I arrived at my hotel at midday. With only about 3 hours sleep in 36 hours, a nap was a necessity, then it was out to explore, even though I remained a bit groggy.
As it turns out, my hotel is in the central shopping area and close to the tourist office. That was my first stop. The helpful agent gave me a lesson on how to use the transportation system, handed me a map with key attractions circled, and made some suggestions. Tourism offices are a wonderful place to help get the lay of the land.
I walked part of the way to the Guggenheim, noting the mix of old and new architecture. A tourist boat that looked about ready to depart caught my attention. I boarded it just moments before it took off for a jaunt down the Nervion River. It was a good introduction to the city, passing by the Guggenheim Museum, the football (soccer) stadium, old city, old port, and several neighborhoods, both old and new.
Since the opening of the Guggenheim in 1997 there has been a great deal of construction. There were new high rise apartment buildings and lots of cranes and new projects. Interestingly, the population doesn’t reflect all that building–the current population of Bilbao is about 350,000, almost exactly what it was in 1997.
In the middle of the river is a large island that looks ripe for reconstruction. I suspect that will be where the next large building boom will occur.
After the boat ride, I took a ride on the tram through many of the areas I’d observed from the boat. Then, exhaustion settling in, I returned to the area of my hotel. I ate a snack, the dinner hour here being very late (10 is considered early). Then back to the hotel and into a groggy nap, then a very solid sleep.