Yesterday Libby, Jerome, and I crossed the Bilbao river from our hotels to have a classic Spanish breakfast on a plaza in the Deusto district: cafes con leche, fresh o.j., fresh baguettes spread with olive oil and pureed fresh tomato (did I mention that it was all fresh?). This area is named for the University of Deusto, a prestigious private Jesuit university housed there. The district feels student-like, at least once up off the main business street, with Basque independence sentiments visible in flags, banners, and graffiti along the streets, and plenty of places to hang out. Deusto was a separate rural municipality known for its tomatoes until the city absorbed it in 1925.
A 30-minute ride on the very modern metro took us from Deusto to Getxo (gay-cho) at the mouth of the estuary, where we found lots of beach, sunbathers, runners, cyclists, and some kind of marathon, plus sunshine and a general weekend atmosphere. The towns that occupy this headland seem to consist of affluent homes and gardens, plus a line of early 20th-century mansions that interested Jerome greatly. After exploring, we took a bus back to Bilbao, enjoying lovely river and city views. The Vizcaya Bridge was built to connect the two banks which are situated at the mouth of the Nervion River. It is the world's oldest transporter bridge and was built in 1893, designed by Alberto Palacio, one of Gustave Eiffel's disciples. It was the solution to the problem of crossing the estuary without disrupting the maritime traffic of the Port of Bilbao. Downtown again, we had cañas (small, very cold draft beers ubiquitous in Spain) and rested our feet.
