biarritz to Pamplona to Burgos to Santander - September 25th 2025

For many years I have hunted the bargains and extolled the virtue of Ryanair and short camino walks. So to find a flight to Biarritz for £21 on September 25th. I'll arrive thursday and head down to Irun or San Sebastian for lunch and then Pamplona. A thursday evening in Pamplona then a bus out to a dorm in Zizur Menor.

Simon and I stayed here before and from here you can walk up the hill to Monte del Perdon. Its quite simply a pilgrimage to say farewell. When John walked up this hill a long long time ago, 2018, I think he galloped up it while Jimmy with his dodgy knees moved at a steadfast 3km per hour.

Jimmy has good knees now but John sadly will never climb that hill again. I like the idea that we leave him at the top of this hill, so thats where I'm putting him. 

 I'll then walk down the hill to Puente La Reina and have a glass of gin and tonic, Larios obviously, in the wonderful dark bar where we went back in 2018. Update - I had a wine, gin seemed too dangerous.

They went home after that day and we would pick it up a year later. So then its off to Estella for saturday night. Sunday in my new favourite albergue in Los Arcos and then Monday night in Logrono.

So quick update, I stayed in Estella monjardin and Viana before Monday in Logroño and yes I'm needing a decision now. Update below.

Tuesday I'll have to make a decision to head to San Sebastian or Bilbao. I loved the albergue in Najera so my operating plan is tuesday in Najera with Wednesday a wander up to Santo Domingo and then a bus to Tosantos and if I've booked the small albergue just before Villafranca Montes des Oca I'll stay there. If I do then I'll walk from there to Cardenuela Rio Pico or stop at San Juan at that fantastic albergue. Frankly I'm spoilt for choice. Ideally I stop and have lunch at the albergue and then walk on for a lete arrival at Cardenuela on thursday. Then I can get to Burgos Friday morning and bus up after lunch to have Friday afternoon in Cafe Iruna in Bilbao, followed by dinner in Santander. Everything leans towards flying back Saturday October 4th. Back for a bit then back over for a trip to Malaga on October 28th scouting Janaury options in Almunecar, before returning November 6th. We plan to stay in Malaga on the first night then 6 nights in Almunecar before heading up to Granada for 2 nights. We're on a tight budget but it seems we can get a place in Malaga for under £80, then £220 for 6 nights and £75 for two nights in Granada. The place in Malaga is by the train station which is handy for the bus to Almunecar. Almunecar is a longer walk but not too bad to the bus station, less than 1km. The bus trips and trains are not too long except the last one when we will get the 9:45 from Granada which arrives at the airport at 11:45 or the 10:15 that arrives 12:30 for our flight at 14:35. The train is the other option but involves a bit of getting off and on and will not be $13.76 a head. £25 for two is a good uber price for 2 hours. Coming in from the airport is simple and we will juump the first train. The next day there are slow and fast buses to Almunecar. The fast bus is at 9 and takes 1 hour 15, while the slower buses are at 11.20 and 12:45 and take an extra 30 minutes stopping at nerja, torre etc. The usual thing is there are options and St Jacques provides. The same applies to the bus on tuesday from almunecar to granada. The fast buses are 1 hour 20 with stops at 9am and 13:00. The 10:45 bus leaves at the best time and arrives probably a good time for getting into the apartment, although the 1pm arriving at 14:20 is probably even better. Leaving the apartment at 10:30-11:30 appeals for a last stroll or a cafe. Then a cafe by the station for the 1pm bus. If however the flat is as superb as we expect we may just stay the entire 10 days and have a day trip to granada. Then we can get up early get the fast bus at 9am and trundle around Granada from 10:20 to 4pm. Being in the mountains the temperature will be lower which may be good or bad. If its 30 at the coast then its respite but if its 12 at night then we have another situation entirely. All this nonsense is about me having too much time to get excited about controlling or managing variables. I often wonder why when I was younger I was so impressionable. Being prepared seemed to be drilled into me or maybe it just found a welcome host. Like the cancer talk, how much was I just a good host for the cancer and hence it developed. Similarly when I was in my rebellious phase I became a lifelong contrarian who keeps calling it out. Its so comprehinsibly off the charts in behavioural analysis is it any wonder I never committed suicide. I always had one more point to make before angrily leaving the stage. When I was younger my suicidal thoughts weren't about not giving another generation a mini me full of anxiety. My suicide was selfishly about making a point when I was backed into a corner, of the show me, I 'll show you. Nowadays with so much more experience when people leave the stage more often than not in their 40's, 50's and 60's, I can only applaud. These people have battled their mental health longer than most, but for me their truth is unique to them and their situation. Its as normal as living in the wrong skin and so ably represented as Kellie Mahoney described Ricky Hatton's career in a voice I only recognised as Frank Mahoney. I know nothing about Frankly Kellie, the book written presumably about Frank becoming Kellie. I applaud the coverage that ensured Kellie's voice was heard at a time when we were commenting on Ricky's mental health. It was hugely emblematic of our times and helped Kellie's comments resonate all the more. I hope it helps all boxing fans and wider society embrace each other. It lead me into how impressionable I was and even now how easily lead I could be into a stark binary choice. Once I was working I developed my ability to see only grey. When I was working I believed there were absolutes but in the main there were more variable than people ever imagined. Its a theory I'd promulgated at University doing Economics over 4 years. I sat the second year exam many times. I refused to let the phillips curve, Laffer curve and a few others be assumed mathematical fact. Each time I'd fail the exam I'd be told I would do that work in 4th year or explore it in a masters or a PHD. I did eventually 'lie', ie present the unexamined 'facts' to pass the exam and get my degree. In truth I felt there were many more unqiue situations when those laws would not apply and over the last 40+ years we've had plenty. I think analysis of the minimum wage encourages a bimodal distribution assessment. There is a squeeze as the lowest paid migrate up and the higher paid migrate down to the minimum wage. The higher paid know they have to get up to the next level or they risk having their wages frozen and being dragged back towards the minimum wage. As I say there are smarter people who studied the subject longer and would be able to postulate more coherent arguments for this growing confusion our society finds itself financially in. The problem with a developing bimodal income distribution means that the wealth concentration just accelerates. Wealth concentration particularly when the passive income from that wealth is not taxed correctly. Whether you're a jobbing contractor or a family trust fund you should pay tax not corporation tax. Ultimately we are all individuals, whether we own a small one person business, run a huge bookies or a few bilion in a family inherited tax wrapper. Its not my job to influence tax policy and I certainly wish it was but I believe there are more qualified voices. I do know back in the day how much I enjoyed it. Explaining simple truths and getting things changed. CREST is the UK's security settlement system. ITs a massive piece of digital infrastructure. Its responsible for £trilliions every year and probably settles £400 million every day. THat's quite a small amount of money changing hands but the whole industry relies on it. Compared to 1984 when there was no infrastructure and the privatisation programme had ground the city's settlement to a halt. I wont bore myself again by recounting how Counterpary risk requirement legislation was brought in to ensure firms like County Nat West with £600million missing needed to have that collateral to continue trading. I tell that story so often. In short, it resulted in the NatWest bank needing to give the broking arm County NatWest the daily shortfall to allow it to trade. The board of Nat West bought Wood Mackenzie as we were the best at settlement. I know as I was there, both before and after university but the story I want to tell today is later. I took a job and a random 10 years later got to explore my economic theories during CREST with the boffins at the Bank of England. They had a user pays mentality and that fitted my psyche. What I needed to do was explain who the hidden users were. It was the first time I'd been involved in the taxation of users for a system. I explored what all the industry participants would benefit from. It was fascinating seeing how easy their heads were being turned from the inital strict criteria they had. Users should pay for the design build and maintenance of the system. That was clear and I agreed non negotiable. What happened next was I introduced who will benefit from the system. Those who benefit are indeed the users but whose gaining most. Who are the chief beneficiaries. Who is price sensitive and who has their hands tied and might indeed be too small to survive. Was the system being designed to get rid of small users who had a build cost of their own to comply. This was one time when I got to fight the corner of the small industry participants whether they be brokers, market makers or registrars. It was a given that the biggest particpants could pay for their interface, from infrastructure build to transaction charging. The crux of the issue for me however was I was now just doing my masters and PHD in front of the Bank of England and the industry. I was asking questions from the audience with banter, and receiving the answer 'you should be up here'. I felt my whole contrarian world of digging deeper than my 2nd year course would let me had finally paid off. It would only be a few years later I would meet the Treasury minister at the Mansionhouse to tell her to sack her speech writer. Angela Knight was not best pleased but she'd been sold a pup by whoever she was briefed. Eddie George had done a much better job at outlining the securuty risk to the UK if the financial system could be so easily corrupted as it had been. I use corrupted when a better description is grind to a halt, but utimately if you want to corrupt a system, grinding it to a halt is good thing. Talisman was a fine system but the users were identical to the users of the Horse Racing industry. They will never come together and agree a way forward. There is far too many ingrained with the belief that the system shouold be bent to them. I suppose that's iherent corruption within the system. I invited the shadow treasury spokesman Alistair Darling a week later to discuss what his constituents would like their employer to be able to do to help divert more wealth to the masses. That's when I realised this New Labour venture was about looking after a new bimodal whilst keeping the wealthy wealthy. A far cry from what I thought he'd done back in his LRC days under Thatcher. I never knew him in those days and I knew already I didn't want to know him now. I passed him onto our traders and let him look at the screens as they went red and blue. The Socialist republic of Stocktrade would have to look elsewhere if they wanted to hand over the factors of production to the workers. That was some couple of weeks and we'd go on to grow organically the firm. Did it improved life for a few or ticked a few boxes, I doubt history will even bother to judge. We enjoyed trying and by the time I'd finished with the city I'd comfortably paid my £1m in tax and was very smug about it. Perhaps my ambition shouldve been to pay £100m in tax. I'm a communist in my thinking. I want to contribute to the pot. I want to maximise the input and output of everyone from their health to their happiness. You dont need wealth, you need a wealthy society. I love that by making Stocktrade grow from £300k to £3m profit we went from paying NI of £40k to £400k, our tax at the end exceeded £1m and personally many of the employees would pay huge sums. I believe strongly in putting money in the kitty in the country I live in. I have never liked when it gets spent on wars and that always results in taxation, getting a bad name. I just wish we had a better word. I enjoyed knowing I had access to use and develop my economic theory. I dont think I'd ever write a book about it, I just keep going of on tangents. So after Pamplona I will climb a hill and witter nonsense to John.

UPDATE FROM LOGROÑO 

I've properly been toiling to eat and also think clearly. I booked Estella for Saturday in my head and Friday in reality. I walked over to puente la Reina then got a bus. I let St Jacques decide and as I rolled into town I knew it would be very tight for the 4pm bus. As I passed the Jakey aka hotel Jakue, I heard it behind me and thought 5:30 it is then. It enabled me to go to the largest ever Larios bar.

I took a few photos had a wine then some tapas in the cafe next to the bus stop. At least at Jacques is feeding me.

The Agora was a good hostel and I'd recommend it. Beds were comfortable and price reasonable. I met a Czechia guy who lives in the Netherlands screwing the bolts on the many solar farms. He liked a drink and I thought I'd lost my key so he let me in. The next morning I found my purse in my pocket. As chilled as I think I am I still know I'm only a moment from a panic. I checked the pocket so many times but these shorts have two pockets and clearly I'd been drinking.

It took me an hour to eat the huevos rotos and chistorra. I am the slowest exhausting eater now.

The next day I again let St Jacques decide via the bus whether I would bus to Los Arcos and walk to sansol or not.

I arrived in Azcueta literally even closer to the bus time and was 20 yards from the stop when I saw the bus hare by. I had had an interesting morning with an American nutter who was missing a stick.

With the decision being up to Monjardin I immediately thought, superb, I won't see the nutter again. Ana the host at the albergue was one of those beautiful old women who just care for you. The more stupid you are, the more she cares. Thanks for a lower bunk, great food and everything including the local guide suggestions.

I got a great picture at the fat end of the town before I got my washing back to hang it up outside where it dried in 40 minutes.

What a vista.

Obviously a few pints while the football was on and after the washing dried.

We had pumpkin soup for dinner lots of it, then I had eggs and sausages. Finally quince with cheese and a walnut. Simple tasty fare washed down with the local Monjardin wine, a joven not a reservation so my throat was fine.

Back up to the pub to leave my hat overnight. Thankfully the danish guys Nikolag, and Frederick, had me covered. While they ate breakfast and I started to grow a panic, they suggested try the bar.

Very easy for them and so difficult for me. I walked up and there it was on the table. 

Honest villamayor monjardin. To be fair they probably just wanted me to collect my rubbish.

It was dark when I walked out. Quickly the sun rose and my legs said run.

I didn't run, I just walked fast like a wee startled rabbit. It was a short trip over and we'll under 3 hours.

Don't panic the power will return and now its Santillana del Mar to St Vicente de Barquera

The power did return and now we head to santillana del mar. What made me chuckle was I say Saint Jacques will provide and of course life will go on.

That is the essence of believing in fate. In my case it's trusting in fate. It's believing in what fate produces is my most majestic belief.

I honestly believe that fate around the corner is like, how would we say, good for me. I don't feel uncertain or uncomfortable. I honestly feel strongly that it will be new experience. I find that good things happen when you encounter things you weren't expecting.

I also get shit scared that I'm bluffing. I was so delighted when we stuck to the high road on our way to St Vincente de Barquera. It meant that when we did finally join the road it was short lived and we were able to get back away from the traffic and onto the beach. The stretch of coastline is quite simply magnificent, so its well worth doing again. We had got the bus to Santillana del MAr and whilst you think you'll see the sea what you get is a wee medieval town centre with everything a bit overpriced for the likes of me. The hotel we stayed in by the green was the better part of town as I found the city centre like the centre of most of the camino towns in Northern Spain, old and attractive. I found Santillana had cobbles like Pamplona, Ponferrade or Puente La Reina. Does the wee castle of Ponferrade triump over them all, for me visually yes. I maybe shouldve read some marketing literature to see why it was so good but instead we wandered found a couple of places and chilled. Next day we took off early from our lovely wee hotel. It was very reasonable, so that appealed to my modest means, and we had breakfast thrown in. Their electrics werent fully restored, a common theme as I dug out cash instead of card. I'd brought 600 with me so it proved handy. Its no suprise to see everyone has a way of getting around booking.com fees and later on in Burgos I paid 402 euro in cash and saw that the owner had rejected my booking owing to a card issue. There was no problem with getting the keys and it was a great price for 5 days in the city centre so I've no problem with it. It could unnerve you if you were travelling on a hot day and it looked like your booking had been cancelled while you had a siesta but I'd not been walking, had a receipt and so just accepted it was a normal way to operate. Taxes, fees and commissions are dodged the world over by the rich, the poor and everyone in between. When we left Santillana the route takes you up and down. Its a brilliant meander through quiet country roads as you walk 8km to get to the town that was 5km away when you started. We're on camino now, I mused, properly walking round in circles away from the noise. Our first stop was at the top of the hill with a church. I thought I'd get to light candles, I was wrong. I did get to put sun cream on, drink the juice and eat my food. We enjoyed a good 20 minute break and stretch. I like to support the cafes by going in at the every opportunity. The truth is its ok to bring your own food and stop on a bench where the views are magnificent. After doing this for 18 years I think that is by far my greatest lesson, just chill. Once we'd climbed the hill we were always going to go down and so we did until we got to the town at half way. We were given a choice to go down the hill and bypass the main road in or stick to where it looked like there would be a cafe. We took the high road, keeping the altitude and stopped for coffee. It was great to go to the toilet too. Also the energy levels are so variable I got myself an extra juice. If there's one lesson I need to keep repeating its the dioralyte message. Keeping hydrated, post cancer treatment aside, is the most forgotten thing for me. I remember once I'm done in. Later on as we descended all the way down to the magnificent wee beach, I thought the same. Hydration and hills go hand in hand. As we left sea level and climbed I noticed instead of lagging behind Simon, I was striding passed him. Considering I was out on my feet upon hitting the first hill out of Castro Urdiales I was well chuffed. It was a 15 minute hill. I took a lot of pictures back to the town. I also stood for ages admiring the view down to the hotel by the beach. It got better the higher we climbed although Simon wasnt getting much chance to admire it. I was really confused about how I had suddenly found my legs. It was exceedingly unusual. When we got to the top there was a little garden with fountains. The gardeners were in and it was a bit noisy but totally worthy of a stop. We took the water, got our breath back and soldiered on. Our next stop was as a result of keeping to the high ground. I saw a really nice cafe but Simon figured it was a wedding. We didn't see any other pilgrims but having said that, you rarely do on this stretch as there are a few ways to go and the Norte is quiet. When we did finally stop it was a great piece of cake. The local restaurant is a destination place. Most people arriving did so in cars and the tables were all being dressed for lunch when we arrived. I had a similar cake later in St Vicente de Barquera and it wasn't in the same league. We paid half the 5 euro we'd paid up the hill but quality is quality. I like treating myself on a 2 euro item not a 200 euro item. When we were walking the beach it was simply magnificent. There were the surfers, the families, beach games. Its just a big party. We got to a bar, ordered a beer and took another 20 minutes to savour it. Just to feel the ambience is everything.

Updated Week 1 on the Camino norte

You can watch videos and read blogs but the 5 senses are squared as you take your first steps out of Irun and climb towards Guadalupe.

I did this walk twice 

The first time I got lost and on the second day with Rich it was easier, still magnificent marauding without sticks and it was tough 

The rewards are the views.

Vista upon vista and we loved it 

The climbing is tough with the views very much the reward.

The highlight both days was Paraia.

A small town which you cross by boat

The location is just so remote.

400 steps offer a climb to the lighthouse and it's easy to see why this would be the 6km short day if you felt the whole thing too tough.

Next day Zarautz and what about the views on the way.

Then zamaia and Deba with great views of other coastal towns on the way.

Toughest yet Deba to Markina.

We dodged markina to Guernica as we walked to lezema.

Rest day and the Gernika museum.

We took the mid afternoon train to Bilbao and did some walking and then checked into the flat. It was quite a whirlwind week and when Simon lost his fight with the stanley knife we knew we were into new options now. To sum up the Monday and Tuesday were great reminders for me on my own travelling. I usually lose things and my cashmere left my hand while I walk/ran from Poitiers airport to train station. The good thing was I made it and my passport was in my jacket which I didn't drop. Tuesday morning I was in despair about losing my glasses. I spent 6am to 7am scurrying around looking for them in the donativo albergue where I gave 20 euro so grateful wasI for a bed. I left my boxer shorts hanging on the peg in the shower room or maybe elsewhere but I was so preoccupied by my glasses I wasin bits. I'd sensibly put them on my bag but somehow never saw them until I'd conceded defeat. What elation as I left with no idea where I was going. Normally you see pilgrims but I was just so relieved I made up a direction and was 180 degrees wrong. Google maps straightened me out and by 8am I saw a pilgrim. The rest was much easier but I did really enjoy the freedom of being on my own with no rush. I bought sun cream in Paraia and had a menu del dia, all very sensible and leisurely. I continued on up the tough climb but with a great sense of plenty of time. I needed to arrive by 7pm or even later. The fun finally arrived as my hotel had two sides of the building for checking in and there were major roadworks outside. When I finally navigated around them I found that the door I needed was from whence I'd come. On this occasion looking up for hotel signs was wiser than fixation with google. All was well after I showered and chose a bed and rearranged everything. We were there for two nights so no problems in the morning packing. I got the train along met Rich got the train back and 4 mins from the station was perfect. In the morning we'd make the 7.45am train no problem and Rich would re-unite himself with the famous steps to the platform he'd slept on 40 years earlier, a typical camino moment! Wednesday we walked and in the evening Stu arrived. The usal chaotic plans of agreeing a time then changing it over the course of a few tapas leaves one confused. Rich and I woke quite sharp and after our day before were raring to head off. Stu was 10 mins away so we went down and woke him up and headed for a cafe. I just remembered the bizarre please look after my bag and drink conversation from the night before. Some dude explained he was dying as he ventured out for his fag and gave us our minder role. Traditional camino moment that has just returned. We had a great coffee in the bar, stu arrived and we soon headed off around the big bay and then up the steps and hill. It was amazing up the top. Views and pictures non stop. This kind of walking isnt exercise as you feel like a moving part on someone elses canvass and its just stunning. The initial part by the road was not much to our liking and the spray from the cars as the rain fell lightly would pt a few off but it was worth an hour or even less of that nonsense to enjoy the beauty that followed. We hadn't arranged the same deal for Thursday in Zarautz of doing 2 nights but as soon as I saw the place I said to the guys another 180 euros seems a lot but it is a bedroom each and the shower was perfect. At the time I also thought we would be 15 mins back on the tram from Deba but that changed when we learnt of the station work. Who knew we would pay 225euro for three of us later on in Leon for 3 nights but this area around San Seb is expensive. You make all sorts of excuses in your head driven by laziness, convenience and I'm a sucker for a washing machine. The head also really enjoys a break from the question where are we staying, oh and the kicker is not packing up and moving on. A day off these things helps so much and so enabled a bit of planning on where to stay next. On my own I am happy rolling into town but when there is 3 you can usually get a decent accomodation with someone getting a single or even as we had 3 bedroom places. My next flat trick was a bit of folly. We knew Markina had limited accomodation so when the opportunity to get another 3 bed place in Guernika appeared it seemed a no brainer. We could bus or tax from and back to Markina. We forgot it was Saturday and we also didn't realise that this was to prove the hardest walking day. By the time we got to Deba with the bus/tram we were heading off about 11am. It can be the downside of a two night stay leaving slower as you linger longer and then with the Zarautz tram station renovations we got the 9.20 bus to connect with the 10.40 tram, missing the earlier hourly train by 10 minutes. Happily we cold have a cortado or two at a nearby cafe in Zamaia. Cola Cao and Cortado look and sound very differently but trust me, not the way I or Stu speaks. I started adding an australian lift to Cola Cao, chocolate, and they looked at me in that pitying way reserved for clowns who couldn't wear the shoes or speak the language. Escotia, Stupido, perdone. The walk was undoubtedly our toughest yet but possibly because the heat had also been turned up as the rain was turned off. We also had our back packs and the terrain was always going up, then down, then back up. We were cutting through the interior to Markina and it was tough. There were a few falls on the really steep bits and it was all about going slowly enough to keep your feet. When we were walking we passed a few albergues that never feature when you're pushing the Booking button. Trust in St Jacques I say but apart from arriving at the albergue in Irun we were mostly packaged up. I'll put the prices below including when Rich & I headed to the Camino Frances. Irun - Donativo - $20 San Sebastien - £40 pppn - £166.07 for 2 nights Zarautz - £55 pppn - £166.07 (187$)+180euro for 2 nights Gernika - £37.50 pppn - £223 for 2 nights (256.50$) Bilbao - £36.50 pppn - $252 Vitoria Gasteiz - £19 pppn - $64.80 Estrella - £28 pppn- £224 for 4 nights - $257.05 Hostal Mexicana Santander - £21.50 pppn £64.50 for one night $71.82 Burgos - $168.30 - 2 nights (3 rooms in flat if you slept on sofa 2 bathrooms but leaky showers in one with bath) Cardenuela Rio Pico $22 pppn - $66 including menu del dia (3 lower bunks in dorm) Amanecer - Poblacion/Fromista $40pppn - $120 (3 ensuite rooms) Carrion de Los Condes - $27 pppn -$80 (Quadruple room with big bath/shower room) Housing Leon - $224 for 3 nights (3 bedroom flat with 2 bathrooms) Gijon - $22 pppn Hotel Castilla $66 (small triple room with ensuite) Santander - $20 pppn - $60 (big triple room with ensuite) I dissappeared down the accomodation rabbit hole there but it shows that there are often many options to go big or keep it simple. For me the bargain basement Leon is just so good. Its next to the cafe Epsolon in the part of Leon I always tend to try and go. My only complaint is I rarely get the train or bus back to terradillos des los templarios or Sahagun and walk. I have once made it to Astorga had a session and got bus back but I get lazy and walk to the Babu Africa bar or just around town but I digress. Having arrived on Saturday about 7pm in Markina we had to get a taxi. We had no idea how tough it would be but luckily Stu struck gold and we were in the apartment for 8pm and out by 8.45pm with the washing on the line. The taxi had cost $55 including tip so we were delighted but as the night wore on walking out of Gernika was winning the vote and Markina to Gernika would wait for another year. Markina was really busy on Saturday night and is a basque mecca as it is alone in the mountains a good 20 miles from the train stops to the South and South west. I think I'll book a hotel next year once I have my plans pinned down. So when we awoke on Sunday we had a leisurely walk to Lezema in mind and if it was too easy we'd carry on to Bilbao. Compared to the day before it was pretty easy mountanous bits and then the heat hit when we had the 4km roadway into Lezema. Train station won. We never even got a drink, or a toilet, we just got a ticket and jumped on 10 minutes later. Again an hourly train so worth taking it straight away. The journey was also a lot longer than expected. Lezema train comes in from the east and does a loop before you can then change onto a train slightly more SE ot of Bilbao to Gernika. Perfectly simple on the map. We go into Bilbao at 2 and leave at 5 on the clock face. Luckily the time wasn't that long but the toilet was in short supply and I'd drunk a lot of water. Suffice to say we should've got the train to Bilbao casco viejo, got off had a drink then got the train to Gernika, but we didn't. I held my bladder and then ran from train station to flat and finally got relief. More washing followed and as I kept mine inside it was dry while the others went for leaving it outside in the overnight cloud. It was a proper cloud when we woke up and you couldn't see the town for it. We were signtseeing today and took in the museum before a tram to Bilbao and a stroll around. Its obligatory to go to Cafe Iruna and so we did and then we went for a menu del dia. We got refused at the first place so went next door and were delighted. Serendipidy indeed. Finally we went to the flat where the guy met us gave us the keys and i took one look and thought, Dancer! The twin room and double room were to the front but an interior box room grabbed my attention so having had the doubles I took the box. The kitchen/living room was huge. A bit like the cockroach we saw on the morning we were leaving. I threw it out, arms up its back but it was over an inch long so put up a struggle on meagre me. We had a siesta then a drink on our balcony then headed into the old town. We had a great night then planned our strategy for walking around the town. Up to the bus stop via the river and guggenheim and then back down to town going up the hill away from the river and in and around all these wee bars and boulevards. Bilbao always has cheek by jowl new and old, merged at times, juxtaposed at times and stark contrast other times. All good for sight seeing. Then we climbed the big hill behind our flat and got to the top before coming down and having another excellent menu del dia.