Thursday Thoughts
Thursday Thoughts
Finally the colours are coming…but I guess they will not stay for long. Too much wind and rain – even hail. And two days ago I saw the lapwings like pearls thrown over the water, preparing to return south.
In the early morning light the heron was almost one with the sun.
And towards noon, the horses grazing in a complete painting.
A glorious day!
Thursday Thoughts – The Fairy – Castle
We were driving along the road from Bilbao to visit Gernika this day, when suddenly, out of nowhere, without any road sign – we saw the pinnacles above the dense forest. A castle. This castle is located in Gatika, in the province of Biscay, in northern Spain
We turned left off the road and decided to have a closer look at it – and after some twists and turns of narrow roads – we found it.
The castle has a fairy-tale look about it, and as we started walking around it, we realised that the place was abandoned and nobody lived there. Further down the road we found pictures of knights and horses, together with a closed down, dilapidated café. The premises had probably been used for games or jousting.
A look at Wikipedia tells us that the present building was created as a hobby for its then owner and to create something visually spectacular rather than to produce something for people to live in. ” In fact it would be quite inconvenient as a home as the towers have little useful space and various parts of the castle have exterior connections which are not particularly apt for the wet Basque weather.”
The building is surrounded by an overgrown park which includes palms and exotic plants. We thought the forlorn castle must be totally unknown, but in fact it seems this is not the case…As any other little girl, Kate Middleton’s dream once was to get married in this fairy tale castle. (Said in a BBC interview with David Ferald.)
Back in Bilbao again in the evening, we learned from our host that the castle is named Castillo de Butrón . (He even had a painting of Butrón on the wall.) It dates originally from the Middle Ages, although it owes its present appearance to an almost complete rebuilding, inspired by Bavarian castle models, begun by Francisco de Cubas (also known as Marqués de Cubas) in 1878.
The castle fell into disuse, was later renovated and opened again, but the building was finally closed to visitors although the grounds remained open.
In November 2005 the building was purchased by INBISA (Grupo Empresarial) for about 1,6 million euros, but it remains under the general protection of Spanish law in respect of historic buildings in Spain.
Thursday Thoughts – The Black Cat
The gracious black cat immediately came up to me. And he would not leave me alone.
No, he did not want to…
In Western history, black cats have often been looked upon as a symbol of evil omens and friends of witches. In Sweden, as in most of Europe, a black cat is considered a symbol of bad luck, especially if one crosses paths with a person, which is believed to be an omen of misfortune and death.
But the folklore surrounding black cats varies from culture to culture. According to Wikipedia, The Scots believe that a strange black cat’s arrival to the home signifies prosperity. In Celtic mythology, a fairy known as the Cat Sìth takes the form of a black cat. Black cats are also considered good luck in the rest of Britain and Japan. A belief I would like to argue for, is that a lady who owns a black cat will have many suitors…
I find black cats extremely attractive to the eye…but sometimes they have a menacing look, don’t they? My students were always treated to Edgar Allan Poe’s short horror story The Black Cat. Read it if you haven’t already – it is a classic.
For more facts about folklore and superstition about black cats, click here.
Thursday Thoughts
Tonight I got a message on my phone. I had submitted these two photos to The Nordic Photo Club some weeks ago. It is The Princess of The Night (Selenicereus pteranthus) flowering for some short night hours, 27th of August – the magical scent filling the whole house. The flower itself is about 20 cm. This year I was better prepared and could set the light right.
Last year it developed one flower, and this year it gave two. My post from last year is here.
The message on my phone was, that one of these pictures had won Medal of Excellence and will be published in the book Photos of the Year for 2016. Am I happy? I Am!
Thursday Thoughts: Cool Indoors – Guggenheim, Bilbao
Unfortunately we were not allowed to take photos of the exhibitions – except the Andy Warhol one. The permanent collection ”A Matter of Time” by Richard Serra, I took photos there before realizing this – but I will have to keep them to myself on my computer…
This morning promised the same kind of heat as the day before, but we went early to catch some more photos from the surroundings as well.
A clash of new and old but very much of the new.
A walk up the steps and a
tour around the building once more
Almost 20 years ago this museum for modern and contemporary art was inaugurated, and I have wanted to visit ever since I read about it many years ago. Arkitect: Frank Gehry
The entrance hall is impressive. The exhibitions are just as many as you manage without getting exhausted. Not many great museums can boast that…Le Louvre or Prado or Reina Sofia for example, are not easy to visit properly in one single day.
When you walk out of the elevator and look down, you are even more impressed.
A totally unprecedented visit. If possible, just go there and enjoy!
Thursday Thoughts – (To me…) Unknown Artists
There are times…when you come across things you never had expected, things magical…like the artwork of Petras Repšys.
Repšys is a graphic artist and monumentalist, born in Šiauliai, Lithuania, in 1940. In 1960 – 1967 he studied graphics at the Lithuanian State Institute of Art, and since 1967 he has participated in various exhibitions at home as well as abroad. His works embrace engravings, book and applied graphics, book-plates, easel painting, frescos, sculptures, and medals.
The University of Vilnius displays his fresco ”The Seasons of the Year” (painted in 1976-1984) with motifs from Baltic mythology at the Centre of Lithuanian Studies. This is the absolute highlight of the University visit – and maybe of the whole trip to Vilnius.
Please notice all the little figures trapped in the ”frames”themselves – or in between. Climbing, holding things together, connecting …or just watching. Fascinating.
Thursday Thoughts – A Yellow Anatomy
Yes, why yellow walls? Driving through the north of Spain, I recognized this almost saffron colour on a great many walls in the cities and villages.
Personally, I love this colour. Its warmth and connection to Africa and to the desert.
In Pamplona I found this enormous Lion on such a yellow wall – Impressive painting, and so in harmony with all that yellow. On a closer look, I found the painting even more impressive.
I still do not know why those walls are painted saffron yellow, but at least I have figured out what the colour is hiding…
…the anatomy of what once was.
Thursday Thoughts – The Beach
Sometimes strange things happen…like a jigsawpuzzle everything just fits in, and you experience a picture you thought you would never see…
…or be able to walk into. This happened to us this July, on the north coast of Spain. We had booked a hotel for the night, and had checked our guide books as usual – nothing special here in Santiago de Reinante…
But, I got a hint from a leaflet I saw at the hotel…that maybe we should go down to the beach. A square of 2×2 cm pictured Catedrales, a very special beach it seemed…
We soon realised that a permission was needed to walk the beach – it is a UNESCO World Heritage! Nothing, absolutely Nothing in our books had us prepared for these magnificent views.
My heart sank, maybe we would have to stay on the cliffs and not come down…But, there were very effective assistants on the steps down, and they helped us getting the permit via Internet – so, we were two of the 4000 people allowed on this beach per day. My heart jumped and beat so hard I could feel it in my throat. This was so unreal…How could there be ebb as well? How could we be so lucky?
We walked for hours and hours…endless kilometres…trying to savour this moment as the precious gift it was. Unbelievable. This was not happening…
I never wanted the sun to go down, never wanted to leave this magnificent world…
But finally the sunset had to come, and the night closed in. I cannot say how grateful I am for this evening gift. Pictures cannot convey …my deepest feelings.
I wish you all such wonderful and unexpected gifts – and a good night!
More facts and photos on this beach at Albatz Travel Adventures.
Thursday Thoughts – Slowly
Back from Spain, but only slowly returning to blogging. Thank you for all your lovely wishes for a good rest and reload!
I have just started reading, and somewhere next week I hope to read more and to post something more substantial…Thought I would send you this memory – a most significant sight along the Spanish summer roads.
Leya 
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