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Links: to Spain, by way of Windsor: 02 Rally Finish Onto Spain: 05 onto Leon 06 Astorga 08 to El Acebo
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Bilbao, northern Spain, 27 May, Tuesday
Bilbao in the Basque district of northern Spain, is described (by the Lonely Planet scribes), as "having had a tough upbringing, growing up in an environment of heavy industry and industrial wastelands." And it shows, particularly on the motorways approaching the city from the west, as we did. This was surprising considering the drive here from Gijon was an entrancing contrast between rugged mountains on the south side of the motorways, and the coastal villages on the northern side (above). |
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On first sight, before entering the Bilbao city centre area, it's not the most attractive approaches to a city. But then into the CBD, confined as it is to a river valley between high hills, and the those impressions give way to parks and gardens, squares and plazas with a variety of architectural styles, and only an occasional highrise to set a jarring note. But for this afternoon, it was enough to walk around some of the parks and gardens, before trying to sort out an internet access problem, and later, to find somewhere to have dinner, or at least to eat, before the standard Spanish dinner time of 8.30pm (at the earliest). We finished up in a pleasant bar, drinking vino tinto, and eating enough tapas (snacks) to ward off hunger. The young barmaid there has the ambition of getting to Australia and working as a backpacker...but she says the visa rules are very tough (and expensive) for Spaniards. She's travelled widely, to places including the US and Canada (which she liked very much), and hopes to add Australia to that list and has her sights set on Cairns! left: a local lass is quite at home with one of the sculptures adorning the city streets. First task tomorrow - find a laundrette, to do our getting-bigger pile of washing. If we can get that done in the morning, the decks will be clear for the Guggenheim Museum in the afternoon.
Yesterday, it was a balmy mid-twenties here in Bilbao - but it hasn't lasted. It dropped a good 10 degrees today, and added some light rain for good measure. Doing the washing in a laundromat in a foreign country, with instructions in a foreign language, is always a bit of a circus. .Dave had recourse to looking up some of the words printed above the machine in his phone Spanish dictionary. To be honest, it wasn't quite as hard today as it has been in some other countries. So, after an hour or so, mission accomplished. (later) The Bilbao Guggenheim.... We should really have researched this more thoroughly before we went. I had expected a museum - after all, it's the Guggenheim Museo, but it's really an art gallery. OK, so it's a museum of modern art. The building itself is a magnificent work of art, so much so I took far too many photos of it. It looks so strong, and yet so elegant, with its bulbous walls clad in shining metal. Plus, outside there are several eye-catching art installations, including Jeff Koons Puppy, which I last saw in Sydney in 1995 outside the Museum of Contemporary Art at Circular Quay. |
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Unfortunately we weren't supposed to take photos of the art works inside the building, but the works on display outside were extremely eye-catching. |
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Inside, well, let's just say Yoko Ono's art isn't to my taste. The Museum is hosting a retrospective of the 80-year-old's life's work. It's hard to realise Yoko Ono is now 80 years old!
After we came back to our hotel, demonstrators, complete with megaphones and pamphlets, were blocking the street and pasting signs on the hotel walls.. Dave inquired of reception what was happening, and was told it was a protest against the hotel chain. I think it was a protest over wages and conditions, but since my Spanish is non-existent, I'm not entirely sure!
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There
was a glimpse up the end of one street of the symbol of new
Bilbao, the Guggenheim Museum, a treat we've promised ourselves
for tomorrow. This brief sighting hinted at the cutting-edge
architecture of the museum, which I'm looking forward to seeing
tomorrow in all its modern glory. 
28
May, Wednesday 
