June 9 - Bilbao

Again, Ron walked to the bakery. This morning's freshly baked bread was better - crusty outside. He made scrambled eggs with cheese, and sautéed mushrooms, peppers, onions and chorizo to add to his dish.

Around 11:30 he set off to retrieve the car from the distant parking garage, walking past this apartment. The flowers here are beautiful.

Apartment Building near us

I was to wait about 15-minutes and then go down and wait for him at the little alley way next to Bar Pepe. That turned out to be an impossible place, as if he would have turned into the street, the only place to go was down into underground parking. Meanwhile, an enormous truck was backing out of there, followed by several more vehicles. I stood on the busy street, and traffic was slow enough he could stop to pick me up.

We drove through San Sebastian and over the River Urumea into the area called Gros, another residential area with a lively section of restaurants and pintxos bars.

We then programmed the town of Galdako (about an hour away), and the GPS sent us on the Autostrada. The truck traffic was incredible, and the journey took about an hour. In Galdako, there were two well-known restaurants, and we just wanted to see the Basque architecture and views from the hills above Bilbao. We found the Aretxondo (sister restaurant to Michelin-starred Andra Mari). We drove in and planned to have an aperitif, but never could find anyone to wait on us. The grounds were gorgeous, and that was the main reason we had driven there - to see the beauty. This Basque architecture is more similar to Bavarian as opposed to Mediterranean because of the common mountain culture. Very attractive to us.

Restaurant Aretxondo

View from restaurant

Mary by small garden at restaurant

The gardens and landscaping were so beautiful. We love these rural places that you find in Europe in tiny towns. This seems so rare in the US. We've discovered a charming Winery restaurant in Bolton MA, but for the most part you are lucky to find something that is not a chain unless you are in a big city.

We continued on into Bilbao. Parking is such a crazy issue everywhere. The museum has no parking of its own, so you have to find parking in a parking garage. Ron dropped me off to walk across the tram tracks and across the plaza with fountain while he tried to find parking. Kathie's words were ringing in my ears "Don't let him out of your sight." We always seem to have problems when we get separated!


Anyway, when I finally crossed the enormous courtyard, I came to a daunting set of stairs with an arrow indicating the bistro was up that way.

"Stay calm, and carry on" entered my mind. I walked a long way (but on a flat surface) to some non-descript doors and entered the museum. There I saw signs pointing to Bistro, and followed them to an ELEVATOR. When I arrived, there was a bar and terrace opposite, so I sat there and ordered a glass of wine. I texted Ron to tell him where I was, and told him NOT to climb the stairs, but go inside and find the elevator.

Meanwhile, I was getting nervous as I had no cash or credit cards, and wondered what kind of trouble I would be in if Ron said he was not able to park. A lesson I know better - always have some cash or cards, but had not heeded this advice!

Unfortunately, he couldn't find the entrance. He couldn't believe those dinky glass doors were the entrance to this grandiose museum. So he walked much further than necessary. Finally, after a phone call to me (at astronomical prices) he figured out where to go.

The Guggenheim was built in 1997, designed by famous architect Frank Geary. It is created with titanium, stone, and glass, and is a controversial building. Most people love it, and it has won numerous architectural awards, but it also has its detractors. It was constructed in the seedy, dilapidated port area. The Basque government covered the $100 million cost and a $58 million acquisition fund for the art work. In the 70's Bilbao was one of the most polluted cities in Europe with smog from the mines and furnaces settling under the humid air. There are many articles saying that the Guggenheim totally transformed the city. There are now many cultural sites, and tourism is the number one industry. It is said that years ago, as recently as 20-years, no tourist would set foot in Bilbao. The growth and gentrification are attributed to the "Guggenheim Affect".

Guggenheim Museum

We had made a reservation at the Bistro, so had a decent table looking at the River Nervion. We had requested 2:30, but were told to come at 2:45 PM. Think the Spanish hours suit us better than elsewhere in Europe where most everything CLOSES by 2:00. Here, most don't open until 12-1:00 PM, and we can usually find lunch at 3:30 or 4:00 PM, and many places serve all through the day.

The Bistro was not posh, but was very nice, with modern art murals on the walls (Jackson Pollock, etc.) They didn't offer an ala carte menu, only set menus. We both chose the 29 EU menu, which included bread, water, and a bottle of wine, which was a very good value.

Bistro Guggenheim

We both had the spider-crab meat terrine for starter.

Spider Crab Terrine

The pickled cabbage hearts and sauce made the dish work. The chef knows what he is doing is putting the ingredients together.

Next, Ron had carmelized, roasted, boned lamb.

Lamb 

I had a fish, Hake, with a strange description - "on a bed of root vegetable puree and acidulated mushroom juice". I was a bit concerned, but it was quite delicious. The fish was very mild and flaky.

Hake

The deserts (included in the "menu" price) were the best part. Ron had a creamy chocolate, milk sponge cake with banana ice-cream. I had something I had read about - "pan-fried carmelized French toast with ice-cream". Someone described it as a cross between bread & butter pudding and crème brulee. I never order French toast, but this was something else!

Ron's Chocolate Concoction

Pan-fried, carmelized French toast

As mentioned, this 29 EU menu included a bottle of wine, which was a good wine for our taste, and made the lunch very reasonable. And at the end, they presented us with a wooden box filled with three different "sweets" which were all delectable.

We had thought about walking through the museum. I had wanted to see the Toulouse-Lautrec exhibit. But it was 16 EU per person, and it was already nearing 5 PM, and we had a long drive home. Ron went to get the car, and I walked  back across the courtyard, across the tram tracks, and found a place to sit to wait.

Waiting for Ron near Guggenheim

When we got back to San Sebastian Ron dropped me at the San Sebastian Hotel. I was hoping to find the French Open on TV there, but the place was pretty dead. I sat on the terrace until Ron came. We then walked back to our apartment. Happily, the French Open was on our TV - all because Rafael Nadal (of Spain) was in the semi-finals, I'm sure.

A nice day, but from the little we saw we have no desire to go back to Bilbao anytime soon. It is supposed to rival San Sebastian in cuisine and top-level restaurants, including many Michelin stars. We tend to avoid those restaurants. We used to enjoy an occasional visit in France years ago, but they have become not only increasingly exorbitant, but also outlandish menus for our tastes. The little restaurants like we saw in Gauldaka have more appeal.