The Happy Pilgrim : The Guggenheim

The Guggenheim - it's out there

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My morning started with hearty breakfast (which I didn't post on Facebook) perhaps tomorrow. I knew I was in for an adventurous day because I needed to find my way to both the train and bus station and work out my exit strategy. I just checked my FitBit and would have easily done 17 kms + (not including the Guggenheim) today and my feet are sore! The city is beautiful with modern buildings alongside 18th century architecture and I find myself staring at the contrasts in awe.

The people are friendly and those that are not are just ones that can't understand tourists on holiday.
No surprises, Bilbao have strangers who talk to themselves and people begging and families caring for their elderly and young people who chat and laugh and take up the whole footpath and squeal in museums! I don't feel like I am away from home when I observe the same people characteristics (except in a differnt languague).

Other tourists are generally just as happy as I am (if they aren't I haven't noticed). Once I purchased my bus ticket for Irun - Hendaye and will purchase my train ticket on to St Jean Pied de Port. I made my way back to the hotel to pick up my sunglasses and recharge my iPhone. I then decided to do a dry run to see how far it was by the most direct route to weigh up wether I will walk or cab or bus or tram in the morning. It would come as no surprise that since it's only 3.4kms that I have decided to walk.

I then decided to learn how to catch some public transport and that was a brilliant idea. I got an all day pass for 5 Euros and went round the city a couple of times working out all the places I walked past (and almost walked past) if I had turned left rather than right for example. This exercise enabled me to discover a new part of the city. The loop only took about 26 minutes but it wasn't a loop and went back they way it came (the driver moving from one end of the tram to the other each time).

I stopped off at the Guggenheim and, those who know me well recall my saying "was abducted by aliens". I went into a time warp and probably spent 3 1/2 hours there. What can I say the building is art and the pieces thought provoking. There are some you can photograph and some you can't, needless to say evertyhing outside you can photograph. The building has been designed using the fish as a theme (a carp in fact) which horrified me at first but I got over it quickly. A whole floor was dedicated to Niki De Saint Phalle and it wasn't until I was half way round and read her artistic timeline on one of the many curved walls did I make this discovery. I don't tend to read everthing. The diversity of her life time of work is outstanding and while I can't say I like all her work I love much of it having experienced it in this magnificent museum. If this is a taste of what Spain has to offer I know I am going to really enjoy the artistic side of my epic adventure.

Level two was closed to rennovations which meant the admision cost went down to 8 Euros. I found the whole experience enlightening and have lots of photos! It's not everyones cup of tea. When I arrived a man on the tram was coming out. By my rough calculations he got off and I kept going which meant by the time I departed it was around 35 minutes. It didn't rock for him obviously!

I learned a lot today.

That I shouldn't have had laid down for a few minutes at 6:00PM becuase it meant I fell asleep for 2 hours. I have't quite got the siesta timed right and who has time for them when there is so much to see? (Unintentional napper);
If you smile at people they assume you know their language and sometimes strike up a converation. (Smiling is a universal language);
I have an "okay" sense of direction but this evening when I woke from my late afternoon nap I decided to go for another shorter walk. I thought I would get a hot chocolate and went in a new direction. Right (instead of left) and instead of turning back thought I would just go round the block. Yes folks, off to an epic start, nearly got lost on day two. I wasn't out of my depth but if I hadn't followed a dog owner then I might have been getting my "maps.me" app fired up! and finally, (Remember caution - especially at night).
As I walked past the Guggenheim on my "dry run" to the bus station I noticed a man hosing the bridge walkway out the front. There was what appeared to be waterspray (mist) around him so I quickly stopped and put my camera away in case it got wet. Later while listening to the Guggenheim audio commentary I was to discover this bridge mist was one of their interactive instillations. Oh yes "it's out there" alright but the lesson for me is to listen to the comentary and read the instructions to get the bigger picture.

More again soon - signing off The Happy Pilgrim

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