Bilbao: Where Old and the New Meet

The Sea Cloud II docked in Bilbao, and soon we were saying our farewells. All the staff were kind and attentive, but I connected particularly with Jess Fox, a Brit with energy and enthusiasm. Although she was a volunteer on our ship (and did her fair share of work and supervision particularly with the sails and rigging), her heart was obviously with special needs children back in the U.K. Her sailboat, The Lord Nelson, serves and is adapted for children who have physical disabilities. Her eyes brightened as she shared a time when a quadriplegic boy made his way up the rat lines to the crows nest, with only slight aid from her. The joy on his (and her) face was priceless, she says. Jess also remembered a blind girl who maneuvered her way to the top with no fear and barely little help! I can sense this story needs to be shared in an article.

Arriving at our hotel in the city center, we settled in, then found directions to the popular Guggenheim Museum on the waterfront. Although I am not a fan of Modern Art, I could appreciate the creative use of lines and surfaces in the sculptures as well as the building itself. Because of this museum, the entire area around it has been revived and renovated into a lovely downtown neighborhood.

The dog sculpture in front of the museum was my favorite. Flowers are planted on a regular basis as they wilt and die.

The simple sculpture of tulips was brilliantly colored. . .

And the stack of balls curious. . .

These large instillations exhibits are not anchored to floor, but artfully balanced!

This sculpture, called, 'Maman' or Mother in French, was fascinating. I saw it first online when I researched the Guggenheim.

Although I am afraid of spiders, this one seemed less intimidating. And I discovered the reasoning behind the name: it was carrying eggs!

Next, after a lovely meal in a street Café, we took a tour of old Bilbao. Called 'Casco Viejo' in the Basque language, it, like the Alfama district in Lisboa, and the old portions of other towns we've visited in Spain and Portugal, was a maze of winding, narrow cobblestone streets lined with tapas or pinxas (pronounced peen-chas) bars and various shops.

We visited a church built in Gothic and neo-Gothic style. . .

The main library, which used to be a British home in the 1800’s, when the Portuguese and British occupied Bilbao.

The remains of the wall surrounding the city. . .

The riverfront where fishermen brought their catch to market. . .

And a photo of the square where five streets met . . .

Then, it was back in to the modern city center for a few more photos and a rest. I do love history, but my head was buzzing with information! Tomorrow we will explore the Basque Country more fully. . .