Simply Murcia

For those of you that fell that it's a lot arrive from NYC and almost immediately go to Bilbao, what would you think and fell if I told you that only two days before I went to NYC I was in Murcia, in another work/pleasure escape?! 

Indeed, at the end of Septmber I was in Murcia for only two days and, once more, I took my camera (my actual camera!) and my fish eye lens with me. Here's the result!

Don Quijote and Sancho Panza painted in a wall of a book shop... To prove that reading can be fun!

Anyway, reading in this city doesn't appear to be a problem at all. Take a look at the beautiful University they have there, one of the best known in Spain.  

I love buildings that look like they were taken out of the 70's and "inserted" in the current times. 

And loved this one as well, although it is a little bit older!

And this is called the Casino but is actually a Museum...  

Perfect entrance for a perfect art déco building.  

This is probably one of my favourite dishes from the Spanish gastronomy. Migas! As a matter of fact this was a perfect lunch. Octopus (aka. my favourite food in the whole world) for starters and Migas as a main course. Yummy!!!

A detail from the side of the Murcia Cathedral...

And the spectacularity of it's main entrance! 

And what about this palm trees made out of iron?! Pretty summery, ideal for a city where it's always Summer (or almost always, because in the days I was there rained like apparently it didn't rain in the past 10 years. Lucky me!!!)

Escape to Bilbao

Only a couple of days after I landed in Madrid coming from New York I had to go back to Barajas Airport... This time around to come to Bilbao. I've been here for the last couple of days and, despite the fact I came to work, I had the chance to see and do a lot and to make the best out of this quick trip. That, of course, was only possible because I had the best guides! And as a sign of my appreciation I dedicate this post to both of you: Shane & Eva. Thanks guys! See you soon... Meanwhile, we always have the pictures of this long sunny weekend in Bilbao.

Before you go any further I have to apologize for the quality of this post's pictures. There's a reason for such poverty... I forgot the battery of my camera charging in Madrid. But because I wanted so badly to show you some images from this beautiful city I took the chance to use my LOMO lens with my HTC mobile and... it worked! Nevertheless, the quality is what you see... Anyway, hope that it's enough to allow you to enjoy this ride!

In Bilbao the plates with the names of the streets are in a colour that was created especially for the city: the Azul Bilbao. 

The fabulous Gehry building that contains part of the Guggenheim collection. Only a week after visiting the New York Museum, here I am, visiting the Bilbao one. How many people in the world can say they had the same privilege?! Not much, I guess!

 Fabulous both outside and inside...

 And here is Puppy, welcoming you and allowing you to guess the kind of work you can find inside. Although it was raining the Museum was full. Mainly because the entrance was for free. Coincidentally the day I chose for my visit was also the 15th birthday of the Museum. In this picture, far at the distance you can see the Iberdrola Tour, the one and only skyscraper of Bilbao. 

 Inside the Museum... As said, fully packed!

In the entrails of Richard Serra work, that fills a great part of the Museum's ground floor. 

The colorful Tulips from Jeff Koons. Love them!!! 

Part of the Koons work and, at the distance, some Kapoor masterpiece.  

The Ría de Bilbao, seen from the inside of the Guggenheim.  

 Almost night and time to see the last few instalations of the Museum, at the outside. And I'm not only referring to the Kapoor's work, also to some fire and smoke instalations that are part of the Museum spoil as well. 

The typical season's mushrooms at the Bilbao main market, aparently one of the biggest in Europe with a Guiness record.  

One of the Bilbao's tube stations. The Bilbao tube is very modern... 

 If you don't believe just take a look at one of it's exits!

Getxo is a balneary just half an hour way from Bilbao, towards north, and the village where wealthy families have their houses and spend Summer.  

 It is also known by it's bridge. The Vizcaya Bridge, projected by a disciple of Eiffel and an UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

Getxo totally deserves a visit! That and the top of the Bilbao hill (after a quick trip on the Funicular de Artxanda), where you have magnificent views and where I couldn't take any pictures because my mobile (aka. my camera during this past few days) have died by the time I arrived there. But mind what I tell you, once in Bilbao, don't hesitate going there!

 And to close this post about my quick escape to Bilbao, this joyful image of the Getxo little harbor in a sunny and warm October day! 

Writings on the wall

I love love love graffitis. Always had! (In the past I even had one in my bedroom, my very own pink flamingo!) So it doesn't come as a shock to anyone that one of the biggest posts so far in this blog (at least the most illustrated) is exactly about graffitis. There you go some of the street art I found in New York:

1- This post-its were left on the wall of the The Times Square Museum & Visitor Center and some of the messages were real pieces of art (pure literature). Plus, the idea and the effect they all create is also really cool!

2 - This is not actually street art, is a mural inside the lobby of the Rockefeller Building, but I think that it fits pretty well in here...

3 - A graffiti spotted last saturday in Williamsburg (in Brooklyn). A little bit spooky but very interesting as well. 

4 - Kids writing on the black wall at the market in Meatpacking. 

5 - When walls are not enough we always have vans!!!

6 - Graffitis are not always for fun, they can also work perfectly as ads.

7 - This one, in 21st St. (between 10th & 9th Ave.) is from Os Gemeos.

8 - Four streets up north (between 10th & 11th Ave.) is this mural from Kobra that features different subjects but all with New York City as a scenario. 

9 - This was in Houston St. Beautiful and an ode to love, in all its forms!

10 - Color blocks. And the proof that simplicity and perfection go hand by hand!

11 - A perfect way to cover a construction site on The Bowery. They call it the Bowery Arts District for a reason!

12 - While looking for a Banksy graffiti in Allen St. (between Canal & Division, in Chinatown) I found this hopeful message. 

13 - And what about this second-hand shop in Spring St.?! Doesn't it look great and modern?!

14 - When I saw this lovely Japanese (or was it Corean?! :S) restaurant in 10th Ave. I not only felt in love by the drawings but also by the open stairwell that, as this book I bought (I Feel Relatively Neutral About New York) says, although "they are an efficient way for businesses to load and unload goods from trucks in the streets", they're also "an efficient way to fall into a huge effing hole right in the middle of the damn sidewalk". But, I don't care... Despite all the rational arguments against them, I love them and they picture beautifully. 

15 - Another graffiti from Os Gemeos, this time in Stillwell Ave. in Coney Island.

16 - And to finish New York graffiti tour some details from the Coney Island Aquarium wall. At a certain point of the sidewalk that goes all the way from Coney Island to Brigthon Beach (or should I say Russian Beach?!) is this wall that "tells" us a little bit more about the Coney Island fun parks and the Aquarium, as well as some always-nice-to-know-more information about life under the sea...