Bilbao is a lot smaller than I expected, with the central part of the City being walkable from one side to the other in about 20 minutes. Apart from the amazing Guggenheim (see here for more pics), the architecture is more reminiscent of Paris than anywhere else, but it’s still quite a modern and very clean place.

Foodwise, it’s tapas bars seemed a lot poorer siblings to those experienced at San Sebastian, although that was to be expected, given San Sebastian’s reputation. The ability to be able to point and choose given our virtually complete lack of Spanish was still a godsend, (although an accidental choice of an anchovy and mayo sandwich was not something I’d normally have chosen for breakfast!).

We did have a superb seafood meal, where I got to try Goose Necked Barnacles for the first time ever, which was pretty cool. I’d read about the barnacles, or Percebes as they’re known locally, in “The Year of Eating Dangerously” by Tom Parker-Bowles, where I learned they’re exceptionally difficult to gather, clinging to rocky outcrops in rough seas. That probably explains their astronomic price of €150 per kg (I went for the minimum amount allowed of 100g), despite their exceptionally ugly looks.  Their taste was suprisingly sweet and more tender and less chewy than other mollusc type seafood. I’m not sure they’re quite worth the price, but interesting to try, nonetheless. The restaurant was called ‘Serrantes’ and it’s worth checking out if you are a seafood lover and in Bilbao. Pictures on the walls of the bar, showing various seafood with their Spanish names underneath were particularly useful, although their bar staff were not too clever with the opening times of the restaurant upstairs.

We arrived at the bar at about 6.15pm, which we already knew was exceptionally early for the Spanish, but we were relieved when the bar staff said the restaurant opened at 7pm. When we actually went upstairs at 7pm, the whole place was in the dark and the maitre’d told us it didn’t actually open until 8.15pm! He then saw the look on our faces and decided to open anyway, which was fairly reasonable of him (although I think my other half may have garrotted him if he hadn’t). Being the only ones did have the added benefit of not feeling too silly when attempting to eat the various seafood, when it arrived, with the multiple implements provided. Not much stops me from getting at the edible stuff once it’s put in front of me, though!