Today was a wonderful day! We had plans to mett Mendi, from our Camino forum for coffee but at the last minute he (or she) had emailed to say that they had something come up but lets meet at nine thirty tonight for a drink. I along thought Mendi was a guy despite the name, and was always impressed with the knowledge that person shared about the Camino that we all love. I described their information as deep information...way beyond just scratching the surface with opinion which is all many of us can only offer if we don't live here and if our experience is constantly moving from town to town.
Prior to going out to enjoy the day Gerr reminded me that he had to go thru the map, his schedule his calendar and come upmwith game plan for completing the Camino and securing himself the Compestela, the document that has been presented to pilgrims for a thousand years. It's the same document no matter how far you have traveled...BUT you must travel the last one hundred kilometers to the cathedral on foot ( different criteria for those on bikes), somas mentioned earlier it was best for Gerr to skip ahead now rather than later and this way he was getting to join a Camino familynthat might get him into Santiago vs a group he might love and having to say good- bye. We walked to the trendy New Square and while Gerr ran into a store to get something I ran over to a pinxos place and attempted to inhale a pinxos just based on its beauty. I didn't want to make the executive decision on where we were going to eat but I did know I wanted that pinxos!!!! it was bread warmed with melted brie and carpaccio then there at the window was Gerr and I had to confess I jst had to have that pinxos, good thing he was up for stopping here for food and a cafe con leche, so we sat out in the square and watched people as they went by. Gerr was going to catch the early afternoon bus on to Santander that I think would put him six days ahead of me. I felt like our paths might cross again but realistically it would be almost impossible. My hope is that Steve and I can entertain him and his wife one day on US soil, or maybe even see themin Ireland one day. A few hours later I walked Gerr up the street, thru the center of town steps from the bus station to send him on his way for what would be a hour and a half bus ride. It's always hard to say bye to a friend on the Camino, I knew from my last how difficult it was... I also knew something that he might not, that this will be far from the first good bye that he will be saying this trip. Unless we all have the exact schedule and the exact days flight out it is impossible not to repeat this over and over....what gets you thru it? Another door opens, another friend comes into your life, while they certainly don't ever replace what you have....new adventures constantly present the,selves on the Camino....
I would go for a big tour of the town...I walked along the river, I walked around the Guggenheim Museum, I enjoyed the mist spray that came up under the famous spider sculpture there and I ventured in stores thrilled that my backpack " kept me behaving" for one has little room in their pack to add anything, let alone the weight of the object to consider.
Once back at the hostel I got to socialize with several of the kids from around the world staying there... Good kids, however I was really suprised at hoe few of them seemed to venture out...for example our only bunk mate in our room was a 22 year old girl from Australia and in the two days I was there I don't think I saw her remover herself fromher technology in the lower bunk except once to venture out for food in the kitchen. I always appreciate a place to put my head but can't wait to get out on the town.
A highlight of my day was getting to meet Mendi from the forum! He came around after a class he taught and he was a he!!!! Amazing that he grew up probably less than 12 miles from me....though several years would seperate us. He and his w ife appear to live a wonderful life here in Bilbao...and he showed me pictures of them trekking thru Morocco and Turkey!!!! He called the mountains, " my mountains", I loved it when he said this! He said once a party pooper questioned why he calls them " his", and all I could think of was what miserable soul would question anyones love or connection with nature. If only we all called them " ours" wouldn't we all take so much better care of them. Mendi and I went around the corner and had two glasses of wine before he had to run home....I stuck around finishing my second and had a great nights sleep in my hostel.
Mendi said he woukd meet me at 8:30 in the morning to walk with me to the perimeter of Bilbao, to help me out of town and to guide me on a variant that he prefers....tomorrows stretch out of Bilbao is described as not the best so I am eagar for his input.
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