day 11 across the border- country 2

Awake early and just myself and Ralph the English guy are up and both moving on today, quick farewells and I'm off deliberately missing my breakfast in the push to walk across the city to The flixbus stop at The Gare du Jean, made in plenty of time I rue missing my breakfast! 

Still in carrying snacks and drink so not an issue, the bus is prompt so we get away on time and it's a sad farewell to Bordeaux and soon France! 

The flat lands of France soon after Bayonne give way to the southern foothills of the Pyreneese, in this area it strongly resembles Wales! 

ie wet!! 

crossing the border at the river between French Hendaye and Basque/Spanish Irun I'm into country number 2....I wonder how high the country number will get before/If I head back to Blighty!

The next town the bus goes through is Denostia san-sebatian nice looking place with river that appears to have a good tidal bore, at least that was my assumption with the guys surfing on the river!

into Bilbao sooner than expected.... Actually an hour before the timetable had said! Possible that the timezone has changed again? 

Well I can't say that I'm not feeling uneasy with the change of country and language, I'm going from mostly incapable to utterly incapable of speaking the language! Par for the course this year, but it's something to get accustomed to!

Instantly I can feel the difference between French and Basque folk people are a little more wary here!.

Walking into town I realise that neither I nor my hostel are close to the old town, so architecture isn't as much to my taste yet! 

Although having my hostel next to the Guggenheim museum is very handy! 

I guess I can get used to modern 🙂

At the hostel the book in is with an automated machine just in Spanish! 

That took some doing! Between me and Google I managed! 

The dorms pretty quiet just me to start with then in walks (as I quickly found out) So Jung (spelling probably wrong! Hopefully she'll correct me in comments!) A lady from South Korea, we were soon having a laugh I forget why but at one point we were looking in the mirror comparing noses sizes!!!

Crazy times! 

but very good 🙂

Once settled in I wander the rainy streets of Bilbao amidst the hustle and bustle of a vibrant cafe culture, way to early for me to attempt conversation here I load up on supermarket food and head back to the hostel for an early night.