What a fantastic time we had in this wonderful city. I really didn't know what to expect from Bilbao, tourist information is limited and you can't even see the city from the airport.
We arrived in heavy rain and endured the usual terrifying taxi journey to the hotel, so again we saw very little of the city so in the evening it was a joy to get out and have a proper look around.
The mix of blue sky and stormy rain clouds gave an added sense of drama as we headed out across the impressive foot bridge, at this time we were only given tantalising glimpses of the edge of the Guggenheim, this structure was our reason for coming, would it live up to expectations?
Major renovation work barred the usual promenade to the museum and we had to negotiate our way along an old lichen covered wall that gave the impression of holding back the new town from the waters edge.
We later learnt that the best panoramic view of the Guggenheim was from the other, our side, of the Nerviòn river. Instead we approached slowly past the big red bridge struts, stopping to grimace or admire Mamman the spider.
After being frightened half to death by the gas jet blowers going off in the pool outside the museum, I was under the spider at the time, looking straight up taking a photograph, we circled round this amazing structure that is Paul Gehry's creation.
Not everyone loves the Guggenheim, at the beginning the prospect of having this museum in their city was not welcomed by the locals, they even went so far as to set up candle lit protests and criticism is still levelled at the purpose of the museum. There is a widely held view that the more should have been done to make the building a community space, to reflect more of the city and its tapas bar culture.
In the end that is all forgotten when you stand looking up at this stunning feat of engineering, it's originality, it's beauty stands alone. It needs nothing else and even though other newer buildings strive to out shine it by being sleeker, taller, quirkier they can't outshine it.
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