Reading and Roaming

Spain: Sculpture in Bilbao

One of the fun things about walking around Bilbao, particularly along the river promenade, is seeing the sculpture works and the different styles of bridge that link the two parts of the city. Here are a few we enjoyed as we strolled along the Nervion River.

Sirgueras are women who pulled boats along the estuary using a rope. They were fairly common in the 19th century in Basque Country, so this sculpture is a tribute to these women. This is the most prominent sculpture along the river and I was struck by it.

*Commeration of the Day of the Sea, 1981*

Commeration Dia del Mar marks the importance of the sea and the river to life in Bilbao and is also a reference to Spain’s national day, also associated with Christopher Columbus and celebrated on October 12.

Ovoid Variante by Jorge Oteiza, city hall, Bilbao

We walked along the river on the opposite side of this sculpture, Ovoid Variante, which sits more or less in front of city hall. Oteiza was one of Spain’s most noted sculptors whose last work was completed around 1959.

If any sculpture is emblematic of Bilbao, it’s probably this terrier puppy which sits nest to the Guggenheim Museum. We happened to be here the day they were changing out the flowers and were able to watch some of the process from our hotel window. There’s a wire frame underneath the plants, and they change them twice a year in October and May to reflect autumn or spring. I imagine it’s especially striking when the flowers are in full bloom and brightly colored. It’s the sort of sculpture that just makes you smile!

*Tall Tree & The Eye,* Anish Kapoor, 2009

The Chief Penguin and I saw an exhibit of Kapoor’s work in London some years ago. He plays with form and objects, and here there are 73 reflective spheres that reflect images of the city around it and the museum walls nearby. “The Eye” refers to what the viewer him or herself brings when gazing at the work.

Puente Zubizuri is the “White Bridge” in English, and it’s in the Basque language. It’s a pedestrian bridge across the Nervion River and is also known as the Calatrava Bridge (after the designer, Carlos Calatrava) or the Campo Volantin Bridge. It opened in 1997 and has an unusual curved walkway. We didn’t cross it, but I found it most attractive.

This dramatic red arched bridge, Puente de la Salve, connects Bilbao to the suburbs, and now links to the Guggenheim underneath it. It was created in the 1970’s and is an unmissable landmark. Its official name is the Princes of Spain bridge.

Note: All photos ©JWFarrington (some rights reserved.)

Spain: Guggenheim Bilbao

GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM

Exterior of Guggenheim seen from a slight distance

Designed by Frank Gehry, opened in 1997, Guggenheim Bilbao is now known the world over. It was an instant hit in a city that before then was much more industrial and not a must-see tourist destination. The Guggenheim Foundation was looking for a site in Europe for a second museum and had been interested in Salzburg, Austria.

A big Mozart anniversary was looming, and that city didn’t have the bandwidth to both celebrate Mozart and deal with a $100 million dollar museum project. Hence, a formerly industrial area of this city, Bilbao, became the site, and museum construction took about four years.

For anyone who has seen photos, Gehry’s building is unusually shaped, weird looking, and stunning. It has angles and towers and a thin layer of titanium on the exterior that shines slightly in different kinds of light. There are also several sculptures around the museum plaza outside, including Louise Bourgeois’ spider, a tribute to her weaver mother, and inside, such as the collapsed Badminton birdie which upon first viewing looks like a plant or fern leaves.

We spent several hours at the museum today, both inside and outside with our guide Sergio. He’s well versed in the details of its construction and able to speak in detail about the paintings and other art works inside.

PERMANENT COLLECTION

Not surprising, I suppose, many art pieces are by Americans, and women are very well represented throughout the exhibits we saw on display. Some galleries are changed out every several months.

On the other side of Holzer’s piece, viewers see the text in Spanish or another language

Among the permanent pieces are a light and scrolling text piece related to AIDS by Jenny Holzer simply entitled, Installation for Bilbao, 1997, and eight huge metal sculptures that visitors can walk into or through by Richard Serra.

Richard Serra’s work with *Snake* in the middele

A sinuous one is called Snake, and the others are part of a series entitled, Torqued Ellipses, 1996-98, or The Matter of Time.

Span of Serra’s large pieces in one long gallery

We also got a glimpse of Barbara Kruger’s skylight exhibit, The globe shrinks (for those who own it), in which the walls and floor are covered with words in red relating to inequality.

Japanese artist Yayyoi Kusama provides a strange experience in a small mirrored room with lights, Infinity Mirrored Room – A Wish for Human Happiness Calling from Beyond the Universe, 2020. The colored lights go on and off, the room briefly goes completely dark, and you see several reflections of yourself. Only four or five people fit in the closed room at a time.

And lastly, one more work we found intriguing, which our guide called Box Man. We didn’t get the name of the artist, but its emphasis on clothing to the exclusion of some other features made it memorable.

Note: All photos ©JWFarrington (some rights reserved.)

Spain: Basque Geology & History

GETTING TO BILBAO

The destination for the day was Bilbao, but we went there via two interesting towns and a local winery. The morning was cold to start (only about 55 degrees), but by noontime, the temperature was above 70.

GEOPARK IN ZUMAIA

A short distance from San Sebastián is the town of Zumaia, population around 10,000. We came here with our seasoned guide Angel to visit this geopark and the surprising rock formations for which it is known. Basque Coast Geopark is a small area between the Bay of Biscay and the mountains. In 2015, it was named a UNESCO Global Geopark. The surrounding area is a warm green with vegetation, and there is a small beach which attracts swimmers and surfers.

What makes this park unique are the striking layered sedimentary rock formations called by the German word flysch which means “flowing.” It was first used by a Swiss geologist in 1827. Layers of rock under the ocean for 50 million years were pushed upright exposing the different composition and color of individual layers.

Some of this action resulted from the formation of the Iberian Peninsula which previously was separate from France and the rest of Europe. It is said that each layer represents about 10,000 years of history, and that overall tens of millions of years have been exposed here. I found these rock formations spectacular and impressive; unlike anything I have seen elsewhere.

MEDIEVAL GETARIA

After coffee and cookies in a small bakery, a much-appreciated stop on this crisp morning, we ventured on to the medieval town of Getaria. An early Roman village, some walls and buildings remaining, Getaria was named after the square stone Roman sinks called “cetaria.”

Parts of the cathedral here are from the 13th century and its pink stone reveals the significant presence of iron.

Also noteworthy is that this was the home of fashion designer Balenziaga and Juan Sebastian Elkano, the Basque navigator and explorer who made the first circumnavigation of the world on the only ship in the Magellan expedition that successfully returned to Spain.

WINE ON THE TERRACE

Our outing on this day concluded with a visit to a lovely winery, Ameztoi, in the mountains outside Getaria. Here we enjoyed the view from the terrace while sampling a fizzy white wine and a new rose they are producing. We sipped the wines along with bites of three local cheeses and some delectable tuna.

What surprised me was that we were the only visitors at that time; a big bus group was just leaving when we arrived. No one from the winery checked on us or tried to induce us to buy bottles to take home. A most relaxing interlude!

Spain: Tolosa

TOWN OF TOLOSA

Today we spent some time in the Basque countryside stopping in Tolosa, south of San Sebastián, on the way. Tolosa is a junction point between Navarre and San Sebastián and from early times was an important trading area. Today it has a population of just over 20,000 people and hosts a large and busy Saturday farmer’s market.

This was evident in the crowded underground parking garage where our guide had to go round and round before he found a spot for the van. Sensibly, there are small lights over each space, green indicating an empty available space and red one that is occupied. Looking across the garage, you can then see and head for a green light.

I was struck by the town’s striking architecture, tall buildings with colored facades, a metal sculpture that folks both walked through or around, and an ancient stone gate to the city. Plus a three piece band was playing catchy music on the corner when we exited from the garage.

FARMERS’ MARKET

I always enjoy seeing markets in another country, even though tomatoes and lettuce look pretty much the same wherever you go. For me, there’s something appealing in how the produce or the cheeses (some not wrapped) or the eggs (baskets) are displayed.

This is semi-open air with a clear glass canopy, and lots of folks stocking up on sausages, cheeses, walnuts, apples, or pumpkin for the week ahead. A busy place.

RETURNING TO THE GARAGE

After our tour of the town, we were ready to head out really to the country, a small town, and eventually a large pig farm where we would have lunch. But first, the issue was getting the van out of its parking space. The orange car on one side had parked head out, but well into the green band, the pedestrian walking area. Our guide, Angel, made five or six attempts to back out, but with that car sticking out and a car parked directly behind us, it was impossible.

He was thinking about Plans B and C, but he went and found two garage staff. Their first response was they would call the police. The woman brought me a chair which she put in an empty parking spot—guess I looked like I needed to sit, probably the white hair!

Waiting for the van in the parking garage!

The man went with Angel to provide guidance while we waited out of the way in the spot. Shortly thereafter, the car directly behind us left, and this gave Angel enough space with direction from the parking staff to back out. We breathed a sigh of relief—we were not going to spend the rest of the day marooned in Tolosa.

JOTS & JAUNTS

Spain: Sculpture in Bilbao

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