Gernika

Art enthusiasts know Pablo Picasso's masterpiece, the Guernica, which speaks against the bombing of Gernika town by the Nazis as ordered by Franco. I saw the original painting in the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia in Madrid and, like all other visitors in that gallery, stood in  pensive reflection of how wars bring damage and destruction to civilians. So when I was in Bilbao for my last backpacking trip, I made sure to drop by Gernika town on a Sunday, just in time when some museums grant free entry.

Upon arrival, one can see many stands with information about the sites. In this particular site, I held back tears after reading the story of a girl who was crying because she was so scared to go back to her house and save her two brothers, with one being just a baby.

Surprised to find people queueing outside of this building which turned out to be the town's public library. ON A SUNDAY!

The ceiling of the Assembly House shows a stained glass painting of the oak tree It was made by hand by Vidrieras de Arte S.A. and was completed in 1985. It should be known that the Assembly House and the Tree of Gernika are the living symbols of the Basque People. As a seat of the historical parliament of Bizkaia, this building and the tree became a meeting point of all the territories of Euskal Herria (a.k.a. Basque Country), bringing together cultural and ethnographic traditions.

This is the remains of the old oak tree which was planted in 1700 and which is now protected by structure. A younger oak tree, planted in 1860, can be found not far from this old one. That tree witnessed the 1937 bombing.

A replica of Picasso's famous painting is installed outdoors for public viewing. Across it, one finds a bench on which one can sit to contemplate about peace and conflict resolution.

Gernika is a small town where tourists can do daytrips. Aside from few museums and a church, there is also a park with two big sculptural works installed on the grounds. I visited two museums here, one is free on Sundays and the other you have to pay (Museo Euskal Herria). I like the free one better because of the simulations of the bombing of Gernika in one of the rooms. In the upper floors, one cannot help but think about how shallow people have become for waging war against fellow humans over the pettiest of things. The museum also invites visitors to think about peace and how we can confront those who disrupt peace because of differences. My mind instantly connected the learnings to how to keep healthy relationships. Peacemaking is not just between nations and states. It should also go down to the most basic level, how we deal with the people around us. I thought about how people should learn to respect differences (something I have always believed in since highschool) and to meet halfway when resolving issues. Needless to say, I left with a heavy heart. So from hereon to San Sebastian to Barcelona, while I did try my best to enjoy my adventures, I felt like a huge part of me is missing. I felt hollow inside.

And in Barcelona I thought it might be because I was finally coming to terms with the things that happened to me the past three years.