I first visited Bilbao 20 or so years ago.  It was my first stop after getting off the ferry in Santander at the start of my month long trip Inter-railing around Europe.  Looking back I can’t quite remember why I made the stop; all I can remember is looking and thinking “oh”!  It was grey, unglamorous, there were abandoned docks and sidings and the whole place had a feeling that it was rapidly slipping into post-industrial decline.  That wasn’t what I was searching for on my travels around Europe so needless to say I didn’t stay long!