Monday, December 07, 2009

BILBAO BY NIGHT

BILBAO - NOVEMBER 2008


"ABANDO - The railway station, called Abando-Indalecio Prieto and locally known as Estación del Norte, is the main station in Bilbao. It has an amazing artistic stained glass at the atrium showing all the economic activities in Vizcaya"


"CHURCH - Near the Gran Via"



"FOSTERITOS - Access to the metro is provided by glass structures named «Fosteritos», after the architect who designed them Norman Foster"


"ARRIAGA THEATRE"



"CITY HALL - Seen from the Arenal Bridge, with reflections on the River Nervion"


"SOROLLA - «Vision of Spain» by the Valencian Artist Joaquin Sorolla, a collection that gathers fourteen great canvases, was commissioned by the Hispanic Society of America at the beginning of the 20th Century. The fourteen murals, representing the Provinces of Spain, were installed in December 1922, although they were not officially inaugurated until January 1926. Since then, the paintings have remained practically untouched, but due to a full restoration of the Sorolla Room, they travelled to Spain..."


"NECESITAMOS PAZ (WE NEED PEACE) - Provincial Government House"


"GRAN VIA"


"VERANDAS"


"CHAVARRI PALACE - Old mansion completed in 1894 for the Chavarri brothers, engineers who contributed to Vizcaya's industrial development. The building with a colourful marble front presents a great number of windows and balconies, each in its own shape and style. It's home to the Government Headquarters nowadays"


"LAMP SCULPTURE"


"SHERATON HALL"


"SHERATON BAR"


"DEUSTO UNIVERSITY - And the Pedro Arrupe «Pasarela»"


"DE LA SALVE BRIDGE - Under the full moon"


"FIRE SCULPTURE - At the terrace of the Guggen"

54 comments:

Trotter said...

Hi Everybody! This is the last post on Bilbao 2008. It has some night views of the city and I hope you enjoy them. As the most faithful are aware of, I’ve a slight problem with night shots as I don’t use a tripod and things usually get complicated; let’s see how you react… Meanwhile one of the counters reached 80,000 visitors and the other is approaching 100,000. It could seem a big figure, but it’s no great achievement; actually, the sixty of you who more or less regularly comment here are the only «special one(s)»!! Have a dazzling week!!

Olivier said...

magique les villes la nuit, superbe balade, j'adore

Cergie said...

Quelle magie dans ces photos de nuit ! Le vitrail de la gare s'en trouve exalté. Que de circulations, verticales, horizontales, souterraines, sous abris. Bilbao est une ville qui vit et ton message donne envie d'y aller voir. Qu'est ce que ce doit être beau en ce moment avec les illuminations de noël en plus !

PS : IE a encore fermé ma page en venant chez toi et j'ai dû la rouvrir. Cela ne me le faisait pas avant même si ton blog avec toutes ces grandes photos est très, très lourd à charger..

diane b said...

I can't believe you didn't use a tripod. The pictures are beautiful and clear. The city has wonderful buildings, that stained glass window is soooo big. All the buildings are interesting in different ways. A great post. Where to next. I'm ready for another trip.

Anonymous said...

just fantastic. well done again

Oman said...

amazing night photography specially the verandas. thanks for taking us along this trip.

Bhushavali said...

Loved that stained glass shot... The reflection of the city hall is sexy... U must have had a great time at the bar.. The wine racks look fabulous...

Sunset at My Travelogue
What to wear while exploring at Fashion Panache

Miss Kim said...

Dazzling photos make for a dazzling week! Cheers Darling! Kim

BLOGitse said...

oh my...I want out from here!
I want to walk on Gran Via! I want to feel civilisation around me!
oooh, I miss Europe! snif!
You pictures are AMAZING!

SusuPetal said...

That city is so beautiful by day or by night. I love the architecture!

bindu said...

Beautiful picture of the palace, all lit up!

Lori said...

I think Bilbao is moving up on my list of places I have to visit. It looks incredible! Your photos are spectacular, as usual.

april said...

What a wonderful station. And the other buildings. I see, I want to see Bilbao one day.

RNSANE said...

As spectacular by night as it is by day!

juka14 said...

Such a beautiful stained glass in the station. The access to the metro is looking fantastic, what a great idea.

PeterParis said...

I passed through Bilbao once and stayed a few hours a second time (business visit), both times before the "Guggenheim" etc... . The only landmark I really remember is the railway station and I still think that it looks fantastic!

Thanks again for a very complete visit of a place clearly worth visiting!

PeterParis said...

... and I forgot to say that your nightshots are very good, clear... (I don't use a tripod either, but always try to put the camera on something fixed.)

ANNA-LYS said...

A concert of photos
the Light Orchestra
Lovely!

Venksh said...

Hello Gil,

Superb picx... ABANDO railway station is amazing n the metro glass structure is a nice idea.. it will look more beautiful in night time..
CHAVARRI PALACE is awesome did get a chance to go inside the palace..

Kven,
http://kollywoodmoviereview.blogspot.com/

eye in the sky said...

amazing stained glass mural, and buildings especially the way they are lit at night.

Rhonda Hartis Smith said...

Such a beautiful place! And of course I am such a big fan of Sorolla, where are we going next?

Urmi said...

I have never seen such a beautiful and creative railway station in my life. Arriaga theater also looks amazing. All the pictures are spectacular and eye catching. Beautiful photography.

lyliane six said...

C'est superbe la nuit le décor change, mais mes photos sont souvent floues.
Ma maman retourne dans un centre cardiaque, je commence sérieusement à m'inquiéter et me demande si je ne vais pas devoir annuler mon voyage?

Ron said...

These are some fabulous pics. I don't use tripods either for night shots, I don't like them. I am really digging the pic of the Chavarri Palace. That is the cat's meow:)

L. Neusiedler said...

what can I say more than "amazing"?!

indicaspecies said...

I've not been good with night photography Gil, but you have got some good shots here. Thank you for sharing so much of Bilbao. Have a good weekend, and cheers. Necesitamos Paz.:)

Mariposa said...

it's breathtaking. que bonita

Cutie said...

Hey, I'm back in reading your blog. Trying to catch up. Hehe.. Looks like you are still travelling a lot. hehe.. Anyway, where is this place. The building is gorgeously beautiful. Love it so much...

Chuckeroon said...

......and so spoke the man who flies Concorde! Some good night shots here. Always a pleasure to see. I'll try to post something fresh for this week. The next photo-book is breathing down my neck, deadline this Jan '10 - but can't use that material for the blog.

alicesg said...

Wow the train station is so beautiful. The stained glass in really an art piece. Very amazing. Thanks for sharing and have a nice weekend.

Pietro Brosio said...

Hi Gil! Another great tour indeed!
I like so much all your Bilbao's night pictures! Really amazing the "access to the metro", "Chavarri palace", the "lamp sculpture" and of course the "bridge under the full moon".
About my photos about the Consolata, I didn't use the flash: the only light was that of the inside of the church.
Have a very nice weekend!

Madhur Behl said...

really nice pictures

ANNA-LYS said...

You see the sign now? ;-)

ohhh help my hair is on fire!

*May the Light be with You*

Jo's-D-Eyes said...

Hi my friend Gil,

Sorry that I was too busy to visit anyone's blog. Yours is great ( lots of pictures i love!!) and I love to travel you know.... but this -end of the- year I'm too busy with work ,

Yes we celebrate christmas too with 1th day with family and 2th with family/friends, like you said the same we do, noh no christmas tree but candles and watching homeDVD's listening to music and reading books...

Wishing you all the best, I will vist your blog more regularly , Greetings

JoAnn /Holland (no snow yet!)


Love Bilbao

Rune Eide said...

There is that something special about night photos. All places are different - you did it very well. I would say outstanding.

Emery Roth said...

You've gotten very good at night shots. Bravo!

Daniel Chérouvrier said...

Très beau post pour la Sainte Lucie.
Les enfants suédois participent brillamment à cette célébration chaque année.

BLOGitse said...

your WOrds are published! :)

Mandy said...

Gosh, it's really beautiful, isn't it?

rochambeau said...

Hello Blog Trottas!
Thank you for these wonderful photos!
It is gratifying and nice to see majestic old buildings posing gracefully next to modern ones!
It works beautifully ub Bilbao.

I would like to wish you both a very
Happy Holidays!
xox
Constance

Anonymous said...

Hi Gil, Before I read your comment at the beginning of this post I thought how fabulous your night shots were. I have trouble with them too but I am hoping for a new camera for Christmas that may help with my problem. I especially love the fosteritos. Don't worry about the number of commenters you have. I am positive there are hundreds who visit you that never leave a comment.

Anonymous said...

Hey Gil, I just left a long comment and blogger is acting funny and won't post it. Here is a short version. Love your night shots!

Unknown said...

Beautiful shots..everyone of them. Tks for all your good wishes, everything is good now. Happy week ahead Gil.

lv2scpbk said...

I'm so glad I came to see the spectacular lighting. I love the night reflection on the bridge photos and the reflections on the water. The Gran Via and Palace lighting is also spectacular! Those photos are just amazing with the light you did. Love the stain glass with the clock. Lots of work to do that one I bet. This is such a wonderful post with all the photos. And, the Sheraton Bar just makes me feel like singing...99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall, 99 bottles of beer, take one down, 98 bottles of beer on the wall... LOL. (I'm not sure about the take one down part but seems like you have to take it down first before drinking it.)

yyam said...

These are pretty spectacular night shots for someone who doesn't use a tripod! When I try that, it just comes out wonky...lol..I love the palace shots! :)

Lakshmi said...

spectacular as always

Ashira said...

Can't choose a favorite here! :)

Trotter said...

Hi Folks! A very difficult week and the replies are definitely late!! ;)
Christmas, for those who celebrate, and 2010 are approaching fast. That usually means a rather busy season and time for balances... With regard to travelling, the balance is quite negative, as this was my worst year since 1989; actually, 2009 was the year I flew the least in the last twenty years. I’m definitely stuck here!! ;))
As to blogosphere, though I hadn’t the time left I wished, I managed to find some new interesting blogs while keeping the old faithful blog friends; that’s wasn’t bad at all... ;)). Anyhow, let’s go to what matters...

Olivier,
La magie des villes la nuit, ça dépend de la lumière qu’elles ont… Et c’est vrai que, même n’étant pas encore dans la saison des Fêtes, Bilbao avait une illumination très soignée… ;)

Lucie,
Magique? Oui. Mais le vitrail de la gare est toujours le même, jour et nuit… ;)) Je n’y suis jamais allé en noël, mais je crois que ça doit être vraiment magnifique!
IE et surtout Blogger ont des idiosyncrasies difficiles à régler; je ne me suis jamais rendu compte que mon blog pouvait causer la fermeture du connectant… J’espère que ça ne revienne… ;)

Diane,
No tripod! It doesn’t fit in my pocket... ;). There are actually some magnificent structures in Bilbao and the way they use the lights in the city improves the intrinsic beauty of the buildings...
Next? To a quite regular destination: London in December!!

Vaggelis,
Thanks! Great pleasure to see that you enjoyed the pictures and the post; coming from an expert is a wonderful compliment!

Norman,
My pleasure! It’s true that the way they lighted the buildings in Bilbao helped to create some kind of magic in the air...

Friend,
The stained glass was an easy shot as it keeps the same light day and night... ;). As for the «sexy» style of the city hall reflection in the River Nervion I feel I’ll have to reconsider my concept of «sexy»... ;)). There is always a great time when at the bar... ;))

Kim,
Great to see you back here!! It seems you have been enjoying some long trips between Canada and Albania, since you don’t show up in your blogs... If this is true, I’m just green of envy... ;)). xoxo

Blogitse,
Oh dear, I was thinking of making a trip to Cairo and Egypt and you’re telling me that you want to leave it there... ;) Unfortunately I can never decide with more than a few days in advance the trips I may make and there are no chances of catching a tour to Egypt this time of the year on such a short notice; of course, I’ll be stuck... ;)

Susu,
The mix of old and new architecture in Bilbao is amazing!!
I suspect the weather temperature in Finland might be a bit cold these days; we’re freezing here, which for us means that we have +7º Celsius now... ;))
Come South! xoxo

Bindu,
I fully agree with you! The Chavarri Palace was lighted in such a wonderful way that it seemed to have just come out of a fairy tale... Magic!!

Lori,
No wonder Bilbao is going up in your visit list: it’s a lovely town, and now that contemporary architecture is making its way in the city, the contrast between old and new is fabulous. And furthermore there is Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim Museum...

Ingrid,
You’re not so far from Bilbao as Lori, so you have better start packing... ;)) Bilbao definitely deserves your visit!!

Carmen,
Spectacular indeed! Day and night, summer or winter... And amazing its true rebirth after Gehry’s masterpiece!

Juka,
The «Fosteritos» are another icon of modern Bilbao... The city is becoming a show case for some of the great contemporary architects...

Peter,
It’s time to get back there, definitely! You’ll be surprised with the new developments! The railway station is actually an amazing building and the stained glass an impressive masterpiece!
I used all the features of the Canon G9, but it was hard to get something decent...

Anna-Lys,
WOW! Great to see you back here!! Light Orchestra but wonderful symphony anyhow!! Difficult to see the Light here... But if you say your hair is on fire, I believe!! ;))

Trotter said...

Part Two:

Kven,
You found three great exponents of Bilbao’s beauty: The Indalecio Prieto station, the Fosteritos and the Chavarri Palace! No chance to get inside, but the exterior is absolutely awesome. There was a day picture of the Palace on the «Paseo de la Memoria» post, actually on the SmileBox pictures of the Moyua Place!

Eye,
The lights are a masterpiece on its own, further to the magnificence of the buildings themselves... ;)

Rhonda,
I knew you would notice the poster on the Sorolla exhibition at the Fine Arts Museum... It was an impressive exhibition of the «Vision de España» for the New York Hispanic Society!!

Babli,
We’ll miss you during your holiday!!
The Abando station is an amazing building inside and outside... And the Arriaga Theatre is also worth a visit! Further it holds the name of Juan Crisóstomo Jacobo Antonio de Arriaga y Balzola (January 27, 1806 – January 17, 1826), a Basque composer who died at the age of 19...

Lyliane,
J’ai appris que tu as annulé ton voyage en Inde. Je suis désolé; en plus en on savant la raison… Il y a un temps où nous ne pouvons plus rien faire, mais ce n’est pas facile à accepter cette règle de la vie… On ne t’oublie pas!

Ron,
I wouldn’t mind to use a tripod for the night shots; the problem to solve is who would carry it… ;). The Chavarri Palace is outstanding and the way it is lit is absolutely magnificent!!

Lara,
Indeed!!

Celine,
Night shots are even more difficult for amateurs than plain sunny day shots where the automatic function does the bulk of the job... However, this time it ran rather well and the outcome of the night pictures isn’t as bad as in many other occasions. Surprise!! ;) Necesitamos paz, that’s for sure, but hard to get...

Mariposa,
Bonita de verdad!!

Cutie,
Wow! So great to see you back after such a long journey outside the blogosphere... ;)). I thought you were the one travelling, marrying, whatever... during the last months! I’m stuck, just with a few exceptions... ;)) Bilbao is in the Basque country, Northern Spain, Iberian Peninsula, Europe, Planet Earth... Any idea where it is? lol!!

Stuart,
The Concorde flew its last commercial flight New York-Heathrow on October 24tyh, 2003; my last time there was on April 30th, 2003... Sad story... ;-(
So, it seems you’re having a hard work with a new photo-book? But January 10th is still far away... ;))

Alice SG,
The first picture is always an eye opener, but on this post I think that the best come much later down the list... ;)). My pleasure to share and read your comments!

Pietro,
I didn’t use the flash in most of the pictures on this post; actually the light of the buildings themselves was enough to illuminate the photos... The only problem was to avoid blurring without a tripod; but in the end they resulted quite acceptable... ;)

Madhur,
Thanks for your visit and first time comment at Blogtrotter!! Look forward to seeing you commenting here often. Thanks!!

JoAnn,
Thanks for taking your time to come here for a while!! It’s amazing that you’re so busy during the «holiday» season... Watching home DVDs, listening to music and reading books must give anyone a quite hard time... ;))
No snow yet? That must have been a long week ago!!

Rune,
It’s true that dark and lights make things turn out completely different; and when the lights are in the hands of artists the results are usually some magnificent ones. That’s what happened with the lights in Bilbao!!

Ted,
Thanks! I would say that this series just came out much better than usually; not that the end result be outstanding... ;)

Daniel,
La célébration de la Sainte Lucie est complètement méconnue au Portugal et, je le crois, en Espagne ; mais c’est joli d’avoir crée un post qui va très bien avec la date, même si je ne m’ais pas du tout rendu compte… ;))

Blogitse,
Thanks! But I’m sure they don’t deserve the front page; it’s just you who are kind enough to make it happen!

Emm,
I think so; but I’m definitely suspect, as I produced and directed the whole venture... ;))

Trotter said...

Part Three:

Constance,
You made it perfect: there is a wonderful blend of modern and old in Bilbao, and the new made it even more interesting to see the old...
Wish you a great holiday season, but I intend to be around still before Christmas; hopefully!!

Lynn,
It seems that Blogger is reacting a little slowly and finally published both of your comments!! The night shots are not a piece of cake, but this time things ran better than usually. SAnyhow, with your new camera (I can imagine a fabulous one... ;)), things will be much improved!!

M.Kate,
Glad to read that everything is OK now!! And also glad that you enjoyed the post and the pictures!!

Barb,
You’re always most welcome back here!! I must confess that my intervention in the light effect was very short, just not to say null... Actually the people in Bilbao had a perfect show ready for me to shoot at... ;). Don’t remember that song of the 99 bottles, but it must be available somewhere at YouTube... ;))

Yvonne,
Wonky, blurred, whatever... is the regular outcome of my night shots... ;)) This time is pure surprise!!!

Lakshmi,
That’s your kind eyes!! ;)

Ashira,
OK, take them all... ;))

Light and Voices said...

Your night shots are fantastic! I haven't mastered that skill yet. The train depot with the elegant windows above is my favorite shot.
Joyce

Trotter said...

Joyce,
Sometimes it happens!! ;)

Unseen India Tours said...

This is a beautiful post ! Thanks for sharing GMG !!

Trotter said...

Bharat,
Thanks!!