A Matter of Time

I've made clear my views on Modern Art, especially conceptual art, before, so I'll not drone on. Essentially if you have to explain something for it to make sense then I think it's missed the point. And the point of something can be purely aesthetic. So this, a Matter of Time, a permanent installation in the Guggenheim, is something I love. It makes me smile, and walking through it is a real experience - at one point there was a shift in perspective with a change in the slant of the metal walls, that I almost fell over.

Generally anything Jeff Koons makes puts a smile on my face as well. The Puppy (blipped yesterday) is one such piece, as are his tulips (in the extras); Anish Kapoor's ultra- reflective stuff (again in the extras, and a sort of smaller scale version of his 'Bean' in Chicago, which I've blipped before); and the slightly disconcerting 'Maman' that sits on the walkway out the back of the museum (the last extra), divides Mel and me (I think it's great).

But try to explain why a drain in a wall demonstrates the zig-zagging of the cosmos and the ability to see the spaces between items, and I'll call you out for pretension.

Anyway, post-Guggenheim we had a table booked in the Bistro attached, and had a simply superb tasting menu, with enough bread to kill a Herring Gull, and matched wine. Not a surprise, therefore, that Mel decided on a little snooze back at the hotel. That gave me free reign for a couple of hours to go and visit the San Mamès stadium, home of Athletic Club de Bilbao. We've got history. They put Newcastle out of the UEFA cup in 1994, when the tournament was there for the taking. Their current manager is the player that scored the goal to tie the tie and put us out on away goals (after we'd originally taken a 3-0 lead in the first leg).

I got lucky, arriving just 5 minutes before the last tour of the day left (as they were playing Marseille in the Europa League the following evening and needed the pitch and changing room for practice), and found myself being guided along with a Catalan couple. The guide gave each the opportunity to take pictures while she spoke to them in Spanish, then me in English (thoguh I was pleased with how much of the Spanish I was picking up, confirmed when she then translated for me).

We got pitchside twice, sat in the manager's press conference chair, walked through the changing room with the shorts all set up, sat in the director's box, and saw the manager getting interviewwed for telly (having to hold back, and being told in no uncertain terms by another guide to remain quiet!). After the tour the museum took me through the amazing history of this club (which is only one of three, along with Real Madrid and Barcelona to have been in the top flight since the club started; is the first professional football club in Spain; plays in red and white because their strips were originally from Southampton, being their second colours after their first strips came from Blackburn Rovers; and all done with a policy of only signing Basque players, with a fraction of the budget of their big name counterparts).

Back to the hotel through a rainstorm; and with Mel coming to we were out late (as the Spanish do) to tour some Pintxos bars. Such a good way to spend the night, to eat, and to drink. Bilbao certainly impressing upon us....

p.s. yes, I did get into trouble frm a security person for taking this photo.