Bilbao

Guggenheim Bilbao

Bilbao is located in the Northern end of Spain in an area called Basque.  It considers itself almost autonomous from the rest of the country - up until Franco it had its own language, which he tried to kill off.

Originally an area defined by its industrial and mining background, it had a resurgence from the early 90's after it was allowed its own language back.   This also culminated in the building of Frank Gehry's Guggenheim Museum.  It's now a thriving cultural mecca, with a strong artistic bent.

The Guggenheim was definitely the highlight of the city.  It is an almost magical building - from the way it looks both internally and externally, to the flow through the galleries themselves, the way the titanium coating changes colour given the conditions around it - and this is before you even get to the artwork!  And this in itself is pretty spectacular.  Even the pieces outside the museum are worthy of their own gallery.  

Otherwise, Bilbao is a beautiful city.  The architecture is probably some of the most stunning you'll see anywhere in Europe.  The use of the river is an example unto itself.  Each of the bridges that cross the river are slightly different, and give great examples of design from the periods that they relate to - the modern bridges up the Western end of the city areavant garde and interesting without being cliche or garish, while others reflect a much older design aesthetic.

Also along the river you can take in a sculpture walk which allows you to revel in the exterior art work of the city.  We also took the cable car to the lookout over the city - well worth it to accustom yourself to the layout.

The food was pretty fantastic as well - we ate pintxos (a Basque version of tapas) and a delicious meal out in Old Town (which is well worth a couple of hours wandering around, especially if you like shopping!).  

However as we head further north, we're finding the weather to be turning a little.  The first day was in the 20's, the other two were getting a little cooler.

So now off to San Sebastian.  We hear good things!

Hold on - a modern museum PLUS a giant fingerprint??? Hrmmm, where have I heard of this before...?