I had been looking forward to a lovely recreational walking tour of the city for this rest day, but a few things interfered. First, there was the matter of the weather. It was rainy and windy. Who among you has had success using a navigational device in the rain? It is impossible! Even if you put it in one of those rain cases. After several aborted attempts trying to figure out the directions through the roundabouts and stairs and what not, and after muttering a few choice words, I decided to go to the Museum of Fine Arts.
Doggums sheltered from the rain:
A number of rooms held traditional\religious works, but there were some contemporary pieces, as well.
These big plastic blobs that reminded me of Richard Serra´s stuff:
They also came in black:
Yup, this is it:
Back at the hotel I spent about two hours on the next day`s plan: which of four routes to take out of the city. I worked diligently (map wise) on getting myself to the start of the (very) challenging but pretty option figuring that the lazy day today would give me extra energy for this exit, but whilst thus labouring, I tripped over the computer cord and destroyed the monitor. All there was were stripes in motion, and not of the artistic variety.
The phone really had to perform now! I found a store about a mile away that dealt in Apple products. They said they could repair the computer in about two and a half weeks and that it would cost €450 WHAT? I could not go two and a half weeks without a computer! There had two computers for sale...OK, one in two different colors. I chose without thinking. It took forever to do the paperwork. Then they sent me back to the hotel to get my actual passòrt; the facsimile would not suffice. When I returned the entire world was in the store, but I was not going to leave until I had set up the new device. I cannot even describe the drama. To add to it all, this is a Spanish\French computer with a different keyboard, so just try entering an email address and you will get " when you want @ because now the number 2 key has three functions. Wait, and it is a 2022, so not even the latest and greatest. I won´t go into more detail except to say that like a complete idiot I bought Apple Care for an additional €200. Now I am in the process of trying the cancel that purchase but the guy told me I would have to come into the store to effect the transaction, only I am no longer in Bilbao but in Portugalete. Oh, and the old computer? The first guy said I could get €40 for it but he disappeared and so I just left it there gratis. This whole caper was utterly exhausting so that was the end of the fancy walk for the following day.
I was so exhausted from the computer ordeal, of which reported here is only a fraction, that I did not set out at 6:30 as is my custom, but at 7:45. It was a short, flat, walk, all urban, most of it industrial, every step on some sort of pavement.
Bilbao boasts a lot of street art:
Along the river en route to Portugalete, no, not porto-potties, but seats for viewing...
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