Guernika to Bilbao

After an exhausted arrival, I slept like a lamb until the French couple below us started packing up at 5:30.  Up and at'em as they say!  The French couple are yet more of the European all star team who seem to have started the same day we did out of Irun seemingly so long ago.  She has the build of a distance runner.  I suspect she is in her 60's.  She has a 'european' attitude toward changing in front of us.  Me, I'm more of a mid-western boy.  They are gone by 6:15. Pete and I creak and grown ourselves to the bathroom, pack, and head down to the food set out--long loaves of bread, butter, packets of lime marmelade that several open, but one look at the green goo and no one eats it, juice in a box, and water to heat with tea bags.  We dine with friends and head out across the town with few others astir so early on Saturday morning.  This is the emotional heart of the Basque region, and we pass the famous Oak of Meeting.  Out of town the traveling is beautiful, but as always, it is up and up.  Everyboy soon bids us "bon chance" as the disappear up the trail.  We do manage to see some of them again as they take a wrong turn and run into a bunch of cows headed down mountain for breakfast.  We contine on thoroughly enjoying the morning.  At our morning break I think and pray for my wife and am overcome with loneliness--"In the place my wonder comes from, there, I find you" I sing to the morning birds.  As we march on, bodies still very beat up from yesterday and feet, well feet are making themselves known, we decide to take the guidebook and other pilgrims advice.  Instead of marching 10K through the industrial suburbs of Bilbao (imagine walking through southfield mile after mile) we will hop on a bus, splurge for 1.75 Euro and ride in style into Bilbao.  No one will sit near us.  We stink and have mud all over our boots and legs.  We ride until I recognize the Casco Viejo (Old City) from our visit to see Rachel as a student here in 2009.  We jump off, find the hotel Jardines, but they are full.  The football crowd is here from last night's drubbing at the feet of mighty Barcelona.   I'm sick thinking there will be no room at the Inn for two language challenged Peregrinos.  We finally find a pension and here we will rest for a day.  Now to Mass at the Church so St. James and then a delightful dinner.
Today I shared hopes and prayers with Mary K. And Diane K.
Once again I started my day with a blessing from my daughter.
Buen Camino.