Sunday is a visit to the top of Mont Urgull, a former castle & defences against sea attacks, with a good museum on the city’s history. You can also go up to the top parapet, for five minutes. Here’s a picture of Kaff, doing her thing with the statue above. Yep. Jesus. And it’s Sunday.
The view from here over the eastern side of the city & Ondarreta Beach is fab. This is also the main surfing beach, seemingly at all times of day & weather conditions. The two sides are separated by the River Urumea.
On the way down we visit the aquarium, disappointing until the third level when you are surrounded in every direction by fish, including two mean looking sharks. Apparently all the fish are fed up to three times a week, presumably enough for sharks not to eat the contents of the tanks.
We have now taken the plunge & booked three restaurants for the next three days. The first had great reviews but, despite friendly, helpful staff, failed to deliver on the actual dishes. Shame. Also, first time we have been charged for bread &, first time ever, for tap water! Not going back there. Today we visited the last two ‘must visits’, so some rest days ahead for Kaff’s knee & Chris’s toe. There’s loads of people here on crutches, in wheelchairs, limping, so maybe this could be our home …..
The second restaurant meal is much better, an authentic taste of Basque cooking, but like all Michelin starred restaurants it’s really the imagination of the chef(s) that makes the difference. Anyway, we were impressed.
Our growing knowledge of the Basque language continues: eskerrik asko (thank you); kaixo (hello); gau on (good night). Bought some local wine (Godello, only from Galicia, & Txakoli, only from Spanish Basque area) this afternoon, so our 24 bottles allowance now complete.
Our last day in this fab city was spent nosing art galleries, well the ones that are not closed down anyway. For a late lunch & last meal we had a 3pm booking at Las Perlas, a conspicuous 1930s palatial building by the beach.
Inside the restaurant – the building has three bars & a thalasso therapy suite, too – it feels like a spaceship.
After a gentle post-prandial snooze on the beach, time to saunter back to the hotel, calling in at some of the many bars on the way. Seven days in residence & we still love this city.
Bilbao
Chris & Kath's Travel Time 