First proper stop on our road trip. We arrived in Bilbao very early and motored to the Arts Hotel. A proper grown up smart international hotel with uniformed staff who whip your car away, load your luggage on to a trolley and affix labels. Although it’s only 09:00 they think our room might be ready (it isn’t of course) but we head out exploring, have a glass of wine and some pinxos for lunch before culture at the Guggenheim. Our room at the hotel looks directly over the museum so we see it from all angles. Even the roof is sculptural with no tat in the form of air conditioning or other rubbish. Breakfast at the hotel 70 euros for two. Good, but not a patch on the Covent Garden hotel.

The Guggenheim is stunning and so are the exhibits. The Barbara Kruger stuff is challenging and thought provoking – wish we’d taken more photos. 

Heredad Begalu is charming. Carefully restored by the owners ten years ago we have a ‘room with a view’ across the river below and beyond. Food is excellent, the breakfasts defeating us, although one couple cleared the lot – yoghurt, fruit, cheese, ham, bread, croissants, cake, toast, olives, avocado, smoked salmon, jam, butter, walnuts, tomatoes, frittata, smoothie, coffee… the old extensive village now has 28 residents in winter and about 240 in summer – like many, many holiday villages. Lots of empty and derelict property for energetic doer-uppers but the Spanish property and planning laws make life very difficult. A touch off the beaten track but, hey, we’ve got time…

Guesthouse Heredad Beragú

…and the Arts Hotel. Great views, great website, great breakfast but 1990s room equipment – come on, wake up to climate change…