Beyond Bilbao -- More Wow!

During our visit to Bilbao, Matthew's official film festival schedule luckily allowed us to explore several areas outside the city. One of them found us riding the Metro Line out to Portugalete, about 15 kilometers from the city centre.

The Metro system, designed by the distinguished English architect, Norman Foster, was completed by 2004. At street level, these curved glassy entrances -- known as "Fosteritos"! -- remind you of the underground tunnels themselves. Light and airy during daytime, they are lit up at night, like a beacon, so you always know where they are located. They are as unique to Bilbao as the Guimard Art Nouveau Metro entrances are here in Paris.

Down smooth escalators (surprisingly, totally free of advertising) the platforms are clean and very well lit. It all still looks very new!

Our destination was this bridge, officially called Vizcaya Bridge, but also known as El Puente Colgante (The Hanging Bridge). Straddling the mouth of the Ibaizabal estuary, west of Bilbao, the bridge was designed by the Basque architect Alberto de Palacio, a disciple of Gustave Eiffel, and completed in 1893.  45-meters high and with a span of 160 meters, it links the town of Portugalete on one side with Las Arenas on the other. 

The first bridge in the world to carry people and traffic on a high suspended gondola, it merged 19th-century iron working traditions (many rivets!) with the then new lightweight technology of twisted steel ropes. The result is a delicate-looking, almost lacy structure. Most importantly, it allowed the two towns to be connected without disrupting the passage of the busy maritime traffic of the Port of Bilbao, which in those days, consisted of a lot of "Tall Ships"!

 

Except for a brief time during the Spanish Civil War, this oldest "transporter" bridge in the world has been in continuous use since its inauguration. Today the modern gondola goes back and forth throughout the day, ferrying cars and passengers (35 centimes for a one way ticket).

For those who are not afraid of heights, you can also ride an elevator to the top span and walk across! In 2006, the Bridge was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. We happily rode over and back in the gondola, not quite having the stomach for the high-wire walk!

Another day, we headed further west and into the mountains, to the medieval town of Balmaseda. Nestled into a lush valley some 30 kilometers from Bilbao, the 14th century arched bridge over the River Kadagua, links the two parts of the town for pedestrians.

With its lovely old church (we tried to ignore the unattactive modern flats next door!), the town was the perfect setting for the annual Medieval Fair, which turned out to be a Spanish version of the Renaissance Pleasure Faire in California!

After having to hike down from the freeway (we had no idea the town would be so crowded that all exits off the highway would be closed!), we were greeted by the local coats of arms and a somewhat sleepy fellow behind the counter.

We made our way along the narrow streets, which seemed to get more and more crowded.

This elderly gentleman in his Basque beret doesn't seem too happy with any of it!

The crowd thinned out a bit when this fellow came along with his giant boa constrictor. Nobody wanted to get too close!

Several groups of musicians, in medieval garb, strolled through the town. The cheeks of these pipers are almost as big and round as the bags on their bagpipes!

Other musicians were intent on a more sinister purpose. To the somber beat of the drum, this "penitent" seems to be being led either to appear before the Inquisition, or to meet his maker at the scaffold! In either case, people hastily cleared a pathway for him.

Among the many stalls, which included a lot of the usual leather goods, jewellry, and lotions & potions, we especially liked this "bow and arrow" selection, and the owner's earnest sales pitch...

...this fierce looking knife and sword display...

...and these interesting herbal solutions for just about any problem!

There were also some nifty "pip-of-a-rig" gadgets being demonstrated, like this spidery back massage, made of distinctly non-medieval materials.

Of course, there were many eye-popping food stalls. This one seemed to cover all the important stuff -- sausage, spicy chili peppers and cheese...

 ...whilst this one turned meat on a spit, sending up clouds of fragrant smells -- lunchtime!

Somehow, though, we kept getting distracted with people watching -- this Senor, so well turned out in his 14th century costume, with his 21st century digital camera safely around his neck...

...more musicians, led by a sultry singer...

...this adorable little damsel, with her modern purse...

...and this future Queen, seriously spurning her eager suitor, his sword drawn, his love poem ready to recite!

By the time we got to buy lunch, all that was left was a dish of spicy octopus and potatoes. My first taste of this cephalopod, and to my surprise and delight, it turned out to be delicious. The chilled beer that accompanied it didn't hurt either!

We were certainly both fortified enough to make the hike back up the steep, steep hill to the freeway, where we climbed over the railing, walked carefully along the culvert, and found our car, thankfully still there, ready to ferry us back to Bilbao!

Another beautiful sunny day found us driving to the coast, into the autonomous region of Cantabria, and the lovely fishing port of Castro Urdiales. No longer in Basque country, all signage was suddenly only in Spanish.

Originally a Roman colony called Flaviobriga (there are Roman ruins still being excavated), the town centre is modern, but the port area dates back to the Middle Ages.

The interior of this buttressed 13th century Gothic Church, Santa María de la Asunción, has three naves, and the sunshine pouring through the stained glass windows bathed the whole space in wonderful warm tones.

The adjacent Castle of Santa Ana is today the lighthouse, with modern workings incorporated into the old castle walls.

The view from the lighthouse, along the harbor wall and looking up the coast, looked so peaceful the day we visited, belying the fact that this is the Bay of Biscay, famous for its wild storms and turbulent seas.

Turning inland, we drove back to Bilbao along quiet lanes and country roads, one of which brought us to this desolate, shuttered church and cemetery. Even in the bright afternoon sunlight, there was an eerie feel to the place. Many spirits abroad at night, I am sure!

The whole northern coast of Spain is littered with charming little fishing villages, most of them with an "old town" clustered around the harbor. We stopped at this one, Getaria, on our way to Bilbao, driving from Biarritz.

Here, we enjoyed lunch, overlooking the fishing boats. If there is one thing we did not lack on this whole trip, it was delicious food!

At the end of the Film Festival, we drove back to Biarritz, from where we took the super fast train to Paris, Gare Montparnasse. First, though, we spent a brief half a day in San Sebastiàn, the last town on the Spanish coast, across the  border from Biarritz.

Long enough, however, to know that we want to go back. Its famous beach was just one attraction. There are winding streets, leafy squares, a wonderful Basque history museum (San Telmo Museum), and, of course, more delightful restaurants.

The imposing City Hall was once a casino. Now, on a warm, sunny Saturday, it is the place to get married. Bridal parties were lining up, waiting their turn to plight their troth before the magistrate.

This happy couple had survived the ceremony, and were now looking forward to a happy married life. We saluted them, and all the warm, friendly, charming Spanish people we had met during our memorable days in Basque Country.

Zorionak!  Bizitza Luzea!

Felicitaciones!  Larga Vida!

À bientôt!

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Bilbao -- Wow!

I don't think I've ever been in a city where one building completely transformed both the city and its immediate surroundings, but this is what happened in the Basque city of Bilbao in the late 1990s.

Before Frank Gehry's incredible Guggenheim Museum building opened in October, 1997, the neighborhood where it stands was a decrepit port area on the banks of the Nervion River. The river itself was polluted, the city tired and run down. Certainly, on nobody's list as a "must visit" destination!

As the museum was going up, however, a revitalization program kicked in for the whole city of Bilbao. The river was cleaned up, buildings were cleaned, painted, wide elegant walkways were installed, a tramway and rapid transit system were added to the already extensive bus services.

At the same time as the Guggenheim was getting ready to be inaugurated, Santiago Calatrava's Zubizuri (Basque for "White Bridge") opened, linking the right and left banks of the Nervion River.

Painted white, and with its curved walkway made of translucent glass bricks, and the suspension cables angling down and across, it gives you a feeling of walking through an elegant spider web, just beautiful!

All of this, and much more, meant that when Matthew was invited to be a juror at this year's Festival de Cine Fantàstico de Bilbao -- and I was invited to join him -- we did not hesitate to accept!

We arrived in good time for the opening ceremonies with, on my left, another jury member, Andrea Gutiérrez Bermejo (a Madrid journalist with the magazine "Cinemania"), and the Mayor of Bilbao in attendance. The warm, welcoming, generous organisers of the festival had very conveniently sent Matthew all but one of the films in competition ahead of time, which Matthew dutifully watched here in Paris. As a result, we had all kinds of free time in which to explore and fall in love with this part of Northern Spain!

Founded in medieval times, Bilbao was a bustling commercial hub, ships travelling up and down the river from the Bay of Biscay, exporting iron from local quarries and, in the 19th century becoming the most industrialized city in Northern Spain.  The narrow streets of the Old Town really give you a feel for those earlier years.

I especially liked the way the apartment buildings had both open balconies and glassed-in "sun porches" so you could enjoy the sun through the glass during cold weather.

The beautiful church of St. Nicolás, set adjacent to the city's old and much used "public parade", on the edge of the Old Town, was built in the mid 1700s.  Its fairly austere exterior belies its amazing rococo interior!

Its unusual design is a Greek cross set in a square, crowned with a dome and with several angles for small chapels.

The elaborate carving of the unpolychromed reredoses took your breath away. In fact, the whole interior, sculpted by Juan Pascual de Mena, was quite overwhelming. You almost didn't know where to look!

Moving forward a few centuries, and just across from the church, this Art Deco bandstand offers musical delights during the summer months. Alas, there were none when we were there.

I would imagine, though, that these gentlemen with their distinctive Basque berets would be there, front and centre, when the music began!

In the centre of the Old Town is La Plaza Nueva -- "new" because it only dates to the 19th century. Here you'll find cafés, restaurants and bars.

And here's where we found Victor Montés,  where you can sit at a table or at the bar and enjoy the signature food of the Basque region: "pinxtos".

Pronounced "pinchos", these are bite size snacks on bread or toast: ham, cheese, peppers, tuna, anchovies, eggs, olives, etc.  You go up to the bar and pick out what you want and then it's brought to your table.

It's a perfect lunchtime or supper snack, not too heavy, always very fresh -- and yummy!

...especially when accompanied by the current Bilbao drink craze: gin and tonic! At Victor Montés, they add lemon slices, rind of lime, and several juniper berries, which gave it a wonderful flavor -- I thought I'd died and gone to heaven!

As you wander around Bilbao, food is never far from the mind, or the eye. There must be close to 50 hams hanging in this shop, and no shortage of customers.

Other shops were a little more unusual, however. This "Spy Shop" was across from our hotel and, yes, the mannequin in the raincoat and "Bogart" hat, is holding a gun! The windows displayed all the latest in eavesdropping technology and hidden cameras. (Wonder if the NSA knows about this...)

Then there was this doll shop. In the back row are the usual frilly dolly dolls, but look carefully at the three baby dolls in front. Click on the photo to enlarge it. The face of the one on the left is all red with crying, and there's a string on top of the head that you pull to get the full effects of baby crying. The one in the middle is just plain grumpy, and the one on the right actually has drool leaking out of its mouth!

In the big department store, El Cortes Inglès, you felt you could be in any branch of Macy's because most of the same brand names were in evidence. Even the floor layout was the same. Except that you would not find a Tobacco Counter (doing good business) in Macy's!

Nor would you come across a beautiful display of fans in all sizes, materials and colors. I bought one to use in the crowded Paris metro during the hot months.

Elsewhere in the city, beautiful, late 19th century buildings speak of the previous prosperous era of Bilbao. The Teatro Arriaga stands, regally, in its own square, a little sister perhaps of the Opera Garnier here in Paris.

And everywhere, signage is in Basque ("Euskara") and Spanish. Basque Country is autonomous, with its own seat of power and its own, very particular language.  Having no known roots in other languages, it is almost impenetrable.  Children are taught Basque in school, but tend to speak Spanish once they leave the classroom. There are Basque universities and institutes set up to study and preserve this language, which has been in existence in one form or another for 6000 years. But it's a struggle, as we learned when we visited a Basque language centre. Among other hurdles are the dialects -- when you hear the word "Friday" spoken in the six different Basque dialects, it sounds like each one is a separate language!

With the arrival of the Guggenheim Museum, the Bilbao skyline has changed dramatically, with plenty of new skyscapers...

...some of which cleverly incorporate elements of the earlier building that once stood in its place.

Finally, after exploring many parts of the city, we took one whole day and spent it in and around Frank Gehry's building. The scope, scale, materials and soul of the place exceeded everything we had imagined.

From the glittering Anish Kapoor sculpture on an outside terrace...

...to the soaring atrium with its curved sandstone walls...

...the view onto itself, through the carefully calibrated windows...

..to the various outside aspects, this one including the top arch of an already existing bridge over the Nervion River...somehow, every time you turned around, you saw Gehry's vision with a different set of lenses. Magical.

Inside the museum, the Richard Serra room with its Matter of Time took us a good hour or more to wander in, through and around. A monumental work!

And then, there was Christian Marclay (born in San Rafael, California!) and his visual wonder The Clock, 24 hours of movie clips that, no matter what time you are watching, will be showing excerpts from films that include shots of a watch, or a clock, or a line of dialogue that gives the exact time that it is, as you are sitting there! This is how we ended up spending 7 hours at the Guggenheim Museum -- we just could not tear ourselves away!

Meanwhile, back at the Film Festival, the rest of Bilbao had been lining up all week to watch the roster of scary, bloody, horrific fantasy movies. At the end of the week, the jury convened to make their picks. Matthew is here with, to his left, Andrea Gutiérrez Bermejo, and the third juror, with his arm around Andrea, Carlos Areces, a well known and much beloved Spanish actor.

We gathered at City Hall at 12 noon...

...and in the Press Room, Matthew announced the winners, in his best Spanish. And the grand prize went to: Coherence, an American movie, directed by James Ward Byrkit, a suspenseful (but not bloody!) movie that bends the mind into paranormal directions when a comet passes over Planet Earth...

And with this new (to me) take on a familiar message, let's hope there'll be many more movies as good as Coherence. We both highly recommend it. And we also highly recommend a visit to Bilbao, where we certainly hope to return!

À bientôt!

(Muchas gracias to Matthew for many of these photos, and for the title of this post!)

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