Bilbao

"every day´s an endless stream
of cigarettes and magazines"
-Paul Simon

This is my first time in Bilbao since 2002, and I have to say...I´m impressed. When Amalia forced me to come here last time (inside joke - ask her for details), we found a grimy, industrial town that was really not especially appealing. What a difference 4 years have made; it´s almost as if the entire city was scrubbed clean since the last time I was here. Even the Catedreal de Santiago in the old part of the city, which I remember as being a dark grey is now an almost-brilliant white. What seemed like a sleepy little downtown core last time, is positively cosmopolitan now. All in all, it gives the impression of a city on the move, keen on shedding some remnants of it´s past.

Went to the Guggenheim yesterday, and while there I developed a theory. The theory is that all visual art, with the possible exception of architecture, has only one purpose - to make me feel like a philistine. Seriously, I just don´t understand it at all. I could only do so much walking around thinking "oh, that´s....weird". Once again - I just don´t get it.

I´ve often been accused of saying things about people or objects that ruin people´s perception of them. Well, for everyone I´ve ever done that to, good news - I did it to myself yesterday. The Guggenheim had a special exhibition of Russian art on display, from the 9th century onwards. Soon as I saw the sign announcing the special exebition, all I could hear was Yakov Smirnov´s voice saying "In Russia, paintings look at you". It made me chuckle all the way through the exhibit, and earned me some strange glances from the self-appointed art aficionado´s. Granted, showing amusement at a picture of Stalin isn´t exactly normal, but their reaction to me only made it funnier.

Was going to head down to Guernika today to do a bit of a walk-around, but 1) I slept in and missed the bus and 2)I'll probably be coming back here after I walk the Camino (In Russia, Camino walks on you!). On that note, heading to Roncesvalles tomorrow and will start the walk the day after. Looking forward to it with some trepidation, but at least I know that I won´t be injured to start it. I might as well mention now, since I´m all better, that I gave my ankle a nasty twist after the last blog entry, while heading to Covent Gardens for some dinner. Fortunately my boots protected me from any major injury, and I got away with just a small strain. Still hurt like hell at the start though.

So, 1.5 days until the Camino, and until this blog starts in earnest. Hope you'll all check in from time to time (haven´t recieved any e-mails or blog entries, so I don´t even know if anyone´s out there). ´til next time...