I was in Bilbao recently. If you are unfamiliar with Bilbao, it is a city in Spain or the Basque Country or both (depending on your politics). Typically, when you go to Bilbao, the assumption is that you will visit the Guggenheim Museum, seen here with Jeff Koons' "Puppy" out front and Louise Bourgeoise's "Mother" out back:
The museum is the city's most famous landmark, and it's an art museum, so surely it must be on anyone's travel itinerary when visiting Bilbao. It costs 13 Euros to get in and see the collection. Lots of people do it. Why? Because it's well known and lots of people do it and what else are you going to do in Bilbao?
Look around. How about that as an alternative? When you're in a new place, the simple act of just looking around and noticing things can be enough. Why settle for what you're supposed to do in a place designed to attract tourism (it is a really cool-looking building, in all fairness, and they did have interesting-sounding exhibits, including a visiting exhibition by Andy Warhol) when you could just ...wander. Find things you're not expecting. Allow other possibilities that you don't even know exist yet.
So, here are pictures of a few things I noticed around the city when I wasn't going to the Guggenheim:
This is under a bridge. There is artwork pretty much everywhere you look in Bilbao. I love public art. It makes places happy. And you get to discover it --it's like a treasure hunt!
Street scenes like these. The whole point of traveling is to see things that don't look like home. The street in Bilbao doesn't look like the street in Seattle --not even close. This is a good thing because, if I had wanted to see Seattle, I would have looked around Seattle.
Interesting architecture, again in unexpected places. This may be peculiar to Bilbao. The city began with the Guggenheim building back in the 1990s, but they take a lot of pride in other innovative architecture --it's Bilbao's "thing". Every place has a "thing". Do yourself a favor and figure out what the locals are most proud of. Chances are you'll make a discovery when you try to see the best of a place through the eyes of someone who knows it.
Alternatives to the big attractions. At the Azkuna Zentroa (admission free --yes, I said free), I discovered the work of Jeremy Deller. He's pretty cool, as you can tell. The woman's face up there? You can walk through the mouth. I know! Very cool. I had the chance to discover an artist's work I was not familiar with before because I went to a different museum. Try new things: the whole point of traveling somewhere new.
Also seen were things like Basque independence banners hanging from windows in the Old City (el casco nuevo), puppeteers rapping out rhythms with their puppets' mouths for fun and profit, Art Nouveau tiles in swirly patterns, parks, people strolling or hurrying, ... . There was a lot going on everywhere. Bilbao is fun, if you get a chance to go. Highly recommended. And travel is fun, if you get a chance to step outside your front door --you don't have to go far away from home to see the world with new eyes or to try a different path.
Enjoy your travels, wherever life takes you.
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