29 September 2026 Bilbao: Old Town Stroll

After the museum we megandered about for a while.  We walked over to an old time theater which was down by the river.  We had the elevator plotted but when we realized we would have to walk up hill to got to the elevator we called an uber!  We headed back and ghad lunch and then cooked two whole chickens even through we could not get the oven to work!

A cool fountain

A different sun on each face

Some more blustery than others

There may actually be names

One for each season

A vertical city in this neighborhood

We found a plaza

Pretty big

Ice cream cones so big...

Glorious doors

Very elaborate

Both the door and the doorway

Narrow streets

The old theater

Another man flying on a eagle

Graand building

Orante

By the river

Big Church

Buying sweets is a serious endevor

These two custrds survived the way home

Church entrance

Knock knock

A cute bandshell

Another fountain

Baby baby baby 

Tiny streets

An elevator and a walkway over to  the park?

All closed down

Nice handles

Wow!

Woodworking extra special

Pigeon eating who knows what

We realize now there is no easy way to the top of this hill

Raise the white flag and call an uber

     It has been 4 years and 116 days since we began our Migration
 

29 September 2026 Bilbao: Archeological Museum & Olympic Level Stairway

 

We were bracing for a hot day with temperatures expected to rise to be in the 90's.  With some rain expected for tomorrow, a large dome of hot air was pulled in in front of a cooler air mass.  We started out from the apartment and walked through a nice park heading downhill on a gentle slope.  Then we reached the real downhill portion of our walk.  These stairs can only described as an Olympic Level of stairs.  We did not count the steps but the google machine says it is upwards of 350 steps.  We took our time and stopped often to take pictures.  We spent an hour in the Archeological museum and really enjoyed the displays.  Many of the objects had illustrations next to them showing how each item was used.  

The park has a huge brick smokestack left over from the industrial days

A fun scuplture

Spooky hightlights

Follow the arrow to get to Santiago de Compostella

Inside a walled area

We have made it down a large number of stairs

A long way down to the bottom

Housed lines the stairs

Inside the walled area we spy a red building

A grand entrance indeed

Ramps paralleled the stairs

The housed get their own bridges over to the stairs

Bilbao rests in a deep river valley

A faux building painted on the side of an outbuilding

The Archeological Museum

Weapons with details on how they were made

There are several caves all along the coast that have paleolithic cave paintings

Close ups

Buffalo

The caves also contained bones of older beasts

Pendants

Of course it is diorama time

A walled city with areas for the livestock

Funerary pieces

An iconic statue dated to 200 BCE and thought to represent a boar holding a calendar disc

Another grave marker

Many of the displays had details that identified use of the artifacts in the room

No bull here, or maybe this is where the bull was buried

The illustrations were very informative

Great stonework

Ventilation pieces

All carved out of stone!

Speaking of carving skills

Some fantastic pieces

Some bling too

The illustration really helps

A system of cisterns

Excavated and now on display

A cool display to boot

Ceramic bits

We have had a hard time finding pipes for sale

Many tiny jars

Watch your lips!

Tennis ball  bird

Leaving the museum

     It has been 4 years and 116 days since we began our Migration