Bilbao, Spain – Day 2, Part 1 – The Guggenheim Museum

Today needs to be split into a couple of entries, because there is just too much for a single entry.

I spent many hours at the Guggenheim Museum, it was the major reason I wanted to visit the city. Both outside and in, Frank Gehry’s architecture is captivating. Over the years I’ve seen his buildings in numerous locations – The Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle, Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, and Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris to name some of his more famous structures. The Bilbao Guggenheim is a knockout.

To be honest, I wasn’t bowled over by the less than thrilling art collection inside the building (then again, I’m jaded having been to some of the best museums around the world), but the architecture made up for it. Curving lines frame the view, which is different from each of the three levels. Light streams in and spotlights bits of the interior, changing with every passing cloud. There are walkways everywhere which provide different perspectives. It is also possible to go outside to a terrace for a different viewpoint of the building and surrounding area.

I’d walk a bit, take photos, then sit for a while resting and people watching. After a couple of hours, I needed sustenance. There is a restaurant, but I would have needed to make a reservation (hint, hint if you are traveling here). But there is also an outside bistro that didn’t require a reservation. After a snack of pintxos (small finger foods, a bit like tapas) I returned to look at the gift shop. I managed to escape without buying a thing.