We are pretty sure a large screen television could not be delivered by this vehicle but were impressed by its ability to find a parking place in Bilbao! Now, that is something to brag about! A second cup of coffee was in order and we began to look for a seat at one of the many cafés. The streets were empty of pedestrians; however, every café was completely full. In our search for java, we had strayed from our original route so much that we were lost and totally turned around. After about 10 minutes of confusion, we finally recognized the famous walking bridge and we headed to the river.
A tram which passed by us was advertising our desired destination – the Guggenheim Museum. The tram’s track runs through the grass which parallels the riverwalk. At a quick glance, it provides the optical illusion that the tram is running on the grass and there are no tracks.
As one approaches the Guggenheim from the river, they will find a 30-foot spider along their path. Tom waited and waited to get a shot of the spider with no one posing underneath the Louise Bourgeois sculpture. The work, named Maman which is French for mommy, was made to honor the memory of her mother who was a weaver. She chose the materials of bronze, marble, and stainless steel to create something that appears fragile, but actually, is very strong. Like the sculptor’s mother, the spider represents the ultimate protector or a fierce predator if an interloper broaches her web. Never getting a clean photo opportunity, he finally snapped this shot so we could move on.
The angles and materials of the museum are still intriguing to us. Freestanding works of art which surround the building both on dry land and water only add to this architectural marvel appeal. Under the foot bridge, a fog appeared coating the water and adding another element to be absorbed visually.
Approaching a tall freestanding sculpture of highly polished stainless-steel balls, a reflection appears. The balls are extremely bright and depending on your angle of approach to the work of art will determine what one sees. So cool!
We continued counterclockwise around the museum to find children playing in the water spray and having the time of their lives. It was a beautiful day, but we were not sure it was warm enough for water fun. The children did not appear to care and laughed and giggled every time they ran through the spray.
As our journey continued around the building, a large puppy came into view. This live sculpture, named Puppy, stands guard in front of the entrance of the museum. Although not in full bloom, the sun had brought out some of the color to the large guard dog. We would love to see it in all its glory, but that will have to wait until the next trip.
Space saver
We were covering ground already explored, but we were happy to revisit these sites. A low rumble could be heard coming from our stomachs. We decided the best place to finish our visit to Bilbao was back at Plaza Nueva with Pintxos!
The plaza was much quieter than we had experienced in previous visits. We hit a couple of the pintxo bars before checking out what Toma y Daka had to offer for our afternoon meal.
The pintxo counter was fully stocked with yummy treats and there were no lines! We enjoyed a couple glasses of txakoli rosè while we were deciding on what to order. For those who have not experienced a pintxo or tapa bar, it is hard to describe all the choices one must make.
The treats can be prepared from the sea, an animal, or vegetables only. They can be raw, cooked, or in some cases all the options on a single stick can be enjoyed together. We kept it simple and after a few rounds of food it was time to quit – we were stuffed. Our day of saying goodbye was slipping away from us quickly and our trip would be coming to an end soon.
Slowly walking back across the bridge for the last time, we headed to our apartment. It was sad to be leaving this city, but the time had come.
Reaching the apartment there was nothing left for us to do. We had packed and cleaned earlier, so we just gathered our bags and headed down the street to our hangout, Restaurante Jateko. Paolita called the taxi for us and while we waited for its arrival, we split a piece of cheesecake. Joserra poured us a glass of liquid gold, Pedro Ximénez, to compliment the dessert. It was a sweet finish to our visit.
The taxi arrived and sadly we were off to the airport. The sights of the city flashed out our windows on the ride to the airport. The driver had a ton of questions about visiting the United States, the weather, and how far places were from each other. His son had moved to New York and he was hoping to see it all.
The hotel was just like any Holiday Inn at an airport. It had everything one would need for the night – a bed, a shower, and a shuttle in the morning. What the hotel did provide was something we did not expect. A beautiful double rainbow could be seen out our window which lasted for 30 minutes.
We decided to go outside and get a better look at the rainbow. The rainbow was fading away by the time we got outside, but it was soon replaced with an amazing sunset! The colors of the Iberian sky had put on quite a show for us.
While sitting looking at the sky and reflecting on the trip, a few things came to mind. There is something about Spain that is magical, and our trip only gave us a glimpse of what can be experienced by visitors. There is still so much for us to see and do on the Iberian Peninsula and with luck we will return soon.
The stupid quote one always hears on reality TV like House Hunters International, “I could see myself living here” came to Tom’s mind. This picture he took earlier in the day of a gentleman’s slow stroll to the okindegia (bakery) for the daily bread would be the lifestyle of his choice.
Sleep came early as the planes that were coming and going could be heard outside. Tomorrow morning one of the noisemakers would be ours.
Goodbye Spain – Thanks for following along!
Tom & Janet
No comments:
Post a Comment