Bilbao is the largest city in the Basque region, with about 350,000 people within the city limits. It's also considered it's unofficial capital. It's big and bustling, but it didn't feel like it. Perhaps it's the more laid back European vibes I was experiencing.  I really wanted the trip I took to have smaller cities on the itinerary, instead of major metropolitan ones like Madrid or Barcelona. This particular package really checked all the boxes for me.  There is so much to see and do in Bilbao. I found a really awesome archeological museum to visit, lots of really neat shops, good food of all cuisines and of course, the Guggenheim art museum.  I don't ordinarily gravitate to modern art, but I wasn't going to come all this way and not see it. I'm glad I did! I think the building itself is a work of art, and incidentally, the architect, Frank Gehry is the same man behind the vision for the Experience Music Project (EMP), back in my hometown of Seattle. I grew up not far from Seattle, so I kind of call it home.