This is a large nature space located about 15 min drive from downtown Santander. The peninsula…read morecovers about 62 acres and it offers a multitude of activities. There is a Tourist Train that takes you around the entire peninsula so you can check out the sights with minimal walking. There is a Marine Park, built outdoors, taking advantage of the cliff rock and the inlet of sea water, where you can see seals, sea lions and penguins. There is a Man and the Sea Museum where you will be able to see three old galleons used in journeys through the Atlantic Ocean Then, there's the jewel of the park: La Magdalena Palace Located at the top of the Magdalena Peninsula, is the former summer residence of Kings Alfonso XIII and Victoria Eugenia. It currently hosts the UIMP summer courses There are also a few beaches that dot the peninsula for those wanting some Sun Bathing. You can access this area with buses 1, 2 or 4 from the center of town.

La Grúa de Piedra (The Stone Crane) provided its services to the Port of Santander between 1900 and…read morethe end of the 20th century. It is located on the Maura pier. It is one of the major landmarks in Santander as anyone takes a walking tour of the city. The base is made of stone, circular in shape, and the structure is steel. In the rear it has 34-ton counterweights. The steel structure rests on a base made of ashlars from the old docks, which gives the crane its name. The weight of the Stone Crane, not counting the stone base, is 48 tons. Back in the old days, this crane allowed for many cargo ships to be unloaded quickly so the port of Santander was at its highest volume among many European ports of the time.

A stunning modern bridge right next to the Guggenheim. We walked on it a few times and took a ton…read moreof pictures. The views from here are spectacular. We took a boat ride that went under the bridge and again gave us a chance to marvel at the architecture.

Adjacent to the magnificent Guggenheim Bilbao is the La Salve bridge that sweeps by the museum to…read morethe center of town. After seeing the museum proper we made the trek up to the red arch. Taking the elevator up almost the top a guy in the elevator reminded me by saying Arriba! Great views of the river, the old town,the new construction and the sweep of Bilbao proper

The Plaza de la Virgen Blanca or Plaza Vieja is the main meeting place in Vitoria…read more It is located between the neighborhoods of Casco Viejo and Ensanche. It is surrounded by white houses and in the center of the square there is a monument in memory of the Battle of Vitoria (1813), an episode of the War of Independence. There's also a vegetable sculpture with the name of the city, that makes it one of the most photographed landmarks in the city. The square gets lit up very nicely at night. There are dozens of cafes, restaurants, pintxo bars, stores and businesses around.

Gayle and I really enjoyed our stay in Santillana del Mar. But before we could find the Parador Gil…read moreBlas, we needed directions, including how to get past the vehicle bollards into the Village. We stopped at the Tourist Office, who not only gave us clear directions, but illustrated that when we ask where we are, we're usually already almost there. Santillana del Mar is a lovely and well preserved medieval village and is a Spanish National Landmark. A monastery houses the relics of St. Juliana, a martyr in Asia Minor who refused to surrender her virginity to her husband. The name Santillana is a contraction of "Santa Juliana." The "del Mar" is misleading, as Santillana is not on the water but inland. Jean-Paul Sartre called Santillana "the prettiest village in Spain,". While Gayle and I might agree, there's a lot of tourist traffic here that might distract from that message. Yet, the atmosphere is there and at one level remains a Village of dairy farmers. That's probably one reason that the cheese selection was so good here. Gayle and I spend a lot of time just wandering around the Village or just hanging out. Sites included the Plaza de Ramón Pelayo (or Plaza Mayor). this is where our Parador (and old Barreda Bracho residence) was located. There's also a 15th-century tower (with its pointed arched doorway) facing Calle de Juan Infante. A walk along Calle de las Lindas (Street of Beautiful Women) may not live up to its promise (except for my Wife), but it does include many of the oldest buildings in Santillana and two towers dating from the 14th and 15th centuries. Calle del Río gets its name from a stream running through town to a central fountain. Then there's the Museo Fundación Jesús Otero and many of his sculptures sprinkled around Town. We also ventured out and were particularly taken with our day trip to the Picos Europa. Visiting the Altamira Caves was also interesting and we also enjoyed driving along the Coast to Comillas and beyond.

This is the late 20th century opus of American architect Frank Gehry…read more As an architect, i am always amazed at what some architects can get build. Thus, this always perplexed me. However in situ, it makes total sense. At a human scale its underpinnings line up with the surrounding buildings and the river it sits upon. The curvilinear forms are symbolic of the ships once built on this ground in the early 20th century. As an icon and symbol of basque pride. Interestingly, it also plays homage to Frank Lloyd Wright's opus the original Guggenheim in NYC. The Art? The building is the art. I will let others comment on its success as a gallery. However, it is perhaps the one of the greatest pieces of architecture of our time. Post Modern deconstructionist Master Work

One of the most beautiful museums architecturally! Even if you don't get in the museum the…read morestructure itself and the installations on the outside are worth a visit. We got tickets to enjoy the exhibits within and enjoyed them. Im not a huge artist buff so we mainly walked around leisurely and had a good time. Bilbao in general is a quaint Basque Country city is worth a visit!