We had the chance to go to the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao. The museum building itself is an amazing piece of architecture and art.
Shelley and Ray in front of the Guggenheim museum in Bilbao, Spain
We walked around the building admiring the different shapes and art pieces on display outside.
Large flower puppy designed by Jeff Koons at the main entrance area of the Guggenheim museum
There was an area beside the museum which had a pond with a fog drifting above the water. It was called the “fog Sculpture” designed by Fujiko Nakaya, and was created using 1,000 fog nozzles and a high-pressure pump system.
Fog Sculpture designed by Fujiko Nakaya at the Guggenheim museum in Bilbao
There was also some tulips on display outside of the museum. These tulips were large and made with chromium stainless steel and had a transparent colour coating.
Tulip sculpture designed by Jeff Koons outside of the Guggenheim museum in BilbaoRay’s reflection in the tulip taking the photo.
We came across a large “Spider” which was on the walkway between the river and the museum.
Large spider exhibit on the sidewalk beside the Guggenheim Museum
The building is very large and took quite awhile to walk around the parameter. As we came to the back side of the museum we found a large “diamond ring” in the pound.
Ray in front of the “diamond Ring” at the Guggenheim MuseumEngagement Diamond ring created by Joana Vasconcelos outside of the Guggenheim museum
The engagement ring was made of gilded wheel rims and glass whisky tumblers for the diamond, it was quite impressive.
The building itself was multi-shaped and had a very distinguished look. The walls were curved and covered in a shiny metal which made the building look more like a piece of art than a museum.
A view of one of the wall areas of the Guggenheim Museum in BilboaRay in front of the walls of the Guggenheim Museum in BilbaoGuggenheim museum building in Bilbao
The outside of the Guggenheim was such a great thing to experience. We enjoyed seeing the large art pieces and the building architecture but the inside is amazing and warrants a blog post of its own.
There was a replica of a 16th century Spanish galleon sail ship docked at the Alicante marina. We decided to go down and check it out. We could see the galleon from a distance and it was quite impressive.
A replica of the 16th century Spanish galleon Andalucia
We went on board and took a guided tour seeing what life was like working and living on a 16th century shipping vessel. It was an exact replica with cannons, rigging and wooden decking etc. We walked up the ramp onto the main deck of the ship. This area of the ship is known as the Quarter deck. On this deck there is a main mast known as the Mizzen mast.
Mizzen mast
It is also the wheel that controls the ship is located. Officers would command the direction of the ship but would not actually handle the wheel, which was done by sailors.
The tour guide showing us around the Galleon sail shipNavigation wheel of the Spanish Galleon Andaluciaquarter-deck of the galleon sail ship
We could see the bell which they used for different communications on board. It was on the forecastle deck. This deck has the front sail mast, known as the fore mast, the bell and two anchors that weigh over two tons each.
Iron anchor with wooden shaft weighing over 2000 lbs.Ray on the quarter-deck of the Spanish Galleon Andalucia Sail shipBell used to communicate between ships in fog and for work shifts etc.
There was the poop deck at the stern of the ship which we did not have access to. The origin of the name poop deck is from the french word “poupe” which over time was shortened to the common term of poop deck.
View of the stairs leading to the poop deck
The poop deck was where officers could view the crew and the maneuvers of the ship. There is a large lantern which was used to identify the ship at night and to communicate with other ships.
Main lantern on the poop deck of the galleon ship
Below the poop deck was the “Noble Area”. This area was restricted to officers, and high ranked passengers.
Noble area below the poop deckArea for Nobles and officers to relax
We went down one level to the gun deck which is where the cannons for the protection of the ship are mounted. The galleon ships travelled in large groups for better protection against pirate attacks.
Gun deck cannons
The guide explained how they used different types of cannon balls for defence. There was the standard cannon ball which would make a single large impact. There was also a cannon ball chained to another cannon ball, which was used to destroy sails and mast of a ship. They also had a special one with small iron balls bunched together for a shotgun effect.
Different types of cannon balls used for defence against pirates
The deck below the gun deck is called the Hold. It is an area of the ship which holds the precious cargo.
Cargo area in the Hold of the ship
The cargo could be wine, oil or other products from Europe heading to America or it could be gold, silver and other precious metals from America. Only a small part of the hold was used to store basic food for the crew for the journey across the ocean.
The other day we had a unique opportunity to see a functioning Spanish naval submarine. The vessel was docked at the marina and we were part of a small select group of people who were given the opportunity to have a tour.
We arrived at the pier and gathered with some other people before being met by an officer of the crew.
Ray and Shelley in front of the submarine at the Alicante Marina
The officer took us in small groups onto the top of the submarine. He explained some of the history and some of the details about the submarine.
The Agosta Class submarine is 67 meters longs and displaces 1760 tons submerged. It is able to descend up to 300 meters. There are 5 officers and 36 submariners assigned to the submarine. There are only two toilets on the entire submarine and they can remain underwater for up to one month before resurfacing.
He also advised us that we could not take any photos while inside the submarine because it was an active navy vessel.
Ray with others on the deck of the submarine
There was an area on the deck of the submarine with some tubes inserted into it. The officer explained that these were the counter measures for combat situations. There were some counter measures which sent out false positives for sonar making it look like multiple submarines. There were other counter measures which caused flares for heat sensors and other types as well.
Counter measures on the submarine.
We entered through a large hatch of very heavy steel located near the rear of the submarine.
It was very small quarters inside the submarine. We walked through a narrow hallway with small rooms located on each side. Most of the rooms had only a curtain for any kind of privacy. The officer’s room was one of the few rooms with a door.
We reached the main control room of the sub, which was a slightly larger area. In this control room there were seats for two submariners to steer the sub and two other seats for radar and sonar. The control room was small but quite impressive, the periscope is built into the main console and does not look like the ones portrayed in movies.
The officer providing us with the tour, told us that the sub was preparing to depart and we should return to the hatch and exit the sub, or we may end up going out to sea. So we began our walk back through the narrow hallway towards the hatch. Along the way we met members of the crew who were going to their respective areas to prepare to depart to sea. We would squeeze to one side to let a crew member pass.
Shelley exiting the hatch after the tour of the submarine
After leaving the submarine we thanked our tour officer and went to shore. We feel very lucky to have had the opportunity to take the tour. It was a very interesting and unique experience.
On Sunday we went for a drive with friends to take part in a walking tour of Altea. The drive which takes about an hour was beautiful with great views of the Mediterranean Sea and the local landscape.
Toro silhouette common in Spain along roadways.
We arrived early for the tour and took the opportunity to enjoy the sunshine and a coffee with some of our friends.
Mark, Vicky, Ray, and Jorge at cafe in Altea
The tour began with Felipe explaining the tour path and some of the highlights we would see along the way.
Felipe explaining the tour and some of the history of Altea
We headed down the walkway along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea before branching off onto a former railway track, which was now converted into a trail.
Former train tracks converted into a trail system in Altea
We walked a few kilometers on the trail admiring the great views and vegetation.
Orange trees along the trail with views of the mountainsShelley in front of blossoming almond treesThe blossom on an almond tree
We eventually came back into the town and walked along the narrow streets of the old quarter. We came across a motorbike and car show which was on public display.
Display of motorbikes with a WWII -1943 motorbike and sidecar.
After viewing the car show we walked through the old quarter admiring the architecture and views.
A street in old quarter of AlteaWhitewashed walls of a home in Old quarter of Altea
Decorations on the church in the old quarter of Altea
We enjoyed the walking trail and the stroll through the old streets of Altea. It is a great little town with lots of beautiful scenery and friendly people. It was a perfect way to spend a sunny Sunday afternoon.
We went to see the Royal Archcathedral Basilica of Saints Stanislaus and Wenceslaus in Krakow Poland. The church is commonly referred to as the Wawel Cathedral. The basilica was built-in the 14th century and is the Polish national sanctuary. The Cathedral has been used for numerous prestigious events including the coronation of Polish monarchs.
The Wawel Cathedral in Krakow Poland
The day after Pope John Paul II was ordained as a priest he said Mass in the Crypt area of the Cathedral. The Cathedral erected a statue of Pope John Paul II to commemorate his attendance there.
Statue of Pope John Paul II outside of the Wawel Cathedral in Krakow
We entered the church and walked through the main section of the Cathedral looking at the statues and ornate decor.
Inside the Wawel Cathedral in Krakow PolandBlack marble canopy with four marble pillars Inside the main section of Wawel Cathedral
We then headed to the bell tower of the Cathedral. There is a set of wooden stairs which lead to the bell tower of the church. The stairs were narrow and steep and a bit of a challenge to climb.
The steep stairs in the bell tower of the Wawel Cathedral
We worked our way towards to top of the bell tower. Along the way up the stairs we came to several bells which were impressive. Shelley stopped to touch one of the church bells.
Shelley touching one of the church bells in Wawel Cathedral
As we reached the top we could see the main bell which was much larger than the rest.
Main church bell in Wawel Cathedral
After looking at the church bell we took some time to admire the view of Krakow from the bell tower.
View of Krakow from the Bell tower of the Wawel Cathedral
After returning from the bell tower we headed towards the Saint Leonard’s crypt located beneath the Cathedral. The crypt contain the tombs of Polish kings, national heroes, generals and other important historic people of Poland.
Hallway leading to the crypts beneath Wawel Cathedral
Inside the crypt we saw some of the tombs on display. It was an eerie feeling walking though the crypt. We saw numerous tombs which were each decorated differently.
One of the tombs in the Saint Leonard’s Crypt under the Wawel CathedralA tomb in the St Leonard’s cryptA tomb in the St Leonard’s crypt
The Wawel Cathedral was a very interesting place to visit. We saw some historic artifacts and explored a historic place of the Polish people. It was a quite interesting and enjoyable time.
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