Bilbao, Spain – mmm-yoso

Bilbao: Breakfast and Casco Viejo (Old Town)

July 24, 2015 mmm-yoso Basque Country - Spain and France, Bilbao, Spain, Breakfast/Brunch, Caffeine Fix, Spain

How do you top dinner at Azurmendi? Well, you don't really. You just get up the next morning and get breakfast…….

Then walk around town killing time until you check out at noon and catch your bus to San Sebastian at 2pm.

The Missus decided that we should go to Casco Viejo, the Old Town. We decided to walk along the riverside…… Of course, we first had to pass "Fred".

The morning looked overcast and in fact it drizzled off and on until midmorning.

It seems that all dogs walk off leash here….they are very well behaved. Here's a really friendly one!

Most just mind their own business……

The walk from the Guggenheim to the Arenal Bridge, which crosses over the Nervion River takes about 20-25 minutes or so.

This was a quiet Sunday morning……

That's the Teatro Arriaga in the foreground, which greets you as you cross over the river.

We soon found ourselves at Plaza Nueva. This being Sunday, vendors were setting up for the weekly market of used books, stamps, coins, and other miscellanea.

There's something for everyone it seems. If you loved birds, there's a stand for that…..

What, you don't like birds? Not to worry. The very next booth sells slingshots…..

If you're in the Old Town, all streets lead to Santiago Cathedral. It is said that a church was originally built on this site back in the 14th century. There were additions made to the church at different periods and you can see the variations in styles. The church was declared a cathedral rather recently; in 1949.

It's actually fairly difficult taking a photo of the cathedral since the surrounding buildings are rather close. This being Sunday, and rather early in the morning the cathedral is closed to visitors.

As you can figure out by the name; the Cathedral Stands on the Northern route of Camino de Santiago, the Way of St James.

We noticed a little café that was doing some pretty good business and decided to stop for a "caffe" (espresso).

As we sat and relaxed, I noticed the place getting a bit more busy. After paying and leaving, we noticed much more activity in the little alleyways and small arteries in Old Town. Of course! It was Sunday, folks were on their way to church……

We headed out back across the bridge; past the Renfe Train Station….by now I had pretty much finished taking photos. We were just walking. We found ourselves back in downtown….and I knew where we were! Wouldn't you know it, I finally had directions figured out in Bilbao just in time for us to leave!

Oh well. We hadn't seen everything. And there were many more places that I had on my list to eat at. When travelling we always treat a place like we'll return someday….we see the things that are high on our list and don't stress the rest. So maybe…….

Anyway, we returned to our room, packed up a bit, and decided to take a short nap before checking out.

Next stop, San Sebastian…..

Thanks for reading!

Bilbao: Dinner at Azurmendi Part 2

July 22, 2015 mmm-yoso Basque Country - Spain and France, Bilbao, Spain, Fine Dining, Memorable Meals, Spain, Spanish Restaurants and Cuisine, Travel

I had just finished what could perhaps be the best single bite I'd ever had. So how would the rest of our dinner at Azurmendi line up?

We were given several different bread courses during our meal. Our favorite was by far were the "steamed rolls"; yeasty, puffy, light as air. The olive oil was delicious, very grassy-peppery. Though the thing that the Missus loved the most was the stylish cruet. She would hunt for these in various shops, finally finding them in San Sebastian, only to shy away at the 60 Euro price tag. I think she'll be getting it next time.

The dish we unanimously enjoyed the least was the Oyster, Tartar, and Gelee. The seaweed tempura was very nice, but for some reason the raw oyster tasted a bit off and it was a bunch of mushy-gummy textures, with too much brine flavors going on.

The Spider Crab and Sea Urchin was a beautifully composed dish.

I'd been wanting a taste of Txangurro, the region's Spider Crab. Here it was sweet, with nice texture, but the Missus wasn't impressed as She declared the crab She grew up eating in Qingdao was much sweeter. The sea urchin is actually infused in a tomato "jus" and it works rather well, adding a nice briney flavor (think of it as the celery in a Bloody Mary). The two items did not go well combined as the crab flavor was totally cancelled out.

So this next item was simply called "Tomato and Eel"….three words….

Take a look at this dish! The pieces of smoked eel were just fantastic; they melted in your mouth with a very clean smoke flavor coming through. The "tomato" was quite a bite! I'm glad I ate it after the eel as it basically exploded, a huge burst of sour and tart flavor.

This one is called "Roasted Lobster Out of the Shell on Oil Herbs and Sweet Chives".

Let me just say; every single piece of seafood here was cooked to perfection. The lobster was just perfect….perfect. It was so perfect that it really didn't need all the pureed herb spheres…or anything else for that matter.

"Stewed Wheat with Farmhouse Milk Emulsion and Oxtail"…….figure out what this would look like?

Basically wheat berries in a beef reduction, the milk emulsion tasted like a farmer's cheese, not sold on how it went with the dish. The most interesting thing was the little "bites" of oxtail wrapped in a layer of crisp bread…..sort of Azurmendi's Beef Wellington. The wheat berries seemed to play havoc with the Missus's stomach a bit. A bit too salty overall.

"Pigeon, artichokes, and fried egg".

Really nice, great textures, the flavors went really well together. Now think about this……this was basically the second egg we'd had during this meal so far……along with all the other dishes.

"Hake, Red Pepper Infusion, Idiazabal Bon Bons".

Oh my; that fish, the red pepper sauce, the sauce….even the milky Idiazabal cheese……all working together.

We were given a nice intermezzo to help us recover……

Along with some almond scented "fragrance"…….which sounds cheesy, but aromatherapy, what fun!

Such drama on the table!

It was all to refresh and set-up the Foie Gras dish……

This was such a beautiful piece of seared foie gras….not a mousse, but actual foie. It was also quite large considering what we had already put away……..this would have been enough for the both of us as part of a 3-4 course meal! I could tell that fatigue was setting in for the Missus.

I hoped that She would recover for the (4) dessert courses. The first being the Apple, Caramel, and Yogurt.

At this point, I knew the Missus wouldn't make it, so I called it. After two bottles of wine and all those courses….we'd had a fantastic experience and it was time.

This was also when Chef Eneko Atxa started coming around to each table.

He seemed such a rather soft spoken, humble, and amazingly youthful looking guy. When the Missus thanked him for all the hard work that went into our meal, he replied; "oh no……it is not work….it is a passion…from here" while touching his heart. I mentioned how much I enjoyed this:

And he went into detail, with times and temps of how it is made……….

Waiting for our cab back to Bilbao, I had a few moments to contemplate our meal at Azurmendi. Disfrutar gave me insight into molecular gastronomy with soul and how fantastically well service can be, skillfully paced, without being stuffy. Etxanobe displayed how a chef driven restaurant can use various traditional flavors and modern techniques together. It also displayed how a Chef's personality and presence can drive an experience. At Azurmendi, I got to understand, how a mission, combined with technique that does not disregard the heart and soul of the product would mean the "sky's the limit". While our meal here was by no means totally suited to our tastes, there were some items that we didn't enjoy, the "highs" were much higher than everywhere else. I believe that Azurmendi takes risks……not everything works for us….but those items that do…oh my, the reward.

I would easily say; this has been the best eating experience I've ever had. And that's what came into play when deciding between the 1-2 Michelin star places and a 3 star place….the experience. Azurmendi will give you that…..

Azurmendi Gastronomico
Corredor del Txorierri Salida 25
Larrabetzu, Spain

Our cab driver was a rather serious looking chap. But as we entered the city he asked me, "how do you like?" I told him; "Euskadi is great and Bilbao is wonderful……" Which brought a big smile to his face. And I wasn't lying……

As we left Azurmendi, I was handed something……..

It's the tasting menu for our meal. I took this photo right before starting this post. I still haven't opened it yet. Maybe someday I will……..

Thanks for reading!

Bilbao: Dinner at Azurmendi Part 1

July 21, 2015 mmm-yoso Basque Country - Spain and France, Bilbao, Spain, Fine Dining, Memorable Meals, Spain, Spanish Restaurants and Cuisine, Travel

For the crown jewel of our "trifecta" of planned dinners in Spain, I chose Azurmendi. Not because of the three Michelin Stars, but because of the set-up of the restaurant. The location is actually in Larrabetzu, about a 20 minute cab ride from Bilbao. The all glass building, designed by architect Naia Eguino sits on top of a hill via a single lane winding road, with wonderful views.

On the grounds sits a winery, greenhouse (more on that in a few), and the pret-a-porter, which is more of a bistro.

And it's not just the looks. The restaurant itself is totally sustainable; waste is recycled, rainfall is collected; I think the term is "harvested" and recycled, heating, cooling, and other energy needs is done using geo-thermal energy. It's own little eco-system.

For our blow-out meal; I wanted something special….heck, the Missus bought Valentino Flats and backpacked them for the whole trip just for this dinner! The Missus birthday had just passed a few days previous and I'd promised the Missus years ago that She'd never spend it sitting at home and it's a promise I aim to keep for as long as I am able…….we didn't want to be just sitting in a stuffy restaurant behind a white tablecloth; we wanted an experience. And that's just what we got at Azurmendi.

Arriving at the reception area, we were greeted and asked to wait for just a moment. A few minutes later, a young lady in Chef's whites greeted us with a smile. She explained that before dinner she would like to take us on a tour of the greenhouse area and also "forage" for some snacks….forage is used in the loosest of all terms.

The garden is so orderly that it puts our scraggly back yard pot and dirt collection to shame.

We entered the greenhouse and were given the first aperitif.

This is where the fun starts as not everything is as it seems. Beyond that, it is an impressive set-up. Like the rest of the place; very sleek, very clean, looking deceptively simple.

It is obviously not…..

The very nice young lady, a pastry chef, is from Italy. I asked her why she was here. Her answer, "I want to be and work with the best!" She had a great sense of humor as well. When I mentioned how good her English was, she was quick to tell me, "oh, but my Spanish is sooooo bad!"

She guided us around the greenhouse pointing out the various plants…often pointing out the little basket hanging; say, on a branch, loaded with what looked like tree bark. It would turn out to Jerusalem Artichoke made to look like tree bark with a citrus gel……..a bit too strong and somewhat bitter for us.

So was the "peanut" made from peanut butter and cocoa with a pulverized dried mushroom coating. It struck me as somewhat odd in flavor and was quite salty.

And so we explored………with stops for cotton candy and such…..

The best of the lot was the Pumpkin and Sheep Cheese biscuit, which was also kind of salty, but had a really nice flavor.

And this….the avocado pit, which was a delicious chocolate and liquid avocado (think guacamole) bonbon.

It can be quite overwhelming. Like when we returned to the reception area and were asked for a moments pause while our table was readied for us. And out came a picnic basket….it was time for a picnic!

It was Anchovy Mille-feuille….think of it as a anchovy flavored 'nilla wafer. Too much for the Missus, good for me! The roe and dill positioned on a cracker was again a bit high on the sodium scale for me. The most amazing thing was the "CalpiriTxa". We'd heard about Txacoli, the acidic sparkling wine of the region (we'd have our share in San Sebastian) and this was our first encounter. Azurmendi produces its own Txacoli and that is encased in cordial. It had that wonderful sweet citrus punch of a caparinha and was an amazing bite! Simply fantastic, perking up your tastebuds, leaving you wanting more……

Soon a small glass of an hibiscus infusion, tart and palate cleansing arrived.

Followed by a box of leaves? Leaves?

That's right, this is Azurmendi…..

The two "leaves" on the edges were made from walnut and mushroom, two disparate "earthy" flavors that worked really well in crisp form.

After finishing up, we were taken to the kitchen en route to our table.

The Chefs were hard at work….and they scared the crap out of me when they all suddenly turned and greeted us!

The décor of the room is simple, pleasant, and unpretentious, perfect for our needs. The service was excellent, timing perhaps not quite as good as, though more formal than Disfrutar…but all the basics were well taken care of. The Maitre'd; I believe his name is Jon was a joy. As was the view from our table.

Would you believe our table service hadn't even started yet? We chose a bottle of wine from Azurmendi's winery and things got off to a nice start with the Frozen Olive and Vermouth.

Spherification. We'd had the Disfruta de la Aceituna at Disfrutar, but this was even a larger explosion of flavor. The grassy, peppery olive flavors offset by the sweet vermouth….I'm thinking it would have even more intense if this wasn't still partially frozen.

That was followed by possibly the best bite I've ever had in my life….truly. They call this Egg from our Hens, Cooked Inside Out and Truffled.

I love the flavor of eggs, I love onsen tamago, truffle? C'mon, the earthy and savory flavors are among my favorites. Basically an egg yolk that has been infused with warm truffle broth, causing it to cook from the inside out. Oh my………such wonderful flavors and textures, richness, savory-earthiness, all the best of both eggs and truffles. At the end of our meal, the Chef came around and visited each table. When I mentioned how amazing this one bite was, he told me how it was made in detail…..I don't remember it all, but I will never forget this. Never.

I'm thinking this is getting mighty long. I'll stop here and pick it up in another post.

So stay tuned. Thanks for reading!

Bilbao: Breakfast, a Trip to Guernica, and Revisiting La Vina del Ensanche

July 18, 2015 mmm-yoso Basque Country - Spain and France, Bilbao, Spain, Breakfast/Brunch, Spain, Spanish Restaurants and Cuisine, Travel

While most of our stays on longer trips are in apartments. I try to squeeze in a couple of hotels along the way. The Missus really enjoys doing Her own thing, so I tread carefully.

Of course staying in hotels has it's perks; the amenities; the concierge, front desk, house-keeping, business center….even a "rock tower"…..

The Silken Gran Hotel in Bilbao had that rock tower. It also served breakfast on the rooftop terrace.

Being the anti-social folks we are, we got to breakfast early and while there was a very mild chill in the air and a slight breeze, we sat outside.

It was more than enough for breakfast.

Heading out for the day, we of course passed "Fred"…….who was starting to bloom!

And headed off, walking through Parque de Doña Casilda de Iturrizar to the Bus Station.

I believe this is a memorial to Doña Casilda de Iturrizar.

We'd missed enough day-trip possibilities during our time in Madrid and Barcelona. To be fair, we'd been having too much fun. I thought it would be great to visit the town of Guernica. There were many possibilities, so why Guernica? During this trip, I'd been developing an appreciation for the works of Picasso. I had a chance to read about what is probably his most powerful work; Guernica. By turn, I had a chance to read George Steer's account of the bombing of Guernica.

The bus ride to Guernica from Bilbao takes about 40 minutes. We got off at the end of town and followed the "TI" signs…..which strangely led to the other side of town. It then took a turn and went back in almost the same direction we had arrived from….I'm thinking we missed a turn somewhere. Anyway, we arrived at the Tourist Information Office and the really nice woman provided a map and all the main destinations.

There was really just one thing I wanted to see and it was located behind the Gernika Assembly House.

The "Tree of Guernica", the symbol of freedom for Basque people resides on the ground behind the Assembly House. It is also depicted in the beautiful stained glass ceiling of the Stained Glass Chamber.

From times going back to the 14th Century, the Basque and other leaders would swear to respect the Fueros of Navarre, the charters that ensured the rights of the Basque people as an independent kingdom in union with the Spanish Crown. And though the Fueros was superseded by the Spanish Constitution, the President of the Basque Region – the Lehendakari are still sworn in under the tree.

The current tree is the fifth; each is a descendant of the original tree, planted in the 14th century. This little one replaced the previous tree in March of 2015 and is 14 years old.

The most famous; the "Old Tree" is located in the Templet a few yards away. It is quite popular with folks……

We also visited the Basque Country Museum.

The museum is worth visiting. There's also a section on the Chefs who have lead the moderm Basque food revolution.

Of course we stopped at the copy of Picasso's Guernica down the street.

It wasn't market day (which is Monday) so the area was fairly empty……

Except for the "old-timers" hanging out an socializing outside.

We walked back to the bus stop and caught the next bus back to Bilbao. Instead of going all the way to Termibus Station we got off…well somewhere in downtown. Somehow, we found ourselves back at La Vina del Ensanche. Now this was a Saturday and the place was packed….well the bar area was packed. There was possibly room for you….if you were a jamon hanging from the ceiling.

The tables though, were empty. Most had reserved signs on them…except for two. We asked and got one of the tables.

The Missus buoyed by the festive atmosphere ordered a "cava", sparkling wine….but not a glass….a whole bottle!

I ordered the Josellini – basically Joselito Jamon (here's the website in English, scroll down to the part about "Happy Pigs" – you'll love it), Foie Gras, with a sweet glaze on toast. Man this was good!

Rich, porky, sweet, salty, yeasty, crusty, creamy, and all of that mixed into one. I could eat this all day…..

We also got the regular order of the Carrillera de Iberico (braised pork cheeks) . The sauce was great mopped up with bread.

All while watching the ebb and flow of the crowds. The packed bar would start to thin out…..

Then wham! The next group of 40 people would walk in. This place has been around since 1927, so I guess this has been going on for 88 years.

Meanwhile, a family of a mom and three daughters sat at the table next to us. The youngest looked to be about 5-6, the oldest perhaps 10. When the foie gras mousse arrived, the three young girls nonchalantly dug into it and spread it on bread….like they eat this stuff every day! I turned to the Missus and said, "my god……they treat that like butter!" Her response? She turned to our server, pointed to the foie and said, "I'll take one of those." Which is how we had our second serving of foie gras during this "light" lunch.

It was quite good….nice and mildly liver-y and oh so rich……and I've been calling this "Basque Butter" ever since.

The Missus was having such a great time; She even ordered dessert…..

Man…..Basque Butter……

La Vina Del Ensanche
Diputacion 10
Bilbao, Spain

Just like before, we had a rather hard time finding our way back to the hotel….not sure why. But, when we did get back, it was time for a much needed nap!

Bilbao: Dinner at Etxanobe

July 16, 2015 mmm-yoso Bilbao, Spain, Fine Dining, Memorable Meals, Spain, Spanish Restaurants and Cuisine, Travel

Waking refreshed after a short nap, we relaxed for a bit, then got dressed and headed off to dinner. While we were told that the best way to get to our destination; located on the top floor of the Euskalduna Conference Centre and Concert Hall was to catch the tram. The Missus decided (of course) that we should walk. And in all honesty, it was a nice walk.

And of course we just had to stop and take yet another photo of the topiary canine, I nicknamed "Fred".

And while finding our way around downtown Bilbao was kind of confusing to us, this walk was a breeze. We walked through Parque de Doña Casilda de Iturrizar, a very nice green space.

I read that Bilbao was once a rather gritty industrial port city and this park was once the only green space in the city.

And while we were just passing through, we had a great time watching Bilbao's four-legged citizens cutting loose.

I wish I took a photo of an amazing border collie. The owner was sitting on a bench and would whistle and the dog would come running and eagerly vault over the bench! We saw the dog do this, with great joy I might add, several times!

The Conference Center is located across the street from the west end of the park. Built on the former site of the Euskalduna Shipyards, it looks quite nice. Off to the right side are some rather discreet elevators.

Getting off the elevators, we realized, having left with a nice time "buffer"(the really nice folks at the hotel told us it would take 30 minutes – but it took us about 15), we had arrived for our already ungodly early dinner reservations (830), a bit too soon. So we just took in the view…….

We walked in right at 830 pm….the place was totally empty! Yikes…. A very nice gentleman in chef's whites greeted us, "hello…welcome…..my name is Fernando." And he led us to our table while the Maître D' was elsewhere.

The restaurant looks quite formal, but the atmosphere is far from that. We were given a nice table with a view and the really nice gentleman started up a short conversation…whereupon I put two and two together. "Fernando" is Fernando Canales Etxanobe, the Chef/Owner of Michelin starred Etxanobe. He was quite amiable and talked about the culinary "gifts" of the Basque region.

We had ordered the Chef's tasting menu and soon enough the first amuse arrived…delivered by who else, the chef of course.

I really didn't do much research on Etxanobe. In fact, I made reservations at pretty much the last minute; a week before leaving on our trip. I had gotten the feeling that it would be a nice addition to the two other Michelin worthy meals on the trip having a more traditional Basque influence. So imagine my amazement when these tubes of "lipstick" arrived….Sardine Lipstick actually. Very tasty sardine mousse, just enough oil and fish flavor, and quite delicious….so delicious that I don't even remember the other amuse!

And then things really got going……

Ajo Blanco is a traditional cold almond and garlic soup….this version had the amazing flavor of truffles as well.

The flavor of the almonds came through clearly, the truffle flavor was balanced and not over-powering. The garlic flavor was restrained and that olive oil-pesto like drizzle was delicious.

We let the Sommolier pick our wine, a very pleasant and drinkable three grape blend.

Next up was what they called a "Txangurro of prawns and gel".

More of a very shrimp-y croquette than what I understand traditional Txangurro is supposed to be, if you like the true taste of shrimp/prawns/langoustine you'll like this. Even the condensed flavor of the aspic.

One of the strangest sounding items on the menu turned out to be perhaps the best – "Anchovy Lasagna with Tomato Soup".

The tomato soup was basically a very elegant salmorejo, and in spite of the Missus dislike of anchovies; these were very nice, great oil, not too fishy…nice texture. Topped with a nice slightly smokey and sweet red pepper sauce which added to the dish. And then there was that really al dente, just pillowy enough noodle in the bottom which the Missus really took to. Without a doubt, Her favorite dish.

The "Grilled Scallops with Ragout" was nice….the scallops quite sweet and perfectly prepared.

The sauces were curious as I didn't think they added to the dish. Perhaps the cauliflower was the most interesting. Still, just the scallops with nice sea salt alone tasted the best.

The Scampi with Sautéed Vegetables and Fresh Pasta was a nice dish.

The scampi was very moist; the pasta nice and tender, good overall.

By this time, we were done with our bottle; I still wanted something to pair with the last couple of dishes. The sommelier told me the dishes would be a bit more flavor forward and suggested a half bottle of the Vina Ardanza 2004, a nice wine, with a nice acidity and dried cherry notes.

Though it did not pair well with the Hake in Mussel Juice.

While the gravy-like reduced shellfish juice was full of flavor; I thought the mild sweetness of the hake still came through. As expected; the fish was cooked to tender perfection.

When the Tuna with Sumac arrived, I wasn't particularly thrilled as it looked grey and "dead"……

I think they did a sous-vide job on this as it was so moist, literally melting in your mouth….the sumac really added a bit of punch to the dish. The spinach-mustard puree was fine; but this was all about the tuna.

The last non-dessert item was the Suckling Lamb with Sweetbreads.

For me; the most interesting thing was that thin and transparent potato galette, light, with the texture of fried pork skin. The lamb was very moist and tender and the demi glace quite tasty, but it really didn't have the "flavor of the pasture" we both enjoy.

I'm not much of a dessert guy; but I really enjoyed what we had here. The Caprice of Fennel, Strawberry, and Tomato added the right amounts of sweet, savory, and acid to balance things out for me.

If the thought of anise ice cream scares you; in this case it should not as the ice cream had those licorice tones (not my favorite flavor) but nicely balanced with the milkiness and sweet. The strawberry galette and the tomato crumbles really balanced things out.

By this time, the place was packed….every table and seat filled (there's actually a funny story about the folks on the table next to us which I'll reveal in a later post).

But then, Chef reappeared from the kitchen.

Apparently, if you ordered the Chef's Tasting Menu, the finale was prepared by the Chef tableside.

Orange Cream with Liquid Nitrogen………..I was in food geek heaven.

A dollop of orange flavored heavy cream placed in liquid nitrogen…….yielding flavors that took me back to "small kid time"……

Think of it as the best creamsicle bite you ever had………..

In the end, making comparisons with the other fine dining options we had meals at was like choosing your favorite child. While we thought the pacing and service at Disfrutar was better; the food here spoke to us in a different way. And while the highs weren't quite as high as what we had at a three Michelin Star Restaurant the next night; the lows weren't as low. This place really fits that gap…..not too crazy in terms of technology and familiar flavors. Plus, we really enjoyed the intangible….the chef. We asked for a copy of our menu to remember our meal. Our Server smiled and said he would get it for us. What we ended up with was a copy of the menu with a nice note from the Chef. A nice touch. When I got home I did a search on Fernando Canales and was quite surprised. He's a quite the television/celebrity chef in Spain with his own television show and such. So think about it this way; when was the last time you had Emeril or Mario Batali walk you to your table and talk about what they're serving……did they make your dessert table-side? What's up with these really cool Michelin Star Chefs? I got one flashing the peace sign and another seating us at our table……. In terms of price, it was about 220€

Etxanobe
Avenida de Abandoibarra 4
Bilbao, Spain

We had a nice relaxing stroll back to the hotel taking the path along the Nervión River.

The "Nana's" were still dancing outside the Guggenheim.

The Arcos Rojos (Red Arches) really catches your eye at night. Bilbao seems to be filled with public art. If you'd like to read the story about this, here's a link

The Maman Spider looks really creepy at night. In a really cool way.

Bilbao was quite a fascinating city. If you'd like to read about how it evolved from industrial city to now (named the Bilbao Effect); here's a nice article.

For us, it was off to bed. We had a day trip planned for the next day.

Thanks for reading!

Bilbao: La Vina del Ensanche and the Guggenheim Bilbao

July 11, 2015 mmm-yoso Basque Country - Spain and France, Bilbao, Spain, Spain, Spanish Restaurants and Cuisine, Travel

Getting to our hotel in Bilbao, the Silken Gran Hotel Domine Bilbao was a snap. You land; grab a ride on the Bizkaibus (1.4 € per person) and get off at the first stop. Checking in at this Five-Star property is simple and befitting the rating. While there is a difference between European and American Five Star standards, you just could not beat the service here, or how friendly people were.

And then of course, there was the main reason I chose to splurge a little. The hotel sits right across the street from The Guggenheim Museum and what is my favorite topiary piece, Puppy by Jeff Koons. We just couldn't help but take a photo of it every time we walked by.

If the objective of art is to elicit an emotional response in oneself, this piece had it in spades for us. We still smile whenever we talk about, or see a photo of puppy……which I decided to nickname "Fred", a lovely 43 meter tall chia pet. Did you know that "Fred" once played part in a terror plot? You can read about it in this post on Atlas Obsucra.

The second thing we needed to do….after taking photos of Puppy, was to find something to eat. I had a few places on my shortlist and we headed off to grab a bite.

Perhaps it's the lay-out of Bilbao, or that streets emanated from plazas like petals on a flower, but for some reason we had a rather tough time finding places that weren't along the waterfront in Bilbao. Strange, Barcelona and Madrid were relatively easy….Bilbao not so much.

After literally going around in a circle, we decided to grab a cup of espresso and regroup. I knew the street we were looking for, Diputacion was very close by.

The folks in Bilbao and Basque Country in general are very helpful and friendly. And one of the locals pointed us down a street and gave us some landmarks to work with.

After a couple of turns we found the place we were looking for La Vina del Ensanche.

There's an outdoor seating area, basically restaurant service, the bar stacked with pintxos (tapas), for some reason we just never took to these. Rather, we usually went for a table and ordered pintxos calientes and items off the menu.

Our arrival was at an odd time; about 430 pm. We had dinner reservations for later that evening and just wanted something to tide us over.

It was fairly easy to make decisions.

A crianza for me; a tinto for the Missus.

And a couple of items from the chalkboard; starting with the "Huevo-Foie". Basically soft boiled egg and foie gras. This was decadent and delicious.

Perfect for bread dipping, wonderfully egginess, with the even more rich and savory flavors off a nice foie mousse. Could I have this for breakfast every morning?

Along with a small portion of Carrillera de Iberico; braised pork cheeks in a wonderful rich sauce.

This stuff is rich, so a little goes a long way. This was totally our kind of thing…..get used to seeing these dishes a lot in future posts.

La Vina Del Ensanche
Diputacion 10
Bilbao, Spain

We somehow made our way back to the Guggenheim…..we used the phrase "donde esta el Guggenheim" several times along the way.

For us, the highlights of the Guggenheim (after "Fred" of course) were in turn the structure, an amazing building of flowing curves and lines, designed by who else? Frank Gehry.

The glass elevators are something else.

The "public art" like the famous "Maman Spider", Jeff Koon's Tulips,

And Niki de Saint Phalle's Dancing Nana's are quite wonderful. By the way, Niki de Saint Phalle moved to La Jolla in the 90's and passed away there in 2002. If you think this style looks familiar, you've probably seen her work around San Diego.

It seemed, at least to us, that the public art really over shadowed what was shown within the walls of the museum. Most of what we saw inside the Guggenheim really didn't resonate with us. Some of it was quite puzzling. We're probably just not cultured enough, I guess.

Displays, like the huge set of steel ellipses by Richard Serra named The Matter of Time, basically walking through the spiraled paths….I'm not sure what the message is?

Still, I'm glad we visited…….

We were really enjoying the vibe of the city to this point…..

Relaxed, playful, with a splash of color……..

Where in the world are we part 2

May 28, 2015 mmm-yoso Basque Country - Spain and France, Bilbao, Spain, San Sebastian, Spain, Spanish Restaurants and Cuisine, Travel

Can you believe we're almost two-thirds into our trip? Time is flying by. Anyway, we haven't ever eaten as well in recent memory. Three cities in two nations and the home to a proud people, who eat quite well.