A part of the beauty that enriches the set of experiences and sensations that always constitute that fantastic adventure that is traveling, is also found, without a doubt, in traditional places, whose essence and longevity form an inseparable part of the city we are going to visit.
One of the most notable examples is, without going any further, in that attractive capital of Biscay, which, gently swaying on the banks of an estuary that has recovered all its former beauty, is, today, Bilbao.
You can go to Bilbao with a set program, which obviously does not lack its most emblematic places, such as a walk through the Seven Streets - to be clear, the Old Town - a walk through the old market and the spectacular church of San Antón, its charismatic Plaza Mayor and the old Arriaga Theatre and of course, the brand new and futuristic designs of the Calatrava Bridge and the Guggenheim Museum.
But, as incredible as it may seem, if you go to Bilbao and don't visit the oldest restaurant in the city, you soon find out, or so they let you know, that, during your visit, you have missed something fundamental: the Café Iruña.
Opened to the public, no less than in 1903, the Café Iruña is one of those eminently romantic places that stand out, both for the classic beauty of its interior - including that remarkable neo-Mudejar coffered ceiling - and for the quality of the service of its waiters and the exquisiteness of the typical products of its peculiar gastronomy.
Also, having the fortune of being able to enjoy it with those friends, who, through their love and dedication, are as important or more important than the family itself, is, I assure you, a luxury within the reach of very few.
Having said that, remember, dear fellow traveller: if you go to Bilbao and don't visit the Café Iruña, rest assured that, during your visit, something truly fundamental has been missing.
NOTICE: Both the text and the accompanying photographs are my exclusive intellectual property and are therefore subject to my Copyright.
