This past weekend, I traveled to La Rioja and the Basque Country (northern Spain, different language!) with my program. The excursion could easily be summed up in four words: cathedral, gastronomy, Guggenheim, and bus, but I'll take the time to elaborate a little more!
Despite a later-than-anticipated start on Friday morning, we boarded the bus for Burgos and arrived at the Burgos Cathedral shortly after 1 pm. The cathedral was built in two phases, making for a unique European gothic structure. Two of my favorite details of the cathedral were the black walnut choir stands and the flycatcher - a sculpture that is perched in one corner and sings on the hour. After touring the Burgos Cathedral, I can now proudly say I have seen the three largest cathedrals in Spain! The perimeter of the cathedral and the paths leading to the cathedral were bordered by pruned sycamore trees that had been sculpted to form a sort of connected archway (for shade during the summer) -- so cool!!
We then ventured to San Millan to see the famous twin monasteries: Suso (the upper, historical site atop a cliff) and Yuso (the functioning monastery in the valley). Apart from being a UNESCO world heritage site, the monasteries are also home to the first written Spanish phrases! Our tour guide at Yuso also showed us some old (huge & heavy) choir books, which were quite impressive (sounds kind of boring, I guess you had to be there...).
Next stop: Santo Domingo de la Calzada. And, you'll never be able to guess what we saw. Another (cold, dark) cathedral! This cathedral is one of many that lies along the pilgrimage route to Santiago, so our guide shared lots of historical anecdotes, but the live rooster and hen perched above the saint's tomb definitely set this cathedral apart from others.
After concluding our grand tour of religious establishments, we spent an uneventful night in Haro. However, the next day brought some delicious excitement. The day began with a bountiful brunch (more like a pastry shop, complete with croissants, chocolate filled pastries, and even ice cream) at the hotel. Shortly after finishing our first meal, we headed to a local bodega (vineyard/winery), Cune. We had an interesting tour of the bodega, which houses some funky history: rows and rows of barrels beneath a roof designed by Eiffel, as well as a wine cemetery with old bottles dating back to the late 1800's. I learned that "dead" wines are most content when they are in a warm, moist room (a perfect condition for mold, hence the abundance of mold covering the storage area). Our visit concluded with a mini wine tasting and lesson. We sampled Monopole (one of the first wines from Rioja) and Crianza.
Full of sugar and wine, we boarded the bus for a two hour trip to San Sebastian, a city in the Basque Country along the Bay of Vizcaya (only 20 km from France). One could also argue that San Sebastian is home to the most Michelin-starred restaurants, therefore it is automatically a tourist magnet. We indulged in a 6-course meal (on behalf of Vassar-Wesleyan) on the second floor of Restaurante Branka while looking over the bay. Although a brief recap can't do the menu justice, here's a quick summary: foie with peach sauce, eggs "revueltos" with mushrooms, crab cakes with pumpkin seed crackers, and tender steak, followed by two dessert courses - a sort of orange sorbet drenched in orange juice and then warm "torrijas" (fresh toast) a la mode. Three hours after sitting down, I peeled myself from the chair to take a walk along the beach towards the old town (in attempt to burn off 1/6 of the feast).
We spent the night in Bilbao and bounced to the Guggenheim Museum in the morning. Formerly an industrial city with little to offer, Bilbao seems to have recently turned around given the presence of the Guggenheim. Abby and I spent some time at night exploring the flower-filled plazas, the super high-tech crosswalks (the whole thing lights up), the Zubi Zuri bridge, and other modern sculptures scattered throughout the neighborhood.
The Guggenheim blew my mind. The titanium structure itself (designed by Frank Gehry) was a piece of art. Two of my favorite sculptures (by Jeff Koons) stood outside the building: "Puppy," a 43-foot tall flower-covered structure, and "Tulips," a stainless steel bouquet of the said flower in balloon animal form! Unfortunately the second floor of the museum was closed, but the rest of the space had quite a bit to offer. The featured exhibit was Robert Rauschenberg's Gluts, a compilation of "assemblages of found, mostly metal, objects." A Texas native, Rauschenberg used the sculptures to express "his criticism of the economic situation" in Texas due to a surplus of oil in the market. Another main feature in the museum was Richard Serra's The Matter of Time, a permanent installation that encourages the guest to view, touch, and experience the sculpture, which occupies the entirety of the largest gallery.
I was really intrigued by the integration of the museum into the city of Bilbao. The titanium exterior allows for different lighting at all times of day, and the museum's curves mold into the landscape. Several artists on display have made a point of creating art using materials that are native to Bilbao. For example, Serra's larger-than-life sculpture series is constructed from oxidized metal, a material used for boats that dot the local harbor.
The five hour return-ride to Madrid gave me time to catch up on some much-needed sleep! The excursion exposed me to many things that I may not have tried or seen on my own without the scheduled trip. The weekend was quite a success (what's not to like?!), but I'm definitely looking forward to a weekend here in Madrid (finally).
No comments:
Post a Comment