First we walked through the old town and through a few parks on our way to the Guggenheim. It was heartwarming to see how many folks were out with their family members who were in wheelchairs and their kids in strollers. The Easter season is certainly a family event here in Spain. We were on the lookout for a place for lunch before our 2 PM museum entry time but nothing really jumped out at us. So we went to the cafe in the museum. Great people watching with a side of decent food. The building that holds the art museum is a work of art itself. It was designed by Frank Geary and is a global icon. The works of art were mostly large items that match the scale of the building. We had the best time walking through the Frank Serra steel monoliths. We were hooting and hollering and making lots of noise all the while listening to the echos and reverberations. Several other adults and a multitude of kids were doing the same thing at the same time as us. That was fun. After the museum we took a new way back and saw more of Bilbao. We stopped at a baker's and got some bits to augment dinner and some sweets for dessert.
More great gates
We saw another set of fine buildings
Many of the tulips and daffidols have already bloomed out
Old and new together. This large skyscraper is far away so it seems reasonable in size
This fountain was on overdrive
Poppy pop pop pop poppy
These windows would do for a month stay
Yellow balloons!
For that haircut that is real short
Great gate on 48
We walked along this park for many blocks
Interesting pergola
Vertical plantings
In the park of Dona Casilda is a statue of Casilida Iturrizar. She was a widower of a very affluent man and they had no heirs so she donated large sums to schools. hospitals and churches.
An older woman, is dressed like her in front of the statue
Dodecathelos, really it is.
El Gato indeed!
We have made it to the riverside, and Judith is her name
Overpasses and bridges and gates...which way to go ?
We are not the only people to come here
Lots of dogs, too
So when we ordered olives we were not surprised to get lots of olives
Here is the cafe
So many competing shaped and surfaces
Up in big letters
The reflections off of the walls added to the prescence of the building
Basque drummers
Looking up is weird
The space is very large on the inside
Joan Miro likes his mustaches
Multiple mustaches on this one
Birds and insects
The elevator shafts were transparent
Fog randomly rolled out of the edges of the fountain
I never made it to the uppermost walkway
Tulips by Koontz
Many areas to get right up the edge
Pink granite
A huge collection of the art by Oskar Kokoshaka took up three rooms. His career spanned much of the 20th century. He was vilified by the Nazi's and branded a "Degenerate Artist", which is the name of this painting
"Unleashing Nuclear Power" was a work from the mid 5-'s
He moved to England later in life and remained a political gadfly
El Gato again!
This piecs was on loan from the St Louis Art Museum. I was drawn to it when I first saw it and now I think that I recognized it from a visit to the museum in St Louis
Squeezing a picture through this space
It is easy to loose yourself in the maze of paths and conflicting forms
All lit up
From below
These massive steel sculptures by Richard Serra were the most fun we have had in a museum
They were set in place designed to promote the echo and reverberation of sounds
We could walk between them
They are massive 15 foot tall walls of steel
Peek-a-boo
The area above the Serra sculptures
I saw these prints in the gift shop
We did not see them in the collection but I like them anyway
Surreal Tea
We are outside but there is still more art outside
"Puppy"
the largest floral sculpture in the world
What a fine sunny day
Sit, stay...
The bridge that leads over to the museum
"La Sigureas" the rope girls who pulled boats along the tow path
There may be only one wall left but what a fine wall it is
See your Butt!
Big steel!
A new pedestrian bridge up-river
This mysterious structure towers over the other buildings
A strange sign to advertise food
Puppy show us as grafitti
Plants on the balconies
A new set of "treasures"
I hear you sister!
Having a whale of a time, is it a French whale?
We coined a new work megandering; to meander while taking a gander
Stone carving
A local game, toss the washer into the frog's mouth, one disc is on the astro-turf but the other is still in motion
I think this restaurant is a steak place
I am almost certain of that
