A Sunday morning walk to blow away the cobwebs

Last Sunday morning, a group of students met José, the Director of Instituto Hemingway, at the top of a road leading out of Bilbao for a brisk walk. Upon arrival at the meeting point, José pointed to a telecommunications mast atop a hill, seemingly a long, long way in the distance and told the students that was the end point of the walk.

Determined to reach the promised café at the top, the seven students set off behind José up the hill. After about half an hour’s solid uphill walking, José announced that this was the place where “most Bilbao residents begin their walk”. They had reached a car park at the end of the paved road, where “bilbaínos” often drive, park their cars and then begin their ascent.

From this point, it was just under another hour on a rougher path to reach the top of Pagasarri mountain, which is 673 m above sea level. After lots of promises of “it´s just around the corner” from José, they finally saw the small café at the summit, where they enjoyed a necessary warming café con leche. The café was full of locals, as was the entire mountain. Whilst the young, fit students slowly died of exhaustion, many older Basque people were happily hiking up the mountain, enjoying a quick coffee and some “pintxos” (Basque tapas) and heading back down again.

The students took some photos “on top of the world” and marvelled at the breathtaking view offered to them by the summit and then began the descent. The weather on the way up the mountain had been deemed perfect walking weather” – dry and fresh – but sadly, it began to rain as the group was walking back down. Thoroughly soaked, yet exhilarated and proud of their achievement, the students headed back home to tell disbelieving parents how they had spent their Sunday mornings!