A Vida Fora Da Casa

The main Cathedral in Santiago de Compostela (and our view stepping out of our hotel!). The Camino de Santiago ends at this Cathedral (named for St. James), and is one of the most important Christian pilgrimage sites, after Jerusalem and Rome. Tens of thousands of journeyers make the trek each year.



The last seashell, in the center of the Plaza in front of the Cathedral. Where the pilgrimage ends.


A group of pilgrims! It was very cool seeing them take that big breath of relief when they made it into the Plaza. Such positive and awe-filled energy -- Hannah and I just sat there for a bit and took it all in. :)


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We spent 2 days in Santiago de Compostela, then ventured on to Porto (destino 6), Viseu (destino 7), and will leave Lisbon (destino 8) tonight on a bus to Sevilla, thus ending our time here in Portugal. *tears!* Portugal, especially Viseu and Lisbon were great. I will definitely post about them soon.

Much love,
-Stacey

The main purpose of going to Bilbao (a little north of Pamplona) was to see the Guggenheim Museum, designed by architect Frank Gehry.

Crazy buildings! Unique bridge!


Some of the art exhibits in the museum were very cool. The Cai Guo-Qiang stuff (he designed the fireworks for the 2008 Beijing Olympics) especially stuck out to me. His collection of work is eclectic, but some of the more unique media are fireworks and gunpowder drawings.

"Cai Guo-Qiang has literally exploded the accepted parameters of art making in our time. Drawing freely from ancient mythology, military history, Taoist cosmology, extraterrestrial observations, Maoist revolutionary tactics, Buddhist philosophy, gunpowder-related technology, Chinese medicine, and methods of terrorist violence, Cai’s art is a form of social energy, constantly mutable, linking what he refers to as “the seen and unseen worlds.” This retrospective presents the full spectrum of the artist’s protean, multimedia art in all its conceptual complexity. "

A good representation of our time there -- listening to audioguide clips and Hannah obsessing about this sculpture, Jeff Koons' Tulip Balloons (stainless steel).


Giant puppy made entirely of flowers!! (also Jeff Koons)


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Another amazing bridge! (More for the musement of structural engineers I suppose.)
The first picture looks posed, but it's not.