June 8 Gernika to Bilboa – 19 miles

We combined two days into one so we could get to Bilbao sooner. On our longest walk yet (8.5h/48,512 steps/30.4KM) from Gernika to Lezama and then into Bilboa. Our legs and feet are beginning to rebel, so we’ll spend an extra day in the big city of Bilbao for some recovery time. That little graphic above does not tell the story of ascent that our bodies feel! At the top of the final ascent into Bilboa, we found a refrigerated vending machine and a bench at the end of someone’s gated driveway. So many random findings as we move through rural and urban…

While we were resting and drinking a cold water, a guy from the Netherlands rounded the top and made the 45 minute descent into Bilbao with us. He was intrigued by our faith. A 27-year-old chemical engineer, he has found the spiritual lifestyle unsatisfying and wanting to know more about different religions. He was very interested in Christianity and has begun reading and finding presentations to attend. He brought a Bible along with him on the Camino to begin reading. Hopefully he enjoyed the conversation as much as we did! I know we gave him lots to think about.

In Bilboa we found a restaurant that touted being Tex-Mex! It wasn’t Austin-worthy, but better than South Bend! We’re looking forward to checking out the city tomorrow.