After saying goodbye to the wonderful Basque country we spent the morning at sea while sailing west towards A Coruña on the Galician coastline. Our historian, David Barnes, gave an informative and lively talk called “The Spirit of Spain.” We learned that there is a lot more to Spain than simply sunshine, beaches, and sangrias as he covered the various religions and borders that have influenced the culture throughout the centuries.
4/15/2023
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National Geographic Resolution
Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain.
The day was cool, and we woke up to a gentle fog blanketing both land and sea. The morning voyage on National Geographic Resolution took us from Santiago de Compostela along the northern coast of Spain to Bilbao, one of the great cities within the Basque country. After a beautiful breakfast, we began our day with a presentation from National Geographic photographer, Robin Moore. Robin is a photographer and naturalist with awards from Nature’s Best, American Photo, National Geographic Traveler, and Wildlife Photographer of the Year. His talk took us on a voyage through his impressive photographic career, and he shared insight into the importance of understanding and crafting light to create stronger and more impactful images. The opportunity to pepper a master of photography with questions is a rare treat, and guests left truly inspired. Following this, Kelly, naturalist/certified photography instructor, enlightened guests during her “Better Cell Phone Photography” presentation. Guests left exclaiming, “I didn’t know my phone could do that!” and, “I can’t wait to try this later today.” Luckily, we had some time to put our newfound photography skills and knowledge to good use as our adventures continued with a panoramic coach tour of the lush green countryside neighbouring Bilbao. The evening held a special surprise with a private, guided tour of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain. A string quartet filled the museum with a delightful melody as we experienced works of art while our guide explained how the titanium curves of Frank Gehry’s iconic museum transformed this city. When we returned to the ship, we had another delicious spread waiting for us. Tomorrow, on our last full day together, we will explore Spain’s Basque capital of San Sebastian, where we will sample local wines and pintxos.
