We arrived in Bilbao to find we couldn’t get to our hotel because once again the streets were blocked….this time it was for a blues festival. So after driving around the area several times, we said “F!# it” and bypassed the road blocks so we could get to the entrance of Hotel Tayko. After unloading, we followed the music to see what was happening.
I was dying for Italian food – one can only eat so many pintxos – so we made our way up to the number one Italian restaurant in the city….and we were not disappointed. We had to wait for a table as it was full of locals, but it was worth it! The place was so cute, and dog friendly, and the food was outstanding.
After our late lunch/early dinner, we walked around and enjoyed the sights. I really liked the vibe of the city – it’s very eclectic, and a bit rough around the edges. G said it looked like they used every possible material that they could get their hands on (concrete, wood, steel) to build, and it looked like it all was just jammed together into a hodgepodge of architecture.
We ended the evening listening to some great music near the hotel. It went on until the wee hours, because it we could still hear it when we fell asleep after midnight!
The next day we visited the Guggenheim . In all honesty, both G and I liked the installations outside the museum better than the exhibits inside. But there were a few interesting pieces, and it was a nice way to spend the afternoon.
Yayoi Kusama’s work is nothing if not bizarre. Somehow it feels like it’s all very sexual.
It was interesting to walk through the larger than life exhibit of the American scuptor Richard Serra and then see his plans in miniature.
Although we were told there was not much to see in Bilbao, I really liked the city a lot. Even the food was great – our hotel actually had a Michelin restaurant and we had dinner there the second night. G wanted to try a place around the corner, but it was pretty much just for meat and I’m more of a chicken and fish kind of girl.
But if we ever go back, he can try it. 😜
What the Focus 