Bilbao.

We left Barcelona mid-morning on a Sunday and the goal was to get to Bilbao by 4:00 so we had four hours in the Guggenheim. The museum closes at 8:00 p.m. and they are closed on Mondays, so there was to be no dilly-dallying. We made it! The Frank Gehry designed building was incredible, and the Richard Serra and Jean-Michel Basquiat exhibitions were very, very good. Bilbao itself was a very clean, friendly, beautiful, walkable city...much bigger than I thought it would be.

Barcelona.

I happened to be in Barcelona on Catalonia Day, which is September 11th. The city was very crowded and there were parades and demonstrations all over the place. I rented a bicycle, which turned out to be a great way to get around, and tried to avoid the big crowds.
I have to admit that this was my least favorite stop on my trip. I had good weather, but my airbnb was not great and it was very loud city. I also don't love the architecture. I did appreciate the more residential neighborhoods and the small, non-touristy cafés. Glad it was one of my stops, but not in a hurry to go back.

Every bike needs a...

I was intrigued by the seed pods in this tree. When I first saw it, I thought they were snakes!

At the end of my stay here, I met up with my daughter and her boyfriend. We rented a car and headed out on the Spanish highways! It made my day when the Hertz agent did not notice that my drivers license was expiring in four days.

Glasgow School of Art.

I was only in Glasgow for a day and a half, but I made sure to tour the Glasgow School of Art, designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh and built in two parts 1899-1909. The tour, including the furniture and the architecture, was great!

A building Mackintosh designed in town...

And a few shots from around town...

Seeing the Queen.

The day I was leaving Edinburgh for Glasgow, I went to Waverly Station to catch my train. There was quite a commotion at the end of the station where I entered. Turns out that Queen Elizabeth II was passing through on her way to open the the Borders Railway in Scotland. It also happened to be the day (September 9th) she surpassed Queen Victoria's record and became the longest reigning British monarch (23,226 days). I tried snapping a few shots with my phone, but I just got the back of her in her turquoise coat and hat. 

 I bought The Times newspaper and Hello magazine for my scrapbook.

They both had much better pics!

Royal Botanic Gardens.

The beauty of these gardens was jaw-dropping...I literally walked into a greenhouse or around a corner and my mouth gaped open. Again, a few too many pics, but I hope you'll find it as beautiful as I did. This gem is right in the middle of Edinburgh!