So here we are in Bilbao, the fourth largest city in Spain after Madrid, Barcelona, and Valencia. Bilbao is located in the northern part of Spain in Spain's Basque country. And just in case you were ever wondering how to pronounce this incredible city, Bilbao's first syllable is pronounced "Bill" and its second syllable rhymes with "cow"..............bil-BOW.
Bilbao is a cultural and gastronomy center of Spain with an amazing array of marvelous things to experience and eat. There is so much to see and do here! With only four days, we'll barely scratch the surface.
Just look at the beautiful day that welcomed us this morning.
A few of today's highlights:
This morning we took advantage of the gorgeous weather and walked over to the 103-year-old Artxanda Funicular which took us to the top of Mount Artxanda in the photo below.
This classic cable car's 3 minute ride
took us to the top for spectacular, sweeping views of Bilbao. One can almost see all the way to the sea! The Nurvion River which curves its way thru town. Bilbao is a mere 8 miles from the Bay of Biscay in the Cantabrian Sea.
Once back down, we walked along the river's promenade over to
the Zubizuri
or "White Bridge", so named for the Basque language "zubi" meaning "white" and "zuri" meaning "bridge". It is arched and curved. It even features a glass floor!
We walked to the Mercado de la Ribera
which is a market that needs to be seen to be believed. The building itself is quite remarkable. This 1929 building was refurbished and reopened in 2011 to an enthusiastic public.
When viewed from the water, the Mercado de la Ribera resembles a boat stranded along the Nervion River.
The Mercado de la Ribera has an escalator connecting the two floors. The upper level's interior is filled with stunning Art Deco stained glass windows
complete with an Art Deco stained glass ceiling that runs the full length of the top floor.
The Mercado was extremely clean. One could tell the vendors take great pride in the quality of their products and the experience they provide to those who shop and eat there.
stalls of fresh fish and shellfish galore
along with mounds of meat.
Not only does the Mercado house fresh food; but delicious restaurants as well.
Bilbao is known for its Basque culture of gastronomy and everywhere one looks, the chefs at the Mercado have created some amazing tapas-bars!
Tapas-bars are everywhere at the Mercado!
Wine and draft beer abound with your tapas and "raciones" for those who want to share a larger portion.
It was a tough choice but we decided to eat the "menu del dia" (menu of the day) at Casa Loren. Three courses of delicious food and wine all for 15 euros! I'd go back in a heartbeat!
The fresh food was fabulous and we enjoyed our leisurely, lovely late lunch on the deck overlooking the river.
Other highlights included hopping on the tram
for $3.50 euros and riding it from one end of Bilbao the line and back again. It is a great way to get oriented and see some sights.
We explored for hours more of the rich history of Old Town (Casco Viejo), by strolling thru their tall narrow lanes filled with shops and tapa bars. We touched buildings with their original medieval stone
We strolled back thru the Plaza Nueva where we had eaten the night before and it did look different in the daylight with fewer folks around.
We visited beautiful centuries-old churches
such as Bilbao's centerpiece, the 14th-century Gothic church, the Santiago Cathedral.
with its golden glow interior.
Later that night we returned to Casco Vieja and Plaza Nueva in search for more delicious "pintxos" (what the locals call tapas).
The Basque Country is known for its very own style of tapas, "pintxos" which are pieces of bread topped with a multitude of various ingredients and the city of Bilbao serves some of the best!
Mmmmm a pintxo and a draft beer..life is good!
Cheers!
