Fish Shop

Another successful morning at the corner fish shop in Bilbao.

The city is on the banks of an estuary that leads to the Bay of Biscay.

Her customers are fond of the seafood trucked in from the coast every morning at 3a.m.

Arranged on beds of ice in the front window and behind the main counter the samples of various species are so fresh they seem to be looking back at you through their dead eyes. Wondering if you will take them home or back to the sea. 

Orange, red, pink and silver shades entice the taste buds as you anticipate the texture giving way under the pressure of your lips and your tongue.

Now the preparations begin for tomorrow. Buckets of ice are carried outside to melt in the street. The ice machine is turned on to prepare for the arrival of the next day’s inventory. A man stands tentatively in the doorway looking for day end bargains. Maybe he will come back in the morning with a specific plan in mind. He will treat himself. The anticipation will make the meal taste even better.