6/17/17: Bilbao

An early start today. We left our hostel in Barcelona at 6, as evening revellers were just returning home. Barcelona really is a night owl city. Upon arriving in Bilbao, we headed straight for the Frank Gehry designed Guggenheim.

 

Outside the Guggenheim we were greeted by a flower puppy designed by Jeff Koons, and a puppet show. We were enthralled with the puppets, which bowed and sometimes made kissing noises when you dropped money in their collection tin.

 

 




While we enjoyed the exhibits inside the museum, such as the large installation of Richard Serra, we were disappointed to discover that over a third of the museum was closed. 

 

In the afternoon we crossed paths with a friend from Atlanta, and we toured old town Bilbao together.

 

 

 

That evening we were meant to catch the bus to San Sebastian, but we discovered that the bus we wanted to arrive on was full, and we had to take a later bus. The timing presented a challenge because dinner restaurants would only be opening as we were getting on the bus. In any case, with time to kill, we returned to Bilbao city center and joined a protest to support animal rights.

 

We arrived in San Sebastian, then, at 9:45, and walked to our hotel.

 

Unfortunately, the hotel had switched booking systems and had lost our reservation, so they didn't have a room for us. While they were sorting out the situation, we went to dinner, now very difficult to find because it was almost 11, and kitchens were closing. W ended up at a bar, where they invited patrons to dance in the open kitchen when it closed at midnight. 

 

Arriving back at the hostel, we found that a guest had not checked in, and they gave us his room. All's well that ends well.

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