La Coruna-Bilbao

Yet another Sunday almost over!! Here I am trying to extend my weekend by posting more delicious photos from the cruise. This leg brings us from La Coruna to Bilbao, a little spanish city made most popular by a single building alone known as the Guggenheim Museum. Perched by the waterfront along a river that runs through the city, the Guggenheim in Bilbao is a perfect case study of human geography in the instance of post-industrial redevelopment-- taking a decrepit area in the throes of post industrial decline and transforming it into an arts and culture hub. It's success is due to the architectural magnificence of the building itself, the shell a shining beacon of titanium designed by Frank Gehry.

Ok pardon the obligatory plate/food photos. BEST SHRIMP CAKE EVERRR. HANDS DOWN. 

The building is all curves and angles, inside and out. This is probably the coolest elevator around too. 

A super fun permanent exhibit, it's interactive so you get to walk through the structures (which are made from old ships, if I remember correctly), and sound echoes all around it. 

The requisite Jeff Koons sculptures, duh. 

The biggest sculpture ever made by Louise Bourgeios, entitled Maman. Yep thats yo momma right thur! The idea of it was that like a giant spider, your mother is both a protective creature as well as a fear inducing one. I don't know about anyone else but that kinda sums my mother up quite accurately. (kidding mom, I love you!!) 

I'm quite glad I got to see this Guggenheim. I never went to the one in New York when I was there all those years ago, but this one is such an icon of Bilbao. The gleaming titanium panels in the sun and the reflections by the water makes it a breathtaking specimen. The exhibits were also very good! When we were there, a huge David Hockney exhibit was on. He's a contemporary artist who has now adopted the ipad as his main medium, but I like how he revisits places and redraws them, with time and space a constant evolution in his paintings. Check his work out here. 

And then I leave you with a panoramic view of Bilbao and a shot of my feet in my new cheap shoes. 

Peace out kids, happy monday (ugh)  

London - La Coruna

Day 6 of having my braces in, and I still can't eat solid foods yet. The most solid thing I've had is half a slice of spam that Maylene very graciously offered me when I was dying of hunger while at work. Just thought I'd share this update with whoever cares. Moving on, I thought I'd finally put up some photos from my cruise!!! Which was in May this year and therefore just 3 months too slow, but whatevz. I just got timelined so I hate facebook. I'm not putting any of these photos up just cos I'm trying to boycott them hahah 

The first night on the cruise we were just sailing along to Spain, so all I have are photos of food. This is the most amazing mushroom tarte I have ever eaten. Trust me when I say that all you do on cruises is eat. 

 First stop was La Coruna, but my family decided to take up one of the day trips to head out of the city to the medieval city of Santiago de Compostela. The cathedral there is a pilgrimage destination for many Catholics since the 9th century, because apparently the apostle St James' remains are there. The cathedral itself is a impressive building, the outside grubby from years of wear and tear but so beautiful in its gothic way. Also, they had a pretty damn impressive organ inside. HUGE. 

Hello kitty everything everywhere!! Also, the pilgrims we saw hiking to the cathedral wore these sea shells on their backpacks. It is the emblem of St James. Apparently you could only be counted a pilgrim if you travel a certain distance by foot. I can't quite remember the stats that my tour guide was throwing at me, but it was something like maybe 100km by foot, and then if you were travelling by horseback it would have to be double, and then double again if by boat. 

After touring around the area we headed into some medieval dungeon like place for lunch!! Spain has the BEST FOOD EVAR. Ok I just really like their hams. Look at that iberico! And the fresh seafood! Ok really torturing myself here considering I can't even bite into anything solid for the moment. 

The Santiago de Compostela was truly a breathtaking sight. Maybe not as awe inspiring as the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, but here the quiet determination of the pilgrims with their staffs and shells along with the general reverence of this medieval city was a novel experience. 

Metal Mouth

I'm miserable right now, because I just got my braces on today. They feel so weird and are super uncomfortable, but I'm trying to think positive, like how beautiful and straight my teeth will be again when I take them off in a couple of months. I say again because I once had super straight and aligned teeth. Since I was young I was never one of those kids who had to look extra awkward at school because of braces or glasses/specs. I was lucky with nice straight teeth, and yes I definitely had done my fair share of mocking metal mouths. Well, karma definitely is a bitch because now I'm a metal mouth. Many of my friends were puzzled when I shared that I was getting braces, because the work is really minor-- just two front teeth that are protruding out a little bit, and a teensy bit on my bottom row. But the thing is, growing up with perfectly straight teeth makes it difficult to accept that little imperfection. I became so self conscious of it that it was affecting my confidence, and I started smiling with my mouth closed. And my dentist did warn me that since the protrusion was due to my wisdom teeth coming out and pushing all the teeth forward, it was only a matter of time till my upper teeth went askew when there is no space left. So I guess for better or worse I'm stuck with a metal mouth for the next few months. Growing up, I always had these big wide smiles in photos, I can't wait till I'm confident enough with my teeth to smile like that again. 

Call It Anything But Love

Just a quick photo post from my week in Northampton at our country home over the summer before we went on a cruise around Western Europe (Spain, France & Germany).  Didn't do much but it was so good to just relax and disconnect! Early summer/late spring in the country is really so beautiful, I don't know how else to describe it but just that everything felt fresher, even myself. Although afterwards I got hit with some nasty hayfever so nevermind about that! I was rereading Pride & Prejudice while I was there so I took a lot of country walks in the honour of Elizabeth Bennet and her muddy hem "six inches deep in mud", and of course, trying to play Horse Whisperer whenever I came across one. And of course, what is a stint in the country without gallivanting illegally through a farmer's rapeseed fields?

"bitch plz you called me over and you have no apples for me??" 

xx