Flamenco + Madrid + Toledo + Bilbao

Check out these regular updates! I’m either a superstar, or getting bored - you know the answer. I’m in Bilbao at the moment, home of the very cool Guggenheim Museum built by Frank Gehry. I spent today taking 5,000 photos of the museum and wandering around the works. I can’t say the gallery itself is as good as anything like Tate Modern (I get sick of looking at paintings prior to 1980, i’m so cultured) but the architecture of the place is unbelievable, I just stood and looked at the place for a couple of hours. Massive titanium sheets cover the entire exterior combined with Federation square-esque glass.

I’ve been here a couple of days, well a day and a half really. Watched the end of the men’s Wimbledon final and then watched the Football in the comfort of my pension. Big goal by the French early, but I always thought the Italians were going to come back. I still think they are cheating bastards and I hate how they continually dive, but despite earlier comments I thought it was good to see them win. It will also be great to watch the whole team being sold to new clubs. Trezeguet, a Frenchman playing in the Italian league certainly did good for his career in Italy by missing the penalty (The bitterness hasn’t left me yet!).

I hadn’t planned to spend so much time in Bilbao, but I’ve felt worn out the last week and wanted to rest up in my own room in a more temperate and less busy city. I didn’t get up to much more in Seville - took a bus tour of the city which was not as great as it should have been for 15 euros. The girls and I also took in a Flamenco show just out of the city centre which was pretty fun. It was a proper show as opposed to some dodgy tourist affair. I said my goodbyes to Kris and Kel on the Friday morning and caught a 6 hour bus to Madrid (happy days).

Madrid didn’t really impress me at all, it’s a very big, dirty, monotonous row of buildings in my opinion, I was obviously missing something. Admittedly the galleries are probably the draw card and like I said I hate looking at thousands of circa 13th century paintings. I didn’t even bother going to any of the galleries. I checked out the El Retiro Gardens, where the Spanish like to stroll at night, but didn’t think it was that amazing either. I feel bad for not enjoying a European city of so much acclaim - actually I don’t care, but hope I haven’t offended any reader on here who is smitten with the place (your a wanker if you are!).

I did one day trip out of Madrid to Toledo, a town an hour or so South perched on a hill next to the River Tajo. Again, I wasn’t all that thrilled. Maybe the 40 degree weather in Madrid and Toledo and fact both places are as far away as you can be from the ocean was a factor in my dislike. Nonetheless I have photos, have been there and never have to return - the Australian travelling in Europe mantra. Later that night I watched the Football play-off between Germany and Portugal with a few guys from Exeter I’d met at the hostel. Typical whinging Poms, but we stayed out until 5am playing of all things table football - perhaps the crappest of all games invented (because I wasn’t very good at it).

I’m heading to San Sebastian tomorrow, a beautiful seaside city close to the French Border to stay for a few days - might do a couple of day trips to Biarritz (best surf beach just over the border) and Pamplona (possibly checking out the running of the bulls). I’d love to try and time a look at the Tour de France as it progresses through the Pyrenees as well, but i’m dreaming at this stage. Barcelona and Valencia beckons after that and then onto the Benicassim festival in Castellon on the 18th (Hope my spelling was OK this time? Why do Spanish keyboards have this ‘¿’ key for, i’m intrigued). Adios!