There weren't many large rooms available when I was looking in the historic quarter of Bilboa. The advertised size of 151 square feet of this one was an abstract concept until we moved in. It's pretty small, and the bikes are taking a chunk of that space. I'm taking a more critical look at the square footage on the rest of our lodgings. As the song goes, there'll be some changes made.
We could leave our bikes in the building entryway but that didn't feel great, so we bagged them and squeezed them into a corner.
Keith AdamsModern European windows are very nice. I've been particularly impressed at the type that can either tilt inward OR hinge vertically to open more fully, depending on which way you turn the handle. Reply to this comment 7 months ago
Janice BranhamTo Keith AdamsThese have that feature. It's very nice once you figure out how to operate them, which took me a while. Reply to this comment 7 months ago
My legs are feeling the hills of the last three days. Of the 23,000-odd feet we've climbed since arriving in Prague last month, about half has come since we rolled into Spain five days ago. Barry says he feels fine but is happy to have a day off the bikes. They can chill by the window while we wander around Bilboa.
We're a little confused in our search for La Ribera, the market in the old town. I'm expecting a crowded mass of open-air stalls but see only indoor shops for meat, fish, produce, quite a few things actually. We admire a handsome building across the street from the tram stop but it doesn't dawn on me that it could be the market. I'll figure that out later. No matter, there's plenty of entertainment around the neighborhood.
The green tram zips us along the river to the marquee stop for today - the Guggenheim Museum Bilboa. We take our time walking around to take in Frank Gehry's magnificent design from all angles.
Between the museum and the river stands Louise Bourgeois' spider, called "Maman" in tribute to her mother. That must have been a complicated relationship. Fearsome 30 foot high legs protect a sac full of eggs under her body.
Puppy, the 42 foot tall creation of American artist Jeff Koons, guards the museum entrance. Planned as a temporary structure, Puppy has become a beloved permanent resident.
Completing our circuit around the Guggenheim, we pony up for tickets to go inside and do the audio tour. From the atrium, Richard Serra's massive steel sculptures draw us in to his "Matter of Time" exhibit.
It's a little dizzying to walk through and around Serra's swoopy forms. Great fun.
Walking back out to the atrium we are just in time to hear the beginning of a choral performance. The sound is thrilling in this space. I've been lucky to be part of a few choral ensembles in past phases of life and am reminded what a joy it is to sing with a group. Here's a bit of their music with a look up and around the atrium.
There's much more to see here. We spend a fair amount of time in an exhibit of Picasso's sculpture called "Matter and Body," then exit to find some lunch and ogle more of Bilbao's architecture on the walk back.
Just one more before we go.... Picasso's "The Bathers." He made this happy bunch of beachgoers from a heap of old wood scraps. I hope we have more beach weather ahead of us this trip.
It's siesta time for Barry while I poke at the journal for awhile. We had a pretty big lunch this afternoon and are happy to snack on a few pintxos and take in the bar scene later on.
A wild scene outside our hotel, pretty much the usual I gather. The kids are out late tonight.
Scott AndersonBilbao really is a beautiful city. There’s a lot here we’ve never seen even though we’ve been here three times now. We may have to go back. Reply to this comment 7 months ago
