Llanes - Bilbao - Lisbon: Rain into SUN! 861.9 kms 14-24

Lisbon! Lisboa!

Guess an explanation as to why we are now sitting in Lisboa is warranted. During the last stage into Llanes it became apparent that Annemarie’s knee was hurting considerably. I suggested to Annemarie that we should stop walking and that made her smile. So that alone was worth the decision! Late that night we started to make alternate plans for our last few weeks and first focused on finding flights home. Harder at the end of a June than one might imagine with prices spiking at that time. We had earlier spoken of heading into the Normandy and Brittany areas where we have friends who we met walking the Arles last fall, but one look at the weather and that idea was quickly abandoned. We had agreed before leaving home that if we had to stop walking then we were going somewhere sunny and warm to have a nice holiday experience. Actually much of the weather up north isn’t too good at the moment. Southern Spain is mostly +30, and when we looked at southern Portugal we found that the long term forecast was excellent with mid 20’s weather. Perfect. 

We then found a direct flight from Bilbao to Lisboa and sourced the bus times to Bilbao. It was by then very late so the next morning we booked flights home via Paris and Calgary and we arranged a rental car pickup on the 13th in Lisbo for 11 days. 

We waited for the bus in Llanes and while we waited our friend Bram walked into town, feet feeling better after a short stage. He joined us for refreshments and was then on his way. We will miss him, a nice guy and we wish him well with his Masters in environmental studies in a Norway.

We will miss many of the nicest folks we’ve me5 along the way.

So we had another of these nice toad in the hole sandwiches and caught the bus for Bilbao.

A nice evening out eating pinchos at my favourite Michelin bar was really great.

Then Annemarie talked me into dessert. It wasn’t too hard:)

Staying beside the football stadium where the Bilbao La Liga team plays. I now have another football team shot glass for my growing collection.

A different sort of laundry view outside out cheap hotel window. It rained all night so there was quite the noise as the drops hit these umbrellas!

This morning after trying to sleep in and failing badly on our stone hard bed we were up for breakfast and a nice walk in the rain along the river.

Then we had a light pincho lunch...

...and headed for the bus to the airport. We soon left the rain and cold of Bilbao.

And traded up for the sun and blue skies of a Lisboa. Just an hour and a half away!

Having been to Lisboa in 2012 after cycling for three weeks in Holland we decided to stay just two nights. This gives us a day in Lisboak and then we will head south likely along the coast and then into the Algarve. From there we have no plans and will locate accommodation as we go. It would be nice to centre ourselves somewhere and day trip out from there. Will see what happens. I would also like to see if my pal Dieder who I met on the Plata in 2014 is home in Faro for dinner and a reunion. We have stayed in touch, but he’s often in SE Asia visiting his son and family. Will see if that can happen.

This is the view from our top floor hotel window, as was the first photo.

Am I disappointed about stopping the walk? For sure. I was really enjoying the Norte, almost all of it. Even the mud. It’s such a beautiful Way, and so very different from other parts of Spain. More like some of the walking we’ve so enjoyed in France, without the ocean. However, when your partner blows a tire, you have to adjust and that’s what we’ve done. I already have plans for a special solo walk Spring 2020 to celebrate my 65 birthday and I’ll get plenty of time hoofing along then. Perhaps the following year I/we will return to Llanes to complete the Norte and Primativo as had been my hope. Perhaps not. We walked just over 400 kms, about half way along the Norte, so not bad.  It will still be here, still be beautiful. Am I excited to be where it’s warm and sunny for two whole weeks? What do you think?

Thanks as always to those who have followed and encouraged us as we’ve walked this year. We really appreciate your support and your interest. 

I intend to continue to blog from time to time as we go along so that my sister Kathy can stay involved. Annemarie’s knee is settling down nicely and we hope to walk in the National parks and across loads of beaches as we go. Of course the food and scenery is pretty wonderful based on our prior experiences in this country, and the people warm and welcoming. Looking forward to this! 

And Liz, there will be Portuguese tartan! Lots! Stay tuned for photos! Neil and Sarah, we will be thinking of you too!

Best wishes to all,

Geoff  & Annemarie