First Full Day in Bilbao with Tour Group

THERE IS LOX ON THE BREAKFAST BUFFET. Our first activity was a panoramic bus tour of Bilbao. Bilbao was a heavily industrial town until the middle to late 20th century when industry dried up. The town then made a conscientious decision to hire some really good architects to build up the town in order to attract tourism and other financial investments. It has been highly successful. Here is a picture taken in the newest section of town.

Our next stop was the cultural center. The outside didn’t look like much, but the inside was fascinating.

Outside
The inside showing the weird columns.
The weirdest column
When you looked up, there appeared to be skylights, but there was something unusual about them.
On closer look, there was a swimming pool on the roof and you could actually see people swimming.

Our next activity was a walk into the old section of town. We walked along the river. Here are the pictures from that walk.

Opera House
Old railroad station
14th century cathedral. St. James (Santiago). It was originally just a church, but Franco decided the town needed a bishop. So the town got a bishop and the church became a cathedral.
The main square in the old town. Here we had lunch consisting of fried calamari and beer. The beer was kind of on the sweet and fruity side. It really was good.

After lunch, we were taken to the Guggenheim Museum designed by Frank Gehry. This museum is one of a family of museums known for their iconic, avant-garde architecture and extensive collections of modern and contemporary art, symbolizing the intersection of radical art and architecture. All I can say is it lived up to its reputation.

The outside of the museum
Inside of the museum

Most of the art in the museum just did not appeal to me. However, there were two things that really grabbed my attention. The first one was a huge room that had some kind of video going 360° around the room. It was mesmerizing. I actually took a couple of videos. Here they are.

The second Exhibit was three quotes. One was the Pledge of Allegiance, the other the wedding vow and I think the third was last well and testament. However the words of each one of these quotes changed. The changes were very thought-provoking. I took a video of the Pledge of Allegiance one.

Here’s a picture of a sculpture inside the museum

From the museum, we walked home to the hotel having a wonderful gelato on the way. Here’s some pictures from the walk.

Sculpture with one of the bridges crossing the river in the background.
Fascinating structure that looks like an apartment building
Another sculpture depicting for working women from the industrial age.
A walking only bridge.

Our last activity of the day was to ride up to the top of a hill on a funicular to see views of the city. Here are the pictures I took from the top.

To my Portland, friends and family: I’m very concerned about what is happening in Portland. Part of me is very upset about being away at this time. I would really appreciate some comments telling me what’s going on and what is happening with you. Even though I have a great time on these trips, I do get homesick. I’d love to hear from you.

2 thoughts on “First Full Day in Bilbao with Tour Group”

  1. Portland is calm. No troops due to a court ruling. In fact protesters are dressing up in funny costumes. We are taking part in the No Kings protest on Saturday. Stormy weather yesterday (a few possible tornados but no major damage) gave way to beautiful Fall weather. Glad you are enjoying your trip. We are enjoying “traveling” with you.

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  2. Bilbao is stunning!

    As Sy said, Portland is totally fine. The storm damage was in Longview. And a landspout warning in the West Linn area.

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