Today was a pretty chill day in Bilbao. We started the day splitting into two groups, one going to a kitchen to learn how to make pintxos, and the other to go to a market, switching after 2 hours. I was in the group that went to the market first, and we were able to experience what shopping is like for the residents of Bilbao.
Before we got to the market itself, we visited the Azkuna Zentroa Alhondiga Bilbao, a cultural center named after a loved politician after he got diagnosed with cancer. Even if people didn’t agree with his parties views, he did so much for the city that they voted for him because of who he was, not because of his party. On the first floor of the Azkuna, there are 43 unique pillars and multiple sculptures scattered around that were designed by local artists. There is also a pool on the top floor that as a glass floor that you can see from the first floor.
After a quick visit to the Azkuna, we headed to the market. The market itself started as an open air market, and because Bilbao has very frequent rain (200 days a year are accompanied by rain) they enclosed it. In 1985, there was a huge flood, reaching 6 meters above street level, that completely demolished the market. In 2010, they reopened the market, with the outside looking like the original covered market, but the inside completely refurbished and modern. There are beautiful stain glass windows that display the crest of Bilbao. (There are also two, huge lego figurines painted on the inside 😂 )
While in the market, I was able to enjoy a pastry and a coffee for only 4.40 euros (around 5 dollars)!!! We also bought a bunch of grapes, which was an interesting encounter because nobody remembered what the weight of a standard bag of grapes in the US, and so couldn’t convert that into pounds. We ended up getting 1 kilo of grapes, which ended up being the perfect amount to share between us.
After we finished at the market, we went to the pintxo cooking class, where we made more than just pintxo’s. We also made a Spanish tortilla and a classic Basque dessert called goxua. The class was so much fun, because not only did we get to make the food, we got to eat them as well! We used the blowtorch to melt the sugar on top of the goxua which was also so fun. The Spanish tortilla tasted amazing, and it is definitely something that I want to make when I get back home. I am so glad that they sent us with little recipe books for everything that we made today.
After the cooking class finished, we rejoined the other group to travel to hill, overlooking the entire city. From the top we were able to see the Casco Viejo, our hotel, the Guggenheim and more. It was so peaceful at the top, because we were able to hear birds chirping and walk around a park with a lot of greenery. Bilbao itself is a very green city, but it was nice to walk around in an area that was surrounded by grass and trees that also included an amazing view.
Although today was a kind of relaxed day, it was still amazing. We were able to explore more of Bilbao during the daylight, while still going out and eating more pintxos at night. I am so glad that it didn’t rain today and that the sun was shining, especially for our first day where we didn’t have to dress in business casual. While it didn’t feel like we did a lot today, I had so much fun just talking and having fun with everyone on the trip.