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Day 9 - Guggenheim to Madrid

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Hello!!

We spent the morning at the Guggenheim in Bilbao, and honestly, the building alone is worth the visit.

Designed by Canadian architect Frank Gehry, it’s meant to resemble a ship, paying tribute to Bilbao’s history as a port city on the Nervión River, which flows into the Bay of Biscay and the Cantabrian Sea. The way the light hits the museum’s titanium panels makes it look different every time you walk around it.

One of the works that really stuck with us was Rising Sea by Ghanaian artist El Anatsui, who has spent much of his career working in Nigeria. He’s known for transforming thousands of discarded bottle caps and pieces of metal into breathtaking tapestry-like sculptures. Rising Sea explores themes of climate change, consumerism, colonial trade, transformation, and our relationship with the environment. Seeing it up close, and realizing it was created entirely from recycled materials, made it even more impactful.

We also had so much fun walking through Richard Serra’s giant steel sculptures in The Matter of Time. It felt like getting lost in a maze, with every turn completely changing the space around us. Outside, we admired Jeff Koons’ famous Puppy, covered in thousands of colourful flowers, and Louise Bourgeois’ towering spider sculpture Maman, both of which have become iconic symbols of the museum.

Something we didn’t expect was how much we’d learn about the Basque Country. We found it fascinating that Euskara, the Basque language, is the only surviving pre-Indo-European language in Western Europe. The Basque people have maintained a unique culture, traditions, and identity for thousands of years, making this region unlike anywhere else in Spain. It gave us a much deeper appreciation for the area’s remarkable history and heritage.

Bilbao ended up being one of those places that surprised us. We came for the museum but left with a much deeper appreciation for the city’s art, history, culture, and people.

After our visit, we boarded the bus to Madrid and arrived safely. We wrapped up the day with dinner at La Carmela, a lively flamenco restaurant, where we enjoyed delicious Spanish cuisine while experiencing the music from the Flamenco dancing downstairs. It was the perfect ending to another unforgettable day in Spain!