We'd done all the preparation for our Bay of Biscay passage, we now just had to set sail. Fortunately we had a gentle NE or E breeze all the way and with just a gentle Atlantic swell, the crossing was almost pleasant. With the cruising chute up, we made a swift dash south to Bilbao, arriving after 46 hours of easy sailing. On the journey we had a menagerie of wildlife to keep us amused. More greenfinches catching moths, a song thrush cadging a lift, pods of dolphins playing in our wake and a couple of whales in the distance. As we reached sight of land, the beautiful mountainous coast of northern Spain rose up with the sun.
We arrived in Bilbao harbour in the afternoon sunshine, a very welcome and beautiful sight. We dropped anchor in the bay and soaked in the sights. Distant mountains, with the urban sprawl of the city along the shore. Early 20th century architecture and the stunning transporter bridge rose elegantly over the river. Lilly was extremely keen to check out the sights and smells of our locale. On returning to the boat we celebrated our successful crossing with a bottle of bubbly, courtesy of Great Aunt Mary and Greay Uncle Philip. Thank-you :-)
