By the riverside on our approach to the Vizcaya Transporter Bridge I spotted this beauty:-

The doorway had some fine detailing:-

This port/marina building is also in the deco/moderne style. Spot two ships’ funnels behind it:-

Closer view. It’s like an 1930s airport tower only with porthole windows:-

Reverse view looking back to Getxo. Those “English” buildings are prominent to the upper left. The main part of Getxo itself is off to the right:-

There was another Fred. Olsen line ship docked at the same time as ours, the Boudicca. Both are seen here from the pier approach:-

SS Black Watch. The bow has a very angled rake:-

The coach trip to Bilbao had taken us through Getxo itself and given us a brief view of the Vizcaya Transporter Bridge, a UNESCO-listed Industrial Revolution icon, which carries people over the Ria Nervión between Las Arenas and Portugalete. Turning the corner of Getxo promenade takes you onto the riverside with a great view of the bridge:-

Closer view:-

I took a couple of videos of the bridge in operation. A gondola slung from the supports is the means of transportation. (Click on the pictures to take you to the videos.)

Compare the Tees Transporter Bridge at Middlesbrough.

End-on view of Vizcaya Bridge from Getxo:-

Nice square and fountain as seen in above photo but this time from the bridge ramp:-

In the afternoon we had a chance to take a walk around Getxo (pronounced Get-zho.)

View from jetty leading out to berthing point. The main part of Getxo itself is to the right here:-

This is the view off to the left:-

This monument to a 700^th anniversary (1248-1948) is mysterious as unfortunately any other wording is no more. It lay near the junction of the main road with the one to the jetty near to the large “English” houses:-

Getxo must have one of the longest promenades I’ve seen. I thought Kirkcaldy’s was long but Getxo’s seemed to last for ages. At the other end of it near where the Ria Bilbao meets the sea proper at Las Arenas was a Monument to Evaristo Churruca. It’s in that monolithic fascist style:-

Getxo is in the Biscay Province of the autonomous region of the Basque Country, in northern Spain. Nowadays it acts as the port for Bilbao. More ships can moor there than can make it up the river to Bilbao itself. The day we were there we took an organised coach-trip into Bilbao to make sure we would see the Guggenheim Museum. The photos I took through the coach windows all have a slight greenish tinge as a result.

There are some fantastic buildings on Getxo sea-front, built, we were told, by English people who came to make their fortunes in the 19^th century.

This one had some deco styling:-

Impressive building (and hedging):-

Deco elements to the chimney stacks here (and some rule of three):-

Old wall, newer buildings:-

Curious rounded elements to the left here like car park ramps or fortifications:-

They are just balconies, though:-