Camino de Santiago LITE: Day 16 (del Norte): Bilbao 1

Today's been set aside for a visit to another gastronomic temple - Azurmendi. Yes, the one located in the small town of Larrabetzu that we passed a couple of days ago. Although we were within a walking distance from it at our closest approach (now I sound like an astronomer), it was simply easier to arrange to have lunch there while we are staying in Bilbao. We have gotten to like the idea of a long midday meal from which we recover the rest of the day as opposed to starting a major culinary experience at 8:30pm or later. The latter just does not jibe with the morning person that the wife is nor is it conducive to walking the Camino.

We have a free morning and decide to walk to the main attraction of Bilbao - Guggenheim Museum. I was going to save the entire Guggenheim experience for tomorrow but my attempt to get tickets on-line this morning failed and I don't want to stand in line long tomorrow. We forego the "tram" that people recommend since we have to walk this segment of the Camino anyway at some point. We stroll all the way along the river, which is a very pleasant walk and the weather couldn't be better. The ticket lines are short surprisingly and the lady at the desk very helpful. We run into the Korean school group who has decided to change course and do the Camino Frances instead - they will be taking the bus later today to Burgos. A wise decision, indeed! Those kids and the two teachers have had enough of a rough time in this first part of del Norte route.

Bilbao: starting the walk by crossing the bridge out of Old Town. The old train station on the other bank.

Bilbao: as we near Guggenheim Museum, there is this pedestrian bridge.

Bilbao: we walk across the pedestrian bridge and now are on the opposite side of the river from the museum. This man is playing "time to say goodbye" soft and slow on his trumpet. A nice choice but we are just starting!

Bilbao: a colorful building along the river

Bilbao: after getting tickets to Guggenheim, we walk back to Old Town.

We return to the hotel on foot again in time to depart for the restaurant. The taxi shows up on time right in front of the hotel door. It's great (at least for our purpose today) that cars can come into Old Town. It's going like clockwork today so far. Life is good. The driver patiently weaves through the pedestrian traffic and in fact even whispers (instead of yelling or honking) politely at someone who is blocking the way. Every single taxi driver in Basque Country we encounter has been nothing but polite, honest and helpful, which can't be said for the majority of large cities in the world.

From start to finish, Azurmendi is absolutely an amazing experience. It combines several elements of the world's greatest restaurants: the taste and flavor of its food are on par with the very best; in cutting-edge creativity it rivals Mugaritz without aggressively challenging your palate; the presentation artistic, whimsical and appropriate for the dish, the service friendly and professional; and there are fun elements reminiscent of places like EMP or Dani Garcia. The visit actually feels like a mini-culinary journey within a meal - food tasting all the way through the garden, at the lounge, in the kitchen and finally the dining room. The emphasis on eco-friendliness of their entire operation completes your holistic experience.

Larrabetzu near Bilbao: the reception/lounge area in Restaurant Azurmendi where some of the food is served

Azurmendi: lunch starts with a visit to the spacious vegetable and flower garden around the glass-and-steel dining complex

Azurmendi: practice of hydroponics - lettuce grown in water, not in soil

Azurmendi: a drink served on a Basque percussion instrument in the greenhouse

Azurmendi: citrus-based nibbles in little baskets

Azurmendi: a peanut based snack containing foie, placed among peanut plants

Azurmendi: a "cotton candy" containing asparagus presented among cotton plants

Azurmendi: by now you get the idea - these pieces are contained in dried avocado skin

Azurmendi: pickled courgette served, where else, next to zucchini plants

Azurmendi: back at the reception area, the picnic basket contains anchovy mille-feuille and other stuff which is all a blur now... and oh, the txacholi

Azurmendi: the hibiscus infusion and chestnut "leaves" (now gone) we consumed during the kitchen tour. As we leave, the cooks shout "Agur" in unison.

Azurmendi: now in the dining room, before we actually order, an array of olive preparations are served (with vermouth), including the edible "black earth" (dried chopped olive), which gets a nod even from me, normally not a huge fan of the olive other than the oil.

Azurmendi: tomato-based items, including an ice cream

Azurmendi: an ergonomic fork for a lobster dish (with chives and in herbal oil), well fitting my finger

Azurmendi: artichokes preparations in pesto - sublime!

Azurmendi: petit fours

There is one more reason this meal is so meaningful to me. Many on-line reviews of the restaurant describe the nice or beautiful view from the slick dining room on a hill, although I personally don't think the landscape is particularly distinguishing. But what most patrons are not aware of is that the restaurant is not too far from the Camino de Santiago. In fact, I confirm that this building is actually what we saw while walking by here two days ago (at the time I had some doubt), as I can locate from my table the fake cow (a fake cow!) that is on the lawn where I took pictures of the designer chickens. Indeed, throughout the meal, we are able to find the tiny moving dots on the road which represent pilgrims walking on the Camino. How many people can say they are having a once-in-a-lifetime meal overlooking the route they were on just a short time before in a once-in-a-life time walking journey.

Azurmendi: our table overlooks the peaceful countryside through which Camino de Santiago traverses. Spider crabs and sea urchin.

Azurmendi: Part of the restaurant complex in view. A red mullet dish.

Azurmendi: on this clear day, looking out the wall-to-wall window of the dining room, we can see the tiny pilgrims on Camino de Santiago moving westward toward Bilbao.

Unfortunately we did not get to meet Chef Antxa but leave extremely content. I would say this has been the best overall dining experience I have ever had. A cheerful taxi driver takes us back to Bilbao, who is eager to chat with us in his limited English. His father is a Spaniard from Salamanca and his mother from French Basque. We get off again at the Guggenheim and I walk into Nerua, the restaurant adjoining the museum to cancel my existing reservation at Nerua for tomorrow night. Walking back to Old Town via Gran Via, the main drag, this city seems very manageable and has a relaxing feel to it.