Bilbao was blurry upon arrival. The art was delivered, and we were delivered to our Hotel, the Husa Hotel de Jardines Albia. Adjacent to a nice park, and near the river and several cafes. Two of us walked around a few city blocks the first evening—after a four hour nap—and found the Café Iruna, for a first round of pintxos (tapas in this part of Spain), and beers. Made a relatively early night of it.
On Tuesday, I walked, with glee, to the Casco Viejo, or Old City. Its labyrinth streets kept me wandering in slight circles for an hour or so. Then hunger set in, so I set about finding the Plaza Nueva, home to two bars known for their pintxos—the Victor Montes and the Bar Bilbao. At the first, I had two pintxos—anchovies over roasted tomatoes on a slice of bread, and another with seafood salad, and one san Miguel beer. I then walked across the corner of the square to sample the fare at Bar Bilbao. After a few similar pintxos, I ordered their specialty Calamares Fritos, which were fresh, simple and excellent…dressed only with freshly squeezed lemon…crispy, tasty and great with beer.
Sated, I left to wander back through the streets of Casco Viejo, and returned for a short siesta in my hotel room. Afterwards, I ventured out into the downtown of the city, along the main shopping boulevard with its big department stores, until I came to the Plaza Muyor, and hung a left on the Ercilla, a pedestrian shopping street that was home to the Camper store where I picked up some zapatos. I continued to wonder, buying a used copy of Mike Oldfield’s Tubular Bells, and through a park, and by the Bilbao Museum of Art, and back eventually to my hotel. That evening, another courier and I returned to the Bar Bilbao for more beer and pintxos.
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