Sirgueras

Bilbao is a city of contrasts.

I walked from my B&B to the old part of the city. On my way I marvelled at the high modern buildings. The older buildings are several stories high too. I’m staying on the seventh floor.

It was hot and humid necessitating a number of stops for liquid refreshment and food.

The thunderstorms arrived with ferocity. I tried to walk to the Guggenheim to catch reflections this evening but was defeated by deep water on the pavements. I am back in my room while my trainers and clothes dry out!

I really enjoyed the atmosphere amongst the people today. I found myself in a neighbourhood with mainly people from ethnic minorities. There was a lot of loud banter and laughter in and around the shops and cafes. The only serious, silent ones were some Muslim women.

My first extra shows children in a play park. I think it will process into a decent image, but for now it’s Snapseed on the phone! The second shows the contrasts between old and new.

I’m hoping to venture out for food later, wearing full waterproofs of course!

I nearly forgot to tell you about my Blip!! Please notice the sentence about the cost of women versus oxen.

Sirguera or sirgueras were women who pulled boats using a towline, a rope used to pull boats from land. It was a fairly common job during the 19th century in the Basque Country. Initially, this job was prohibited for women due to the great effort it required. However, due to the Carlist Wars, most men had to leave and it was women who began to perform this work. In addition, women's work was cheaper than oxen. Bilbao pays tribute to these women with the sculptural work of Dora Salazar in the estuary.