Cool in Bilbao

Three things hit me upon arriving in Bilbao after a day on a train. First, the beautiful stained glass window in Bilbao’s train station. Second, it’s ten degrees cooler than any where I’ve been in the last month – and, honestly, that’s pretty nice. Third,  it is blessedly uncrowded.

So after taking care of logistics, like checking in and buying some muesli for breakfast, I set out to do the thing you must do in Bilbao and get pinxtos. Luckily my hotel backs on to one of the main pinxtos drags and the first place I saw was the Bar El Ledesma which is a bit of a classic (opened 1967). So armed with beer and food I settled into some serious people watching.

But my aim for this evening was not loyalty; I aimed to spread myself about. So on I went to Plaza Nuevo where Bar Victor Montes has been dishing up the good stuff since 1849.

Even though I had, obviously, done some research on where to go I went with the ‘that one looks good and doesn’t involve intestines’ process of ordering. Hard to go wrong and I didn’t.

I had to interrupt pinxtos programming to have a slice of Basque cheesecake. Not burnt, but wow was it good.

Normal programming resumed and I joined some Congolese people watching their football team lose to England in the world cup.

Now full and obviously depressed that England won, I returned to my balcony to digest and soak in Bilbao.