MOONINSPAIN

Dear Mr. Gehry,

I only met you in person one time, when you were in Bilbao to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the inauguration of the Guggenheim Museum. Your soft handshake and the glimmer in your eye will stay with me for what is left of my lifetime. I have traveled with people who knew you personally and they shared with me how your almost childlike, yet intense personality would seep into the air around you.

Your name was common on this planet, and not just the world of architecture since as far back as I can remember. For many, Frank Gehry is the first name that comes to mind when people think of modern architecture.

Some have criticized your unconventional structures, calling them “spectacles”. I remember when you receieved the grand Principe of Asturias award in Oviedo in 2014. You immediately raised a middle finger when a journalist asked your opinion of those who made such comments about your architecture. You later apologized and remarked that the majority of buildings are shit and that you just wanted to work in peace. You spoke like a true gentleman.

When I began actively working in Bilbao as a guide I listened to an interview with you, and you spoke of the time spent in your Grandfather’s hardware store as a young boy. You would spend time building and fixing things with wood, metals and nails. 

Your capacity to combine light with form and steel is something that has always stood out to me when admiring certain buildings of yours.

I would like to personally thank you for two of your structures that became an important part of my life in the past twenty five years. They are also what I believe to be your two most impressive works of art. The Guggenheim Museum of Bilbao and the Marqués de Riscal City of Wine in Elciego.

When I first visited the city of Bilbao in 1996, it was love at first sight. A man who befriended me on my first Camino de Santiago in 1995 was from San Sebastian and he spoke to me of the Basque Country with such passion that I knew I had to visit. Little did I know that in the future it would become a huge part of my professional and personal life.

In 1996 Bilbao was dark and sexy like a smoky bar, lightened only by soft music playing in the background. I wandered through the winding streets of the old quarter late into the night, drinking wine and listening to the intriguing sound of Euskera. I was enamored with the Bilbaínos when I first saw them break into their traditional songs after a long night of drinking. 

I visit Bilbao often both for work and to spend sacred time with my friends who unabashedly allow me to be a part of their Koadrilas1 when I am in town. Just like you, I have an unflappable endearment for the Basque people. 

I watched the transformation of Bilbao as it blossomed from an industrial port city to become one of the most classy and welcoming cities most have ever seen. The infrastructure of this city and how it has molded itself to your museum is on a completely different level. I always wake up early when I am in Bilbao to jog or walk along the Nervión river regardless of the weather. I inhale the fresh air along with the glistening charm that exudes from not just the museum but each piece of art and architecture that lines the walkway. If it is a perfect Bilbao morning, the xirimiri2mists my face and cleanses my eyes so they are able to take in more of the beauty that surrounds me. 

The Guggenheim was not immediately accepted by the local people. Even you said that it shocked your own eyes and it took you a few moments to appreciate its unique beauty. My friend Sergio’s grandmother used to call it the Bubbyheimer, unable and unwilling to pronounce the correct name. Today, we are all grateful for your invaluable talent and contribution to this city. 

Your Marqués de Riscal City of Wine opened in 2006. The clash of the original 19th century winery with your majestic construction of titanium and steel leaves each visitor with a desire to lengthen their stay. 

Perfectly placed near the Ebro river, in one of the most famous wine producing area of Spain, The City of Wine shines like an expensive diamond. Mr.Gehry, you already knew that the Ebro River was principal to wine production in Spain since the time of the Phoenicians who brought the vineyards from the Mediterranean into this area of a unique sublimate. La Rioja Alavesa and La Rioja. 

I for one, will never tire of visiting the original 19th century winery that was founded in 1858 as part of one man’s dream. The intoxicating smell remains with me for days after each visit and my heart skips a beat each time I open a bottle with the golden seal that was invented as a way to prevent the falsification of this great wine. 

Like the transformation of many historical places, this was a high roll on the roulette table of architecture. Luckily, we all won the lottery when this masterpiece was inaugurated. 

I would like to thank you for one of the finest hotel rooms where I have ever rested my head. The ballroom of a bathroom has more square meters than my entire apartment. And the view of the vineyards from the patio of the usual room I am given, is a feast for all of my senses. 

Here I have found my inner princess more than once through the friendship and kindness of those who work in your masterpiece. We connect easily since I am also working when I visit your City of Wine. 

The tasting menu in the Marqués de Riscal restaurant is an experience one should enjoy when staying at the hotel or passing through the region. But I will always stick with the Vinoteca where one can take a walk through each wine offered by the glass in a more relaxed atmosphere. 

Mr.Gehry, I really just wanted to thank you for your genius of a mind and for giving us these gifts to cherish. 

I would also like to thank you along with other famous architects for collaborating with the Maggie’s Centers dedicated to your dear friend who passed away from cancer. https://www.maggies.org/about-us/buildings-architecture/dundee/

May you rest in peace. I do not think it was a coincidence that you passed away the day after my birthday. 

Yours Truly, 

Margaret Gypsy 

1

Or cuadrilla or kuadrilla. A very structured and extremely closed and difficult to enter circle of friends and support in the Basque Country. 

2

A fine, misty not quite rain.