Casco Viejo, or the Old Town of Bilbao, is one of my absolute favourite neighbourhoods. These stone laden, narrow streets are a link to the history of Bilbao. This is the place to go for great shopping, museums and coffee shops.
Today however, it is Sunday and that means that everything is closed (in Spain they take religion seriously and here the 7th day is still reserved for rest). Well, everything is closed with ONE BIG EXCEPTION: all the fabulous bars are open. On Sundays I put on my best outfit and hit for the Casco Viejo together with most other Bilbao dwellers. Everybody is dressed up to their teeth, no jogging outfits to be seen.
I get to the “Plaza Nueva” the large, beautiful square in the heart of the old town. There are people everywhere, all with a drink in their hand. Children dressed up in cute little clothes, not suitable for playing, but great looking.
It is time to eat pintxos, the Basque name for the well known tapas. Pintxos are basically tine, winy little mini sandwiches. Some have goats cheese, others grilled mushrooms with garlic yet others crab salad. My favourite is garlic bread rubbed with fresh tomato and smoked ham. The variety is endless. Whichever you pick you are up for a great experience. The price normally ranges from 1 to 2 Euros each.
I normally grab an outdoor seat and spend the next hour or so just watching people and read the local newspaper. Just an advice, be sure to get up early. At about 14:00 people start heading home for lunch and the fun is over. The best time to arrive is at about 12:00.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment