Bilbao

Bilbao celebrates its Basque heritage with one of the most vibrant fiestas in Spain.








Over 100,000 people take part in the Aste Nagusia celebrations, which include the famous Strongman games, as well as nightly firework displays, with a different nation invited to stage the show each night. Last night we saw fireworks from the Czech Republic... very kool. Last week they had the same celebration in San Sebastian with a firworks competition... China won with strong competition from Germany.

























Music is key to the celebrations and there are free performances of all kinds on stages in squares and churches throughout the city. Two are particularly worth a visit; the stage in the Plaza Nueva (where you can also eat some fantastic tapas at the Café Bar Bilbao) and the quarry amphitheatre behind the town hall. Every night there is a major concert starting here at 12am and continuing well into the small hours.


















The festival runs right through the night for nine days and come the weekend it is not unusual to still see people weaving through the throng as the sun rises. The streets are lined with marquees from the various bars and societies and many are accompanied by booming sound systems. Shoppers be warned, many of the stores close down for the fiesta, so browsing boutiques is not really an option.

















View from our hotel balcony.

For those of you who think that all we're doing is eating... here is proof that we do have some CULTURE... We went to the Guggenheim Museum today... it's an architectual and a photographer's delight!

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This dog stands at the entrance to the Guggenheim... It is a living sculpture covered by living flowers.