• The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao - Architect: Frank Gehry - 1997

• Approaching the Guggenhein Museum Bilbao on the Puente de La Salve

• The Guggenheim is located on the Nervión River which flows through the city of Bilbao.

• Louise Bourgeois, 'Maman' - 1999

• The majority of the museum cladding is titanium plate.

• A view of the back of the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao from the bridge

• This tower, clad in limestone, is part of the museum and integrates the museum design with the bridge.

• The tower is intentionally left unfinished to expose the structural interior and the method of fastening the limestone panels.

• Detail of the limestone panel fastening system

• The back of the limestone panels and the fastening rails

• The scaffolding on the bridge tower is in place for the installation of a work of art.

• A view of the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao and the Iberdrola Tower, designed by César Pelli

• Jeff Koons, 'Puppy' - 1992

• Jeff Koons, 'Puppy' - 1992

• Anish Kapoor, 'Tall Tree & The Eye' - 2009

• Jeff Koons, 'Tulips' - 1995-2004

• A nod by Frank Gehry to traditional Spanish boxed out windows

• The entrance to the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao

• Jenny Holzer, 'Installation for Bilbao' - 1997

• An impression of Bilbao through a sun shade

• Richard Serra, 'The Matter of Time' - 1994-2005

• Richard Serra, 'The Matter of Time' - 1994-2005

• Richard Serra's, 'The Matter of Time' sculptures are housed in the long gallery that stretches under the bridge

• There are several pedestrian bridges over the Nervión River. This is a Santiago Calatrava design.

• Santiago Calatrava, 'Zubizuri' (Basque for white bridge) - 1997

• Pedro Arrupe Bridge - The building behind the bridge is the Jesuit University of Deusto

• Parque Ramon Rubial - Ramon Rubial (1906-1999) was the leader of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party

• Plaza de Don Federico Moyúa

• Basque Health Department Headquarters: Coll-Barreu Architects - 2004, Restrictive zoning unleashed a creative response that resulted in a faceted glass envelope that encloses an otherwise unremarkable building. The double façade is energy efficient and fire resistant. A drive-by photo.

• Beginning our exploration of Casco Viejo, Old Town Bilbao

• Casco Viejo

• The Cathedral of Santiago Square

• The Cathedral of Santiago

• The spire of the Cathedral of Santiago

• Our group of travelers perusing the hats in a shop window

• We briefly visited the Uri Zaŕa Txoko. A Txoko is a community cooking club. It is a strong element of the Basque culture in Bilbao. Our guide told us that the men do the grocery shopping and the cooking.

• Inside the Uri Zaŕa Txoko

• A view through the dining room into the kitchen of the Uri Zaŕa Txoko

• This woman was cleaning the Txoko

• According to our Basque guide, all Basque men in Bilbao are members of an informal group of former classmates. These groups meet yearly to maintain contact and to party. This serves not only as a social group, but as a social safety net whereby members keep in touch and assist each other when there is a need (e.g., financial, medical). When they go drinking, they pool their money. At the end of the evening, remaining funds are deposited here and donated to charity.

• An entrance to Plaza Nueva

• Plaza Nueva

• Items available for sale at one of the market tables in the Plaza

• The Basque flag was a common site during our travels in the Basque region of Spain.