Even though we were five hours late (due to a train strike in France), Reza cheerfully met us late at night, helped us get our luggage up the stairs to the third floor (we are both over 65, and my partner is still recovering from surgery), showed us how everything worked, and took time to help us locate a train ticket for our departure two days after. And he helped us get the same luggage down again, and walked us to the station early on the morning we left. He is our hero. What an amazing guy.

The apartment is just as described and photo'd. but some things are even better than I expected. In my dream bathroom, I want a sink like the one in Reza's place. It's huge, so that when I wash my face, no water goes on the floor. The shower is good, too.

The neighborhood is fabulous. You go out the front door and you are surrounded by three little eateries, one of which has a vegan offering, which pleased me very much. But if you walk to the right around the block, you find yourself on a whole (mostly pedestrian) street of wonderful cafes and restaurants with outdoor seating.

The apartment is on the street that fronts the river that flows through the center of Bilbao. Lots of people stroll (and boat, kayak and stand-up paddle-surf) along the river, and there are lots of lovely buildings, hills and trees to see. It's an easy walk or tram ride to the Museo Guggenheim, which was our goal in coming to this beautiful city. The Frank Gehry-designed building housing the museum is a magnificent sculpture, a fitting temple for the pieces by giants of modern art, including Picasso and Kandinsky.