Hi Chad,
I didn't mention the Restaurant of the Guggenheim either, because we usually just go to the bar at about 11 and fill up with pintxos. But that would be a nice idea for Sunday lunch. The new restaurant at the Museo de Bellas Artes Arbola Gaña is closed Sun,

Hi cova,
Thanks so much for the insider's "best tortillas in town" scoop. I love the multi-tiered tortillas at Lekeitio too, but we've never tried the other places. I've written all your recs down, and we'll be eager to check them out, particularly the one next to the Casa del Libro, where I spend far too much time and money!
The newish Basque place I was referring to in the Casco Viejo on Kalea Perro is "Harrobia". Their menú del día looked very good and well priced, but we didn't have time to fit it in. Have you tried it?

I just looked again at the Palacio de Oriel, and the rates are amazingly low with a double going for only 84 euros. And the rooms with their typical NH minimalist style and more stylish than the ones at the Puente Colgante, but then the views won't be as nice. We would just use it as a base to do some exploration of the countryside on our way to Cantabria. We have to make it to the new Limpias Parador soon!

Topping for Rouge6

Thank you so much Chad for helping out!!
and thanks to others for helpful hints!
I appreciate it a lot!! :)

rouge

Hi ChadL,
If you're going to purchase a Creditrans card, as cova says, it makes more sense to take the metro to the Areeta stop on the Getxo side. I've never bought a card, by now, thanks to cova, I know how it's done!

As promised, those pinxtos places in
Portugalete...

If you reach the Puente Colgante before lunch, of course, it's pintxos time!
We liked taking the car ferry from the working class Portugalete over to very "yacht class" Las Arenas and having our pintxos at "Cosmo" on Andrés Larrazabal 4 in Las Arenas, an easy walk fro the Puente Colgante. Nice pintxos, ultra chic clientele, Interesting people watching on the terrace here. And quite a contrast from Portugalete.

In Portugalete, there's a so called "cuesta de los vinos" (hill of the wines), where you'll find
Kalea (calle-street) Coscojales where we found several pintxos bars:

"Amel's Bar" on Cosccojales #5 and
'Pachín" on Coscojales #17, also a restaurant.
"Mari la Txurrera" on Coscojales #18

The above mentioned María doesn't just serve churros. She serves "fritos" (think croquettes), bocaditos de ibéricos (think little cured ham sandwiches) and rabas (think deep fried squid) plus other pintxos.

cova,
Don't laugh, but I bought the "De pintxos por Bilbao y alrededores" published by El País/Aguilar ( I never leave a stone unturned when it comes to pintxos), and I see the "Colmado Ibérico" and "The New Inn" listed.
So at the end of July, that's where we'll be!
Mil gracias.

Hi Maribel,

I also have that guidebook (sometimes you cannot simply rely on your memory ...).

We haven't eaten yet at Harrobia. It's that kind of place that always gets mixed reviews. It looks pretty nice, and the menu is tempting.

If you have a car, and you are used to drive in Spain, that rate at the Palacio de Oriol sounds really good to me. Much better than the Parador de Limpias, I have checked the website and it seems too expensive for me.

Have a nice weekend,
Cova

Kaixo cova,
We were just able to find an incredibly cheap airfare on Spanair from Bilbao to Madrid, so once again, we;ll be finishing up our six week summer stay in Bilbao, which is always something to look forward to for me.

Anyway... what hotel in the outskirts would you recommend or us this year? You did such a good job last year. :-) The Palacio de Oriol in Santurce or the Hotel El Embarcadero in Las Arenas? We don't need to be in walking distance of Portugalete. We'll be coming in from the Casa Landarte (very cute!) in Zumaia and will have a car that we'll turn in at the airport.

Eskerrik asko!

Agur,
Maribel
(but please don't write back in euskara, because that's about all I know! :-) I bought a CD from the U. of Nevada, and I'm trying to learn more-I spend a lot of time with US based Basques)