Why Bilbao is the perfect getaway for foodies...
 

...I was born on the Old Town (Casco Viejo) of Bilbao and it truly is a great place to eat and to have pintxos, as is the rest of this small and walkable town. But it´s not me who says it, it´s a UK widely read newspaper. Not very detailed, but gives you some good ideas to enjoy food in one of the world´s meccas for gourmets, the Basque Country.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/ar...t-fish-is.html

Interesting, but hopefully it will not attract too many...

Hahaha, well, yes, it´s true that present authenticity (the best thing about the Basque Country, the almost complete absence of tourist traps) may disappear if we get massive tourism.

Wow, Mikelg. I'm going to go to Bilbao to see that extraordinary Vizcaya Bridge !! Just amazing. To hell with the Guggenheim.

Gora Bilbo!

Bedar...I live just 5´away from the Vizcaya bridge...totally for locals and almost unvisited by tourism. Just amazing, and so unknown!!

Many years ago I was moving from the UK to Almeria and got stuck in Bilbao for a week with a van chock-full of my stuff and an entourage of my child, my mother, and a dog and cat. My great travel insurance paid for the van repairs, the 5* hotel ( don't remember the name) and all food. For the most part, we ate at the hotel. All I remember of the town was that it was very industrial and had five banks on every block ! But, that was a long time ago. A friend visited recently and told us how enchanting it now is, beyond Gehry's museum. And now, you've brought this fantastic bridge to our attention. We've got to visit - my husband says that would be best during feria ( in August ??) because of the big bulls used then.

Thanks again for sharing, mikelg.

Mikelg - I've been passing on info and links to the Vizcaya Bridge. No one knows about it, and everyone wants to go see it !! You should go along to the Tourist Office to make sure they include it in tourist literature. What a forgotten curiosity !

The Vizcaya Bridge / Puente Colgante is a World Heritage Site, isn't it? I'm surprised that few people know about it!

I look forward to seeing it....

Thanks Bedar...I love it, it´s part of my life. My mom lived on the other side of the river and crossed on the Bridge (funny, you can´t say "crossed the Bridge" on this case) 4 times a day. I´ve seen it carrying 9 cars (6 now), with open windows that could not hold the rain, without safety barriers...now it´s modern, efficient, silent, cheap, beautiful...And yes, a World Heritage Site, if it was, say, in NY, it´d be a major tourist site. But, fortunately, it´s in Portugalete and Getxo, far from massive tourism.

Bookmarking, will be there in Sept. I rode a Transporteur bridge in France last year so..

"Widely read" is a nice way to describe the Daily Mail.

It is possible that the stormy and rainy nature of the Basque sea coast is your best protection against mass tourism, especially of the cruise ship sort. That -- and I hate to say it -- a completely out of date but lingering association of "Basque country" with separatist terrorism. I think the newest "generation" of mass tourists -- from Asia, Russia Brazil or India -- is less interested in food tourism than they are in iconic European sights and maybe wine tourism. I'm not sure Spanish food has the same cachet as French and Italian food among the non-American nouveau riche. Are you seeing more touritsts from the East or Latin America?

Also:

http://www.londonconfidential.co.uk/...ao-For-Foodies

http://www.foodswinesfromspain.com/s...s/4446043.html

http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/...o-2355941.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/th...ect-break.html

This is interesting too, although I am curios if any women are succeeding in Bilbao:

http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB100014...03010494659344

Bilboburgler, the first one was the Puente Vizcaya, and in fact the system is patented. There are some posters outside of it showing some "competitors", but they are nothing like this one, it´s a huge difference.

Sandralist, well, last year we had 54 cruises (not many, I know, but doubling previous year), and by my experience most of them were interested in food and architecture (affluent people...). I´ve had some visitors from Hong Kong and China, interested almost exclusively on food (Michelin starred restaurants, basically), and this year I´m receiving visitors from Costa Rica, Mexico, Chile and Argentina, also interested on this foodie´s paradise.

Interesting articles...

Where do the cruises dock -- right in San Sebastian? Or are they excursions being bussed in from other places?

There is definitely a Chinese globe-trotting Michelin-star seeking crowd. But the "foodie" crowd that zeros in on Italy seems to me to have a noticeable absence of Asians other than some Japanese, and I sometimes wonder if it is because of Italy's reputation for an overload of diary products and olive oil. But noodles are popular! There are lots of Brazilians now who go to Rome. Surely many visit Portugal. I wonder if they will show up in the Basque country.

Do you know the TV show "Iron Chef"?

No, San Sebastian has no capacity for cruises...they arrive in Getxo, (I live just a couple of miles away), near Bilbao and very, very close to the Hanging Bridge (but it´s funny...people on cruises never visit it).

There´s a lot of interest in the gourmet possibilities of the Basque Country in Hong Kong, China...but most foodies come from the USA, interested in our pintxos culture and quality of farm products.

By the way, Spain is the biggest producer in the world of olive oil (I think that Italy produces just a fourth of Spain´s capacity, but they buy bulk from us and bottle is as Italian, in many cases), but this goes mostly unknown...sadly.

No, never heard of Iron Chef...not a TV person, sorry!!

In fact, as per the chart in http://www.elcaptor.com/2014/03/rank...-de-oliva.html, it´s 5 times more and almost 50% of world´s production!!

Yes, I know that about Spain, but most people think of Spain as a pork-fat place excepting Andalucia. Foreigners have equally incorrect ideas about Italy -- in fact, most Italians don't eat a lot of cheese -- and Greece (only a minority eat fish regularly).

The reason I mentioned the American TV show Iron Chef is that it is a competition between 3 chefs with a Japanese host, who surprises the chefs with an ingredient that they must use in every dish to make a mulit-course meal, within 30 minutes. The competing chefs are always from Italy, France and Japan -- and I can't remember even seeing one from Spain (although its possible) -- even though I think most "foodie" Americans have believed for some years now that Spain is tops for food in Europe, in particular the Basque country.

5 Basque restaurants on top 35 of the S.Pellegrino World's best restaurants list. One Italian ;-) http://www.theworlds50best.com/

You´re right, sandralist...the variety of regional foods in Spain is just incredible. Funny that you mention the pork-fat place excepting Andalucía, because they eat a lot of pork there!

I´ll check that Iron Chef competition, it sounds great!! I have a blog on food (in Spanish, though), one of my pleasures.

Who watches Iron Chef when you have chef Karlos Arguiñano Urkiola on TV every day. Sorry, but only in Spain. Besides, Chef José Andrés's "Made in Spain" is far more interesting then anything the Iron Chef program can come up with.

I don't even own a TV here in Italy, and I am relying on memories of the Food Network of 10 years ago. I'm not even sure Iron Chef is on anymore -- or if the Food Network exists!

Yes, I recall seeing pork in Andalucia, but then again, Italians eat a lot of potato dishes or soup and you never hear about it, and they don't eat a lot of tomato sauce, but most people can't imagine a plate of pasta without it.

(Robert, I wasn't saying Iron Chef was interesting in any other respect that not having Spanish chefs on it, given that most foodie Americans think of Spain -- and maybe Japan -- as now the best cuisine.)

One of the greatest inventions of all times in Spain and the gastro world is the Menú del Día. And it´s not that well known among US visitors, not used to it. For around 10 to 15 eur, you can have a first (from a wide selection), a second (same), a dessert (ditto), bread, wine and water included. And sometimes even coffee. I´m lucky to live in a part of the world, the Basque Country, where the Daily Menus are excellent in most restaurants.