Guggenheim Museum

 
Guggenheim Museum,  
Abandoibarra etorbidea, 2. Tue-Sun, 10:00 to 20:00; Jul and Aug: Mon-Sun, 10:00 to 20:00. Closed Jan 1 and Dec 25. Frank Gehry's spectacular twisting titanium-clad modern art museum is perhaps the most celebrated building of the 1990s. The graceful, sensuous curves, evocative of the ships that used to be ubiquitous along the docks of Bilbao, are covered in titanium squares, which resemble the scales of a fish and shimmer in the sunlight. In keeping with the maritime theme, appropriate for the setting, the skylights of the largest gallery (formerly known as the Fish gallery) are designed to look like the fins of fish. Many parts of the building are purely decorative, and don't serve any purpose. The permanent collection is not particularly impressive, but the museum always hosts at least one interesting temporary exhibit, frequently comprised of masterpieces from the other Guggenheim collections. Adults €13.00; students under 26: €7.50; children under 12: free.

Osama Bin Laden 'Once Stopped For Speeding'

Osama bin Laden was stopped for speeding up to nine years before he was tracked down to a secret hideout in Pakistan, a new report has revealed.

The al Qaeda founder, who masterminded the 9/11 terror attacks, was travelling with two of his aides when they were pulled over by a policeman on their way home from a bazaar in Swat.
The wife of one of the men said her husband "very quickly settled the matter" and the group were allowed to drive on.
The revelation is made in a Pakistani government report, which investigates how bin Laden, once one of the world's most wanted men, was able to live in Pakistan undetected.
It found evidence of "culpable negligence and incompetence at almost all levels of government" and accused political, military and intelligence chiefs of a "sustained dereliction of duty".
The report, obtained by Al Jazeera, said bin Laden's Abbottabad hideout, with its high walls, barbed wire fence and isolated location, was "hardly normal".
"The extent of incompetence, to put it mildly, was astounding, if not unbelievable," it said.
Bin Laden was holed up in the complex for around six years, evading US troops as they waged their war on terror in Afghanistan.
He would wear a cowboy hat to avoid detection as he moved around the building and would eat apples and chocolate when he was feeling sluggish.
He was killed by US Navy Seals during a covert raid on the complex in May 2011.
The 336-page report, which is based on testimony from more than 200 witnesses, also confirmed Pakistani officials were not informed about the raid in advance.
They were allegedly kept in the dark amid fears bin Laden would be tipped off, although the report said there was nothing to suggest any current or former Pakistani officials helped him hide.
Earlier, it emerged that US military files on the raid were transferred from Pentagon computers to the CIA, where they are likely to avoid public scrutiny.
The records were moved in order to protect the identities of the Navy Seals, according to the US Inspector General, and officials denied it had been done to sidestep Freedom of Information Act requests.

How to be more confident at work: 10 ways

We all want to feel more confident in ourselves and our abilities, and nowhere more so than at work.

Modern workers often define themselves by their careers and workplace successes are key to our self worth, so it's no wonder that lacking confidence at the office can harm your self-esteem and your chances.

We asked confidence expert Robert Kelsey, author of What’s Stopping You Being More Confident? for his top 10 tips for workplace confidence:Confidence doesn't always come naturally, but there are plenty of ways to boost it [REX]

1. Assume you’re not being exploited. Nothing undermines confidence more quickly than the gnawing feeling of exploitation. We become sullen and resentful: a position from which we’re unlikely to gain anything other than the sack. So, no matter what the circumstances, we should see our role as an apprenticeship for the next level. Of course, this is an impossible thing to achieve without a plan...

2. Work out what you want. Feelings of exploitation often come from having no plan for our future.  If we have a plan we can also see how our current role fits in. If we’re on a clear path ahead – great, we’re motivated to work and improve, which will work wonders for our confidence. If our plan tells us we’re on the wrong path, that can also be great. We can at least see where we need to be and start calculating what’s required to get there. That said, you need patience.

[10 more expert tips to be more confident every day]
[Want a pay rise? Ask!]

3. Don’t undermine yourself. Underwhelmed by their role, many (especially bright) people commit self-sabotage. They become the joker or the trouble-maker, or perhaps part of what I call the “moaning canteen gang”. Despite appearances, such roles will ultimately wreck your confidence because – rather than tackle your fears (perhaps that you’re incapable of moving up to the next level) – you’re avoiding them, and adopting a mask to hide behind.

4. Get on top of the material. There’s no escaping this – if you struggle to understand the technicalities of your role, you will feel overwhelmed and fail to gain confidence. Invest the time (your own if necessary) to get on top of both your employer’s role in the world and your role within it. If you feel you’ve missed something (which could make you too embarrassed to go back and ask a potentially stupid question), go online and do your research, or find a trusted confidante. Indeed, confidence is often described as “self-efficacy”, which means having both the self-belief and the skills required to do what you need to get ahead. Researching your company and your role can give you the back up knowledge you need to be confident [REX]

5. Learn to delegate. This is a must for confidence because, if you cannot delegate to others – perhaps through fear of “making yourself redundant” – you’ll stay stuck, bogged down with too many tasks, while those around you progress. One trick is to “sharpen the saw” as Stephen Covey suggests. This means investing time in teaching others the more mundane jobs within your remit, which frees you for the “get noticed” creative tasks. Retaining the drudgery because “it’ll be quicker if I do it” simply bolts you to the floor while freeing others to rise.

6. Learn to persuade. Delegating involves an element of persuasion. How do you get someone to do something they’re reluctant to do?

First, make it theirs. Help them “own” the task by not micro-managing their process. Instead, help them develop their vision of the result, and let them find their own route. But also listen intently, especially if you felt ignored when in the same position. Listening helps develop “belief alignment” between you both that will powerfully influence them, and support your confidence.

[Learning the art of letting go]

7. Give compliments. The insecure seek compliments, while the confident give them. So make sure you’re on the right side of this equation and lay it on with a trowel. Sure, going over-the-top on acclamation may feel cheesy, but just watch the impact it has on the receiver. Indeed, this is a brilliant way of dealing with difficult people (and they exist in every workplace). Try being nice to them: not only will it disarm them, it’ll have them begging for more – putting you in the driving seat.

8. Work with your boss. No matter how pompous or irritating or controlling you think your boss, you need to work with him or her rather than against. Battling with your boss is a one-way street for undermining your confidence. One trick, offered by Richard Carlson (Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff), is to “develop your compassion”. Your boss will have agonies and concerns just as great as your own, so work out what these are and how you can help ease them. At that point your goals are aligned. Giving compliments rather than seeking them helps make you feel more confident [REX]

But also make sure you’re on the right path – executing your plan. It just might be that the reason you dislike your boss is because you feel trapped on the wrong path, which is your concern, not theirs (though they may help, if you help them achieve their goals).

9. Learn to present well. Whether in meetings or presentations your every utterance will be judged by your colleagues, as will your silence, which is scary and confidence-sapping indeed. Yet we can all learn presentation techniques, whether its generating attractive slides, keeping it brief, pacing our delivery, overcoming eye-contact concerns, smiling, or even accepting criticism without being derailed (the true sign of a confident person).

There’s no alchemy, though – again – it’s important to be on top of the material.

[How to reduce your stress levels in five easy steps]
[Help! My boss is flirting with me]

10. Plan your meetings. These are key moments in any job. So make sure you’re on top of the agenda, know your material and – importantly – know what you want to achieve from every meeting. Even if you don’t achieve it, you’ll have a benchmark for the next meeting.

And make the other participants feel important: nothing gives off confident signals more than outwardly appreciating the contribution of others – both junior and senior. 

Robert Kelsey’s book What’s Stopping You Being More Confident? is out now, Capstone publishing, £10.99.

Long term love: How to put the spark back into your relationship (and bedroom)

Couples in long term relationships can find the spark dims over time, especially when it comes to sex - but it doesn't have to be that way

 

If your sex life is a little lacklustre now you've been with your partner for a few years, you're not alone.

It may be a joke wheeled out regularly on sitcoms that marriage kills off your sex life but research does suggest that long term monogamy is a bit of a passion killer - but it doesn't have to be.

Long term relationships need more effort to keep the passion alive [REX]

The study by Lloyds Pharmacy Online Doctor found that in the first 12 months of a relationship 15 per cent of couples have sex every day, and for the first four years, more than half of couples polled had sex a few times a week. But beyond four years, this dropped to just 43 per cent and after 15 years, 15 per cent were only have sex a handful of times a year.

Almost half of Brits rate their sex life as 'OK' or 'could be better' and 76 per cent think they 'could try harder' to keep the passion alive in the bedroom.

[Loved up? It's bad news for your waistline]
[How I found love online]

If you're stuck in a rut or have let life get in the way of sex don't panic. Reconnecting with your partner can help bring back the excitement of your first few months together, combined with the intimacy of a long-term relationship. We asked relationship coach Janet Murray for her tips on how to reignite the spark.

"It's a common experience but you shouldn't dispair," she tells us. "There are lots of ways you can improve intimacy that will see you feeling the effect both in the bedroom and in other areas of your life together."Communication will improve intimacy inside and outside the bedroom [REX]

She says there are two really important thing to do - make time for each other, and communicate. It sounds simple, but how many of us actually give our relationships the energy they need to grow?

Respect your relationship

"Making time for each other can be difficult when you have a busy life and many demands on your time. And while it can be easy to take your relationship for granted and assume it's there so you don't need to work on it, it's vital that you make it an important focus in your life.

"You need to agree that your sex life and your relationship are things you both want to invest in.

"Making time for your relationship means putting aside designated time to spend together, to go out on dates, and also to give you room to be spontaneous. If everything in your life is pre-planned it's hard to keep the mystery and excitement alive, so try not to plan absolutely everything.

"If you’re not feeling very excited by things as they are, do something new such as a class together – dancing, couples' yoga or a massage course. Or you could even try a Tantra class if you want to take things further."

[Seven reasons sex is good for your health]
[The secret of long-term love? Matching outfits]

Talk and listen

"The second vital thing you need to do to reignite the spark in your relationship is to make sure you're communicating. It can be easy to assume you know your partner so well you don't need to ask what they're thinking or how they're doing - but that's never true.

"Put aside just 10 minutes a day to talk to each other about how your feeling and what's really going on - not including the mundanities of life, who's doing the weekly shop or what the kids' after school activities are this week. Just focus on yourselves.

"And listen. Really pay attention and don't jump in when your partner's opening up."Do a class in couples massage to learn new skills with each other [REX]

Janet explains that it's also important to communicate about your sex life specifically.

"It's key to talk about what you want from your sex life and what you want from each other. It's like any skill - you have to learn it and practice it and you need feedback. When you think how much time you spend practicing and learning the things you love doing you realise why sex can stagnate.

"It takes effort and energy to spend time on your relationship but a relationship is either growing or dying. And you have to feed it something to grow."

Janet adds that if you feel there are major obstacles in your relationship or you're not making any progress, seek help. Couples therapy can be really beneficial if you're dealing with bigger issues or if you have grown further apart than you realised.

Summer baking tips from the experts

Need inspiration for new and interesting desserts to make this summer? We asked expert bakers for some tricks of the trade, along with some inspiring dessert ideas - even for when it’s too hot to turn the oven on. 

Leave the oven turned off
Our bakers have plenty of ideas for desserts you can whip up without using the oven on those hot, sticky days. Bea Vo, author of Tea with Bea and owner of Bea’s of Bloomsbury pâtisserie has a few ideas. ‘Take some of your favourite berries and infuse them with your favourite alcohol - if you want to fancy it up, add some spices like star anise or vanilla with a bit of honey and let them macerate for a few hours in the fridge. With some ice cream and nice biscuits it makes for a complete dessert.’ And what about ice cream sandwiches? ‘So easy yet so tasty.  Bake your own biscuits or use store-bought, and liven it up by layering a bit of jam or curd on one side of the biscuit before adding the ice cream and sandwiching.’ She recommends covering the edges with mini choc chips, coconut or baking sprinkles. If you’d rather bake the biscuits yourself, make them the evening before, when it’s cooler, and keep them in an airtight container until needed.

 

Why not make some tasty ice cream sandwiches this summer? [Rex]Don’t forget the salt

Master Chocolatier Paul A Young, who is appearing at The Cake and Bake Show at Earl’s Court this September, told us about the need for salt, even in sweet dishes. ‘Whenever you're baking anything sweet, add a pinch of sea salt’, he says. ‘I put a teaspoon in my chocolate cakes. It lifts and balances the sweetness and brings out other flavours. There's not enough in it to be able to taste it, but it's like putting salt in bread: you know when it's not there.’

Make perfect meringues
Fluffy, white meringues are the quintessential summer bake, sandwiched with whipped cream and fruits. But they can be tricky to master. Great British Bake Off winner John Whaite, also appearing at The Cake and Bake Show in September, has some advice for you. ‘When making meringue, it's important to make sure the egg whites are medium to stiff peaks before you even think about adding the sugar (a spoonful at a time),’ he says. ‘Most recipes say 'whisk the whites to soft peaks' but this isn't true, they need to be medium/stiff.’ It’s also worth mentioning that you’ll need to make sure your bowl and whisk are both immaculately clean. One speck of grease on either and your meringues just won’t stiffen, no matter how much you whisk them.

[Healthy recipes: Low-fat, summer desserts]

[Four new, unusual and delicious sandwich recipes]

 

Make use of seasonal fruits and make a delicious meringue [Rex]Use seasonal and summery fruits

Loretta Liu has worked alongside great chefs such as Pierre Gagnaire and Raymond Blanc and now owns her own pâtisserie, On Café, in London. She says this time of year is the best to visit a Pick Your Own Farm. ‘Pack lots of seasonal fruits and berries and make preserves with them,’ she told us. ‘You can keep them for months to come in an air-tight jar. It is the best time to make delicious fresh fruit tarts and pies.’ Bea also says to think about which fruits evoke summer. ‘Think tropical:  pineapple, mango, papaya, they always get us in that summer mood.’

Make the most of your freezer
An icy, refreshing treat is just the thing when it’s hot and humid outside. And our bakers gave us some inspiration for sweet treats you can make using the freezer. Bea suggests frozen bananas. ‘Why they haven't caught on here, I don't know,’ she says, ‘but they’re great, and made famous by the show Arrested Development. Freeze some bananas on a stick, create your own caramel and chocolate sauces, and a selection of things to dip them in like marshmallows, freeze-dried strawberries, crushed hazelnuts, and you have an amazing dessert that's also good for the kids.‘ Loretta says that sorbets and ice lollies are simple to make using fresh fruits, juice and purée. ‘Use an ice lolly mould with sticks and get the kids to create their favourite fruit flavours with small cut fruits in the mix.’ And with all that fresh fruit, Loretta says the lollies ‘will cost pennies but pack lots of goodness’.

Frozen banana pops are perfect for summer [Jo Romero]