An afternoon in Bilbao

Apart from San Juan de Gaztelugatxe with a bonus of Castillo de Butrón, there was one more thing that made us want to visit the area. Namely, Bilbao. Although that is not the whole truth. We were not lured by the Guggenheim Museum (we saw the building and... it stands out ;)) or by the Seven Streets (Siete Calles) or by the New Market (Plaza Nueva). We wanted to see the Vizcaya Bridge (Puente de Bizkaia).

 
But first things first. We drove into Bilbao and left the car at the only parking we could find (and that also took us a while) - an underground carpark by the river. The spot was perfect. A walking distance from the Seven Streets and the New Market. Plus, it was right by the beautiful promenade that led along the river. A great place for a walk. With benches every few metres, green corners and many playgrounds plus the view of the river running through the town, it makes a perfect place to spend the afternoon for the whole family.
We also went to the guidebook recommended Seven Streets and to the New Market, where we ate the most delicious ice cream ever. Or at least during that trip.

 
And that was basically it for Bilbao. It was time to hit the road and see the Vizcaya Bridge. And use it as well. We got there just in time to drive onto the bridge and get transported to the other bank. Cause you don't just drive through this bridge. You fly over the river ;) Though it might be nothing special to many, it was a great adventure for our constructor. He loved it. Though it probably looks much better from the distance than when you're actually on the bridge, but the experience is to remember. 

The next morning, we said goodbye to Bilbao. We woke up to see the clear and sunny grey and cloudy sky. We packed up quickly, to make it before it started raining. And we drove off. We wanted to stop in Oviedo or Gijon for the night. But it didn't want to stop raining all along the way. So we decided to change the plan a little. We decided to stop for lunch in Oviedo and then continue along the coast. But it was raining so heavily that we even dropped that thought. In the end, we bought some snacks and decided to keep driving. The fogs were so heavy that we could hardly see the road ahead of us. Not to mention the (what could have been) amazing views. There were times where we could see a little more. It wasn't an easy drive.

About 150 km before La Coruna, we finally saw bits and pieces of blue sky. So there was hope. Hope for no rain. Cause we had no hope for clear sky then. That's definitely not the kind of weather you want during your camping (or any, for that matter) holidays.

A little touch of Bavaria in the Basque Country

On the way to San Juan de Gaztelugatxe, something on the side of the road caught our attention. Something was definitely sticking out from the forest. Over the treetops. Something that could have been a castle. It looked amazing and got us intrigued. We knew we were going to stop there on the way back.

We found it quite easily, though there were no signs, no directions given. It was strange. Such an amazing building. Definitely looking historic. And no signs? No name? Nothing?

We could get to the entrance door, but not inside. There was just a small sign saying that it's a private property. We were kind of disappointed. We had a walk around the castle, took a gazillion of pictures and drove back to our campsite.

When we already got back home from our #Eurotrip2016, I just couldn't stop thinking about this castle. It looked like somebody was taking care of it, renovating it, yet the building wasn't used for anything. No one was living there, it wasn't a hotel or a restaurant. It was deserted. Just standing there, in the beautiful surroundings. And it seemed strange. We may like it or hate it, but usually historic buildings in good shape are either turned into a museum, a hotel, a restaurant or something else. And this one - nothing.

That's why it got me search for further information. And no guide book gave any. Uncle google (with his maps, yet again) usually come in handy in such cases, though.

The castle is named Castillo de Butrón. It is one of the most interesting and original castles in Spain. Unlike majority of Spanish castles, its history is in no way related to the Reconquista i.e. the medieval battles between Christians and Muslims. It is also not as functional as castles in Castille. Architecturally, it's much closer related to the Bavarian fairy tale castles. Also, as I've already mentioned, it's a private property.

Located in Gatica, in the Basque province of Vizcaya, Castillo de Butrón was originally built as a defensive tower. During 300 years since its erection in 14th century, it was used to defend the Butrón family's properties during the fights of Basque nobelty. Since 16th century the tower was becoming more and more devastated.

What we can see today was actually built in 19th century. The modernisation of the castle at the end of the 19th century made it more similar to the Bavarian castles. That was when cylindric towers and tiny bastilles were added to the tower. Its today's role is purely decorative, not residential or defensive.