Bilbao Guggenheim, one of my favourite galleries

If you've never been to Bilbao and seen the Guggenheim Museum, let me tell you a little about it. To begin with, the museum is right on the edge of the river that runs through the center of Bilbao. All around the museum is parkland that has been reclaimed from old industrial buildings, and also includes one of the Bilbo Tram stops.

Walking around the museum you are struck by how imposing the building is, not just the physical size, but also how it captures the eye from every direction and completely dominates this corner of town. About 800m upriver is the old city (Casco Viejo) of bilbao, and another 800m away from the river is the new part of the city with it's exclusive shops and universities.

Inside the museum the first exhibit you see will literally have you in awe that these pieces were even made, far less moved into position. And I'm not going to tell you what they are but they're huge, there are a few of them, they're made of metal and you can walk in and around them.

The rest of the museum is devoted to really interesting displays that don't overwhelm you, well except for the Basque section that is more of a political statement with pictures of Spanish and Basque nationalist funerals.

When I was there an exhibition of American artists was running with works like Andy Warhol's Marilyn prints, Jasper Johns, and John Singer Sargent amongst others. If you find yourself driving between France and Spain, make sure you take a day to stop in Bilbao.