This window is in the Mercado Ribera, in Bilbao. There are three floors filled with market stalls where fish, meat, produce, cheeses, baked goods, and even just mushrooms are sold. The second floor has a series of bars serving pintxos, a basque word for small plates of various appetizers called tapas in other parts of Spain.
We found a shop where I asked if any of the elegant looking pintxos were "sin gluten" and the woman showed me what was and wasn't safe for me to eat. What I could have was delicious, and I went to tell her so. Then I enquired if there were any bakeries in the Mercado that might sell a pan (bread) sin gluten. She responded while pointing: "Arriba e una panederia con pan sin gluten." Ahhh, a beautiful moment! The bakery also had cookies and pastries for me, as well as a full section of breads and pastries for Paul.
Today the aesthetics we experienced were plazas, fountains, and the Museum of Fine Arts (we didn't get there yesterday). What a fabulous museum it is. The art exhibit was of art pieces in their collection, going back centuries, that have been restored. The exhibit included explanations, photos and videos of the restoration process for alter pieces, paintings, a very old glass plate, sculptures, and photography. It filled our minds, our eyes, and our sensations.
Another exhibit was of surrealistic and modern art, some quite macabre. Mixed in were Goya, Braque, Gaugin, and some excellent but lesser known artists of those periods.
On the Streets, in the Plazas
There seems to be a constant celebratory atmosphere of people coming together for drumming (Senegal) recognizing or memorializing holidays, street performances, laughter and lingering at tables in the plazas, on the sidewalks in a spirit of thriving community.
The beauty in all of this is soul satisfying. The surrounding hills, mountains and extensive red tile roof tops fill my eyes and heart.
Sharing this time with our grandkids and their special people is the most beautiful experience of all.
Life is good!
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