Burgos & Bilbao in the Rain II

Did you miss part I?  Here it is.

Exhausted, we were in bed by 9:30, but up and at 'em the next morning, ready for the Guggenheim.  We walked from our hotel, despite the drizzle and the cool weather.  I suggest you do not walk, but run, as fast as you can, to the Guggenheim Bilbao if you have not yet been there.  It's one of the most spectacular things we've seen in Spain.

For those of you who were unaware, the Guggenheim Bilbao is the newest of the Guggenheim museums (I think).  The others are in New York (the original), Berlin and Venice.  The GB was designed by the American architect Frank Gehry, and was meant to make a statement.  And, boy, does it.  Gehry plopped a daring, extraordinary building into a hohum section of the riverfront of a dying industrial city, and turned Bilbao into an international art & architecture mecca.  Take a look at the place for yourself through the link above.  We all thought the building was the most extraordinary we had ever seen.  I finally have a new favorite building in the world that trumps the East Building of the National Gallery in DC.

The Kid and I on Calatrava's pedestrian bridge in Bilbao.

What really made our visit, however, was the special exhibit by the Indian artist Anish Kapoor.  He's the guy who designed the so-called "Bean" in Chicago.   The exhibit featured his work with color, form, negative space, and surface, and it was absolutely extraordinary.  You can go on a virtual visit of the exhibit online, in the company of Kapoor himself.  Much of what he says on the video clips here appears in the audio guide that you get at the museum.  We all feel in love with his work.   "Yellow" was my favorite piece, although I think the Kid preferred the one with the cannon.  He particularly enjoyed the exhibit, proving to me once again that interactive conceptual art – contrary to its elitist image – is some of the most exciting, accessible art out there, particularly for sharing with kids.  

Our day was made especially fun by the Indian family who befriended us at the entrance to the GB.  It was a man (my age) traveling with his mom and dad from the midwest.  All were art lovers, so they were basically museum-hopping their way around Spain.  We went to lunch with them (delicious) at a riverfront restaurant, and then took a rain-soaked but delightful stroll through Bilbao's old quarter.  By 8 we were bushed, and back in the hotel for an early night.

Coda: Sepúlveda.  

The next day we debated staying the morning in Bilbao, but decided to leave early in case we hit lots of traffic as we had on the way up.  Of course, the clouds cleared and the roads were practically empty, so we whizzed back towards Burgos, and then past it.  Using our trusty map and guide book, we decided to stop for lunch along the way, at a little town called Sepúlveda.  This is a hilltop medieval town reconquered in the 10th century.  Utterly charming.  Excellent cordero asado.  A great end to a great, if somewhat damp, trip.  For pictures, check out Facebook.  

Zoë catches me peeking out from the medieval walls of Sepúlveda.