I heart BCN! (aka Do I have to leave Barcelona?) – Wednesday, December 7, 2011:

           Before leaving for Spain this past summer, many people told me their opinions of the country. Unfailingly, people raved about Spain in general and the dominant opinion of Spain's biggest cities was that Madrid was industrial and rough, but Barcelona was beautiful and modern. I left Madrid loving it, so I flew into Barcelona with incredibly high expectations. It did not disappoint.

La Rambla de Sant Josep

Food stalls at Mercat de Sant Josep

More Food Stalls

Entrance to Mercat de Sant Josep

One of the many Christmas markets

More Christmas markets along the port

           I was only in Barcelona for four days - which I had been advised was sufficient - but I could have easily spent four more days or four more months. There were many beautiful sites to see, but I was happy simply wandering the streets, sitting in cafes, browsing though shops, enjoying culinary delights. I traveled to Barcelona alone, but once there I found an abundance of friendly people. With my new found appreciation for Frank Gehry's work, I sought out his fish sculpture. As I was admiring it's beauty, a man walked by and said "Do you think Barcelona is beautiful?" Oh, yes!" I replied, smiling. "Good." He smiled back and called "Enjoy!" as he walked away. Several times I was actually mistaken for a local in Barcelona. I chatted with a waitress at a cafe, and she started by asking "Do you live in Barcelona?". Later, a man at a cafe where I bought one coffee gave me a frequent buyers card so that if I bought six more there, I could get one free. I took these encounters both as a compliment to my improving Spanish and also as a signal of the diversity of the city. In Bilbao, I walk down the street and flirty men yell in heavily accented English "Helllll-oooo!" It really gets them no where, because I walk away annoyed, thinking "OK, I know I'm blonde and taller than any of you, but must you point out that I'm not from here?" But in Barcelona, I was just another local with an accent.

Gehry's Fish sculpture in the distance.

Gehry's Fish sculpture up close.

           Other than wandering and enjoying the beautiful neighborhoods of Barcelona, I also spent a lot of time admiring Gaudi's work. Antoni Gaudi was a Catalan architect who lived in the early 1900s. I've actually been a fan of his since I was a sophomore in high school and wrote a paper on his work for Spanish class. Two of the few monuments I remember from my very first trip to Spain over 11 years ago, are Parc Guell and La Sagrada Familia - both the work of Gaudi. Viewing Gaudi's work this time around was just as enjoyable and memorable as the first time. His use of nature for inspiration, colorful tiled mosaics and whimsical interpretations of space are so wondrous that almost 100 years after his death, thousands of tourists still gawk at his work daily. Gaudi was an amazing innovator, and it struck me that he likely laid the foundation for Gehry's work, which I fell in love with only a week earlier. Apparently, I'm more of an architecture fan than I thought.

Gaudi's La Pedreira

Gaudi's Sagrada Familia, Passion Facade

Inside Gaudi's Sagrada Familia, intended to mimic trees and a forest covering.

Nativity Facade, La Sagrada Familia

A House at Parc Guell, designed by Gaudi

The main entrance to Parc Guell

View of Barcelona from Parc Guell

Benches at Parc Guell

Gaudi's famous mosiac dragon at the entrance to Parc Guell

         My time in Barcelona passed quickly; too soon it was time to depart for Sevilla. Barcelona has easily won the title of my favorite European city and I left hoping my life would intersect with it again.

El Gugg - Saturday, December 3, 2011:

                Last week was our final week for this module and we had two exams on Friday. We’ve also been assigned a 25 page paper so I’ve been spending as much free time as possible attempting to finish it.  Time feels like its flying by and there’s lots to get done in a small amount of time. Next week there are holidays (ohh how I will miss Spain) and I’m taking one final trip to Barcelona and then Sevilla. But when I return only two weeks remain for my 2011 adventure semester abroad. Definitely lots to get through first …

                Realizing my days here are numbered, I finally cleared time in my schedule and went to the Guggenheim Museum. I can’t imagine an institution that has had a greater impact on a city than the Guggenheim has had on Bilbao. Historically, Bilbao was an industrial city with a convenient port; it was a gritty, hardworking middle class town, but also a center of Basque Country power. Unfortunately, in the early 80s, Bilbao’s industry was losing its profitability with globalization causing too much competition. Among other problems, the unemployment rate reached 25% and so the Basque government made the decision to renovate Bilbao from a city of industry to a city of service. Officials began to make plans to for various city services - building a subway, a new airport and a pedestrian bridge. Around the same time, the Director of the Guggenheim Foundation was looking for a site for another museum. The Basque government invited him to Bilbao, where the director discovered a former shipyard on the historically “modern” side of the river. He decided its symbolism as a bridge between the old and new was perfect. Soon the deal was settled and  after a design contest, Frank Gehry was chosen as the architect. The museum opened in 1997 and the impact of the Guggenheim on Bilbao is clearly visible to anyone who knows the story. The looming building is almost puzzling to look at, but it shimmers in the sunlight as a beacon for renovation.

View of the Guggenheim from across the River Nervion, note the spider sculpture "Maman" by Louise Bourgeois, and also Fujiko Nakaya's Fog Sculpture #08025 "F.O.G."

View looking down the river, from the bridge connecting to Deusto.

The view of the Guggenheim from the other side, including Jeff Koons' "Puppy" sculpture, which changes colors throughout the year, depending on the state of the flowers of which it is made.

              It’s difficult to imagine the “Pre-Gugg Bilbao” locals describe. But in fact, when the titanium, limestone and glass building was completed, an unexpected problem arose in keeping the shiny facade clean and a customized cleaning method had to be invented to keep the building free of industrial Bilbao’s grime. A friend who has lived here all his life told us that when he attended Deusto University in the Pre-Gugg years, he had to cross a drawbridge to get to the University buildings.  But, if there was a ship arriving with a delivery to the port where the Guggenheim now sits, the drawbridge would go up and students would have no choice but to wait, often arriving late to class. Today, Deusto’s brand new beautiful library sits proudly on the same side of the river as the Guggenheim, and the area has been transformed from construction sites, shipyards and port docks to a beautiful recreation park. Bilbao has clearly placed a new value on modern art; it abounds, especially in municipal services. Bridges, subway entrances, plazas, streetlamps, performing arts centers, even the Basque government Health Department have all been carefully designed and installed as functional modern art pieces.  Hundreds of thousands of people come to Bilbao to visit the Guggenheim each year, and for many the famous museum is the only thing they know about the city.

 

Zubizuri (Basque for "white bridge"), a pedestrian bridge designed by Santiago Calatrava.

Another view of Zubizuri.

Random street sculpture.

More random street sculpture, perhaps a play on Velázquez's "Las Meninas".

The Basque Government Public Health Building.

This street really doesn't need this many street lamps, but the design is fun.

Deusto, the newly designed bridge leading to it, and the recreation park next to the Guggenheim.

Entrance to the Metro.

Even the playgrounds get funky in Bilbao.

                I had delayed visiting the Guggenheim, first because I was waiting for cold weather and second because I never wanted to go during crowded weekends. But with my days dwindling, I prioritized it this week and was more impressed than I ever expected to be. The actual art collection is interesting. There is a beautifully playful Richard Serra installation called "A Matter of Time", a whimsical “Tulips” sculpture by Jeff Koons, and the rotating exhibit featured Brancusi. However, the true masterpiece at the Guggenheim Bilbao is not actually part of the collection; it is the building itself. I’ve never studied architecture, nor been particularly excited by it, but wandering inside Gehry’s work of art moved me. All at once the building curves, soars and sturdily endures. There appear to be a thousand moving parts all synchronized into one overall scheme. The building unfolds itself before your very eyes, with each veering corner making you wonder, how did they do that? It pulls your eye in every which direction, yet never seems distracting or unfocused. It billows and waves with each curve revealing another soothing wave of titanium or undulating limestone wall. In creating it, Gehry was inspired by water, ships and fish; I've always been a bit of a fish myself and perhaps that is why I connected so well with it. Regardless, the building gifted me with a feeling I’d never had before – to be truly awestruck and inspired by beautiful, innovative architecture. 


Disclaimer: photography isn't allowed in many parts of the Guggenheim, and it is such a multi-faceted building that it is hard to fully and accurately depict it. However, below are a few pictures that illustrate some of my favorite parts and hopefully portray an idea of what the building is like. 

Me in front of "Puppy." It's a big puppy.

Looking up at the entrance to the museum.

Jeff Koons' "Tulips" - note Deusto in the background.

Inside the building, looking at the glass atrium from the second floor.

Looking up from inside the atrium of the museum.

Another perspective inside the Atrium.

Side note: many thanks to Jenny Choi, Alan Delamora, and Jessica Watson for the photos on this and many other of my blogs.

Pavo Paseo y Dia de Gracias - Friday November, 25, 2011:

                This week was chock full of classes, including two double days. We focused on the fundamental rights of companies and the boondoggle of international tax law, all in pursuit of learning about contracts and the law applicable to them. Despite the heavy load, being the good little ex-pats we currently are, the most important part of this past week was Thanksgiving. Jenny graciously offered to host our celebration and so on Thursday, six Americans, a Brazilian, a Brit and an Irish gathered round to give thanks. For being so far from home, we did pretty well. Neal found turkey at Corte Ingles, the biggest grocery store near us; Kristen made stuffing; Jessica made corn bread sans cornmeal; and Jenny made stuffed mushrooms. Alan searched and searched for pumpkin or pumpkin pie, but ended up bringing a delicious cheesecake.

                Personally, I had decided Thanksgiving wasn't Thanksgiving unless there was cranberry sauce. This was an ambitious decision because cranberries are rare here. I was hoping Corte Ingles would have canned cranberry sauce. No such luck, but I did find dried cranberries at a small fruteria. As I was buying them, the little old lady in line behind me asked what they were. "Arandanos rojos", I replied - which literally translates to red blueberries, the word in Spanish for cranberry. She still seemed very confused, and asked to try one. They were sold in bulk, so I let her. She continued to look puzzled after she tried it, but finally shrugged her shoulders and thanked me. I took another visit back to Corte Ingles and found fresh cranberries in the exotic foods section. They were imported from the USofA and cost 4 euros - an exorbitant amount for the teeny container they came in. Nonetheless, I bought one package figuring they could only enhance the dried ones I was planning to reconstitute. So on Thanksgiving day, I played in my kitchen, optimistically soaking the dried cranberries and guestimating metric amounts. In the end, my cranberry sauce was delicious and Thanksgiving safely carried on. Though, I did miss cutting apart the can shape to serve myself.

Frank Gehry themed wine from La Rioja and soon to be delicious stuffed mushrooms.

Prepping in Jenny's kitchen. This is my "Happy Thanksgiving!!!" face.

Chatting before dinner.

I believe that here Jess is indoctrinat--I mean, educating the foreigners on Thanksgiving.

Success!! and by that I mean yummmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Chowing down.

The whole group.

                I'm also happy to say that my personal turkey trot tradition also carried on, infused with a Spanish twist. Early Thanksgiving morning, Jenny and I went hiking in the beautiful hills surrounding Bilbao, which were unfortunately fogged in that day. But, the "Pavo Paseo" was altogether successful and we ended it at our favorite bakery sharing a brownie and cafe con leche. And although I missed my family and friends at home, it really was a happy Dia de Gracias.

A foggy Thanksgiving day in the hills around Bilbao.

But a lovely Thanksgiving day nonetheless.

Jenny and I "Pavo Paseo-ing" our bums off.

A Bit of Basque Country in Madrid (with Toledo, Avila, Segovia and Salamanca on the way!) – Sunday, November 20, 2011:

               

            This week started out studying the Rome I regulation, which dictates choice of law during litigation in the European Union. Each class, I'm reminded of the different legal necessities of Europe vs. the US, and this class was no different. Again, the civil system and the inherently, unavoidably transnational qualities of the European system seep into every aspect of the laws we study and the very basics of everything I learned in American law school is slightly shifted.

                We had a few days off this week, so my friend Alan and I headed off to check out Madrid. Aside from the areas closer to Bilbao, like La Rioja and San Sebastian, I had yet to check out the rest of Spain. So, off to Madrid we went to pay our respects to the King and Queen.

                We arrived by bus and took the Metro to Plaza del Sol. Immediately upon exiting the Metro stop, I could feel the pulsing energy of the capital city. Madrid was alive and bustling, with people walking in every direction, street performers, knock off bag sellers, statutes, fountains, stores, and even a fake Mickey mouse. The energy of the big city engaged me, providing a dramatic contrast to the subdued vibe of Bilbao. It made me miss San Francisco, appreciate city life and wonder what my time abroad would have been like if I had lived in Madrid. Probably, I would have never wanted to leave.

Puerta del Sol in Madrid, where we exited the Metro.

The oldest building in Plaza Mayor.

To be added to my photo bomb hall of fame (in front of the Royal Palace in Madrid)

Another plaza in Madrid, viewed from a rooftop bar.

The symbol of Madrid - a bear under a madrone tree - in statue form in Puerta del Sol.

                Alan and I wandered around, enjoying the food, the diversity, the Starbucks and the culture. We spent a day at the Prado, Madrid's huge art museum, and admired the works of Goya, El Greco, Raphael, and more. I particularly loved Rubens' work, and spent extra time admiring his definition of beauty. After the Prado, we quickly visited the Sofia Reina, the modern art museum built in a converted hospital to house Picasso's "Guernica".  This masterpiece painting was inspired by the bombing of the small Basque town of Guernica during Franco's reign, with assistance from Hitler. Picasso intended it to reflect the pain, severity and damage of war, and it is famous world round as an anti-war symbol. After touring it extensively, Picasso left the painting in the care of New York City's MoMa, on the condition it be returned to Spain after Franco's death and Spain was once again a republic. The painting was finally returned in the 80s and it is a great testament to the turmoil and despair of the Spanish civil war. I must admit I'm not the biggest of art fans - I often feel it’s a bit over my head. But, I could have stared at Guernica for hours, never tiring and never ceasing to find new aspects of the painting, new emotions Picasso conveyed, new perspectives to admire. It is truly a masterpiece, and made me feel simultaneously inspired, angry, grievous and pained - like only the best art can.

                The rest of the weekend included a whirlwind tour of Central Spain. We visited historic Toledo, the maze of El Escorial, the beautiful, ancient wall at Avila, the awe-inspiring Roman aqueduct in Segovia and the sandstonerific Salamanca. Each site was more beautiful and more grandiose than the last, but by the end of it all my neck hurt from gazing upwards and I was feeling a bit cathedraled out. We drove back to Bilbao in a rental car through miles and miles of La Meseta before finally passing the mountain range that kept Basque country separate for many years, arriving home in Bilbao.

The river outside Toledo, which is on the right on top of the hill.

Toledo viewed from the bell tower of its cathedral.

The beautiful aqueduct in Segovia.

Plaza Mayor in Salamanca... find me in my green scarf!