Bilbao is Spain’s fourth largest city, about one million residents in the greater metropolitan area, situated on the north coast of Spain on the Bay of Biscay, just a short distance from the Spanish-French border, and in the heart of Basque Country. It has been a city since the 14th century.
Some interesting notes:
The Spanish Civil War started in Bilbao.
Guernica, the village offered by Franco to Hitler to test saturation bombing, is nearby. Franco had no use for the Basques, so slaughtering a few thousand courtesy of the Nazis, was a ‘gift.’
The Basque terrorist group, ETA, started in Bilbao. ETA agreed to disarm and cease blowing up things. That hasn’t changed the Basques’ desire to be independent. ETA is blamed for the deaths of 829 people in a four-decade campaign of shootings and bombings for an independent Basque homeland.
Bilbao is the capital of the Basque Autonomous Community, a status of a distinct nationality within Spain. The Basques don’t want to be a part of Spain. Like the Catalonians in the south, the Basques want to be a separate country.
A few of the French Departments (counties) on the north side of the Pyrenees are also Basque havens.
Roads and many stores have signs in both Spanish and Basque. No one knows the origin of the Basque language. It doesn’t look anything like any other language.
In the 700 years that they occupied Spain, the Moors never conquered Basque Country.
Since the central area of the city is compact, we opted to walk around instead of joining a tour group. Much to their credit, the city fathers provided no-charge, continuous transportation from the dock to center Bilbao, a half-hour ride. Contrast this service to Princess charging $16 round-trip for a 10 minute ride from the dock in Lisbon to downtown. Of course, the Bilbao city fathers want the tourists to come and spend (which they did!)
The centerpiece of Bilbao and the cause of its plopping on the tourist map is the Guggenheim Museum, opened in 1997. When you take away the Guggenheim, there isn’t much to see or to do as a tourist in Bilbao. Nonetheless, we enjoyed the day wandering about.
First, let me dispose of the Guggenheim. Since it is there, and everyone makes a big deal of it, we went. What a magnificent structure of titanium. glass and stone combined in all sorts of angles and shapes. Designed by the eccentric architect, Frank Gehry, it is amazing that it was even able to be constructed.
These pieces are outside the building.
Photography is not permitted inside, but I snuck a couple of photos to give a sense of scale. I have no idea what the first piece of ‘art’ represents…a Portuguese Man-O-War? The second shot is from the third floor looking down to the atrium.
That was the good news. I guess I should fess up to being a cretin. (Many of you already believe that to be the case without any further proof!) As hard as I might try, I cannot appreciate the cow dung that is housed within the Bilbao Guggenheim. (I suspect I would have similar problems in the other Guggenheim locations.) The stuff is undecipherable, weird and/or raunchy. The two celebrated artists (loosely using that descriptor) of the day in Bilbao were Yoko Ono and Ernesto Neto, each with a dedicated, full floor of the three-story structure…that is a lot of square footage!
Ono’s contributions are simply trash. Here are a couple of her center-stage examples:
About a five minute, black and white film of a skinny person’s butt. That’s it. No jumping around; no gyrating. Just someone (male or female?) standing with an exposed butt. Occasionally, the person shifts his/her foot with the resultant slight adjustment of a cheek. Great cinematographic challenge…cinema verite’ at its finest!
Another black and white, five minute film of Ono playing with her bra, making it loose (and demonstrating her flat-chestedness) and making it tight to push up what little she has.
I am not a prude. But, this stuff is actually offensive, because it is so ugly and weird. Of course, art is in the eye of the beholder. Some of you might be titillated by this crap. I will remain a cretin if those are supposed to add value to society. Just imagine the excitement in the local boardroom at capturing such displays for the citizens and visitors of Bilbao to enjoy!
Netp’s offerings were, at least, somewhat interesting. He has a thing for nets full of cut up, baseball-sized, rubber balls. One can actually climb through one of his displays like a jungle gym. He certainly put time and effort into making the exhibits, and there was some geometric symmetry and color with his stuff. I would place it in the weird category.
Okay, that was a waste of 15 Euros and one hour of life. Did I hurt anyone’s sensibilities? Tough! Now, on to the real Bilbao.
There were very few single family homes as we drove from the port to Bilbao and as we walked around the city. It appears the vast majority live in apartments, which define the landscape, even in the old town.
The old town isn’t really very old. The main church, Santiago (St. James), is not particularly impressive. However, we did bump into him (last picture).
The Bilbao River runs through the center of the city and provides some pretty scenery.
Here is ‘the boss’ playing with her new camera and then taking a break from her strenuous efforts. That hot chocolate is super thick…eat with a knife and fork!
And, of course, we could not depart without sampling the local brew, which turned out to be not too local…Heineken.
So, as already said, not much once you take away the Guggenheim. Bilbao remains a commercial/residential city and the capital of Basque Country. Pleasant, but not worth another visit unless you are an aficionado of the kind of ‘art’ offered by the Guggenheim.
One day at sea and then our arrival at Le Havre for our private tour to Normandy.
