Where do I start? I just got back from Italy and yet I haven't written about Portugal or my spontaneous trip to Bilbao yet. I'm so behind. It seems like a life time ago. Internet has been hard to come by, no I lie - spare time + internet together have been hard to come by. Life gets busy when you travel I guess.
Everything seems to fall by the wayside, maybe you're too busy checking out tourist attractions, meeting new people or maybe you discover a place where you feel like you could spend a life time. Then reality comes knocking and tells you to get real, you have to start uni in a month, you actually can't speak the language there, you need to pay rent and you're behind with your blog.
So back to reality - first write a blog entry. I think I will start with Bilbao before it escapes me forever. I'm assuming that most of you who know me know that I'm more of a planner than a spontaneous type so this trip was kind of special in that respect and also because it was my first lone trip in Spain. I've never really understood why people rave about traveling alone. I still don't think I would. Maybe someone can enlighten me. I say the more the merrier.
My sole purpose for the trip was to see the Guggenheim, which I did. I never really thought of myself as liking a particular style of architecture but I think the more I see, the more I know what I don't like. On the whole the Guggenheim Bilbao fitted into this category. Its basically just a big fck off building. Yes there are certain parts which I like, the material in particular. Every time you see the building it takes on a different hue. I thought was really intriguing. The idea I got (from my guide and own assumptions) was that Gehry was trying to make the architecture the art. In this respect it works, thanks god because the art on display is certainly not worth the 8 euro you pay to get in. However the inside is all curves and no structure. Nothing works together. I felt like vomiting when I went in. I find theory is interesting and all but it doesn't make your building.
My guide (a close relative to my host family) told me about the other buildings surrounding the Guggenheim. I lucked out I think seeing as he actually worked on the project to redevelop the riverside. These I found were more interesting especially Alvaro Siza's building. Or the Calatrava Bridge, ZubiZuri. Calatrava has always been a favorite of mine so when everyone in Spain (slash the 2 people I discussed him with) told me he was a terrible architect I was a bit crestfallen. It appears he didn't do enough site analysis and made the walkway glass - a bit of a no no when it rains and ices over.
Personally Bilbao doesn't really have much else of interest. I got the tour from Carlos (aforementioned guide) and his two body guards. He works in the local government and I guess you could say politics are taken a lot more seriously in Spain, especially in Basque Country. It made for a more adventurous visit. We went for pinxos (Basque style tapas), which I'll tell you more about in my food post that's coming, and to a lovely Mozart concert. I think it was Mozart. It seems like an age ago. He also told me that the Norman Foster designed metro stations are called 'Fosteritos' = translation little fosters. How cute!
I'll leave you with a few more pics to tantalize your visual senses.
xx
PS - Laura that Peter Rabbit tattoo is totally cute! I hope your planning is going well. You should just up and leave. There's always some floor space at my flat in Munich (I say this because I have the tiniest bed in my huge as room).
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