The highlight of Bilbao, we had heard, is the Guggenheim Museum designed by Frank Gehry. The museum is closed on Mondays but the shore excursion team arranged an opening for those on tour.
During our visit there was also a press conference at the museum for a new exhibition devoted to the work of Spanish artist Juan Munoz, somewhat limiting our time in the museum.
Even if you don’t get to visit inside the museum, it is an interesting part of the downtown landscape, and Jeff Koons-en’s topiary “Puppy” sculpture outside the museum is worth the visit. The tour also included a walking tour of the old city downtown.
Once to free-time, we broke off from the tour and enjoyed exploring the shops and cafes. Churros and chocolate — stick pastries served with a cup of molten chocolate for dipping and drinking were delicious, as is the coffee con leche.
Our guide had pointed out the subway station in the old city (Casco Viejo). Bilbao has the newest subway system in Europe. It also connects up with a tram system downtown. It was a 1.45 Euro ride to the Gobela station, located in a beautiful and wealthy hillside neighborhood that overlooks the port.
There are beaches near the port and a gorgeous walkway, as well as a lot of restaurants.
We found Bilbao a delight with many more attractions than the Guggenheim. The port provided a free shuttle to downtown, and the city is clearly working hard to attract more cruise ships.