Guggenheim, Bilbao, Part One

Continued from Zubizuri Bridge

Treading on the soft walkway of the Zubizuri Bridge, we crossed River Nervion, and walked along its banks until the huge silvery monster looms before us. Guggenheim.

Sun on titanium

Well, as I'd mentioned before (in First Impressions), I thought I might hate it; no, it's an awesome monstrosity. What I'd forgotten to mention in that post is that if you're coming into town by the airport bus, choose a seat on the right hand side. That way, the impact is greater when this titanium masterpiece looks down on your shoulder as you ride past.

I was lucky to have arrived as the sun was just setting and the early evening glow on the titanium plates was just wow! Sadly, I was never able to witness the same effect again in my short time in Bilbao. I found the building rather difficult to photograph. Depending on where and how the sun is, you may very well find it surprisingly quite dark. Honestly, it's another of those places you'd need to see at different times of day, under different weather conditions. If the conditions aren't right, working in monochrome offers an interesting alternative.

Guggenheim in monochrome

Having just 3 nights in Bilbao means only 2 days to look around so I decided not to go in the museum, preferring instead to walk around the town. Even though I don't get to see the exhibits inside, there are other sights to behold in the vicinity. Walking the full circle around Guggenheim is a must, but this time around, I only completed part of it.

Here's half a shot of Anish Kapoor's 'Reflectorama'; I can't understand why I never went up close for a shot. Perhaps, the lighting wasn't good enough. I honestly can't remember, but I do remember that I never got the right lighting conditions for Guggenheim each time I was there.

 Anish Kapoor's 'Reflectorama'

What about you? Have you been there? What were your impressions?