One of the joys of wandering without a plan is discovering unexpected details. This small metal ornament caught my eye because, at first glance, it reminded me of an English Tudor or Lancashire rose. That immediately brought to mind the remarkable historical ties between Bilbao and England, built over centuries through trade, shipping, iron, and industry. On closer inspection, it is probably not an English rose at all, but a Gothic quatrefoil, a decorative motif common throughout Europe. Sometimes, however, what matters most is not what you find, but where your curiosity takes you.
The Gilda was created in the 1940s at Casa Vallés in San Sebastián by skewering green olives, salted anchovies and pickled guindilla peppers. It was named after the 1946 film Gilda, starring Rita Hayworth.
“They had style, they had grace Rita Hayworth gave good face”.
I spent the day walking through Bilbao, searching for the design, architecture and atmosphere that fill me with inspiration, spark creativity, and generate new ideas, both in my professional life and as a person. Life is timeless - Europe endless.
Can you hear the bold, majestic fanfare played by the brass instruments? See the Egyptian army return victorious from battle against Ethiopia. Watch the hero, Radamès, welcomed back to Thebes with a magnificent public celebration.
It’s the Triumphal March from Aida. And I found Giuseppe Verdi in Bilbao, where we both stopped to strike a pose.
