Paris1972-Versailles2003

I have several posts on sentimental Cuenca in my blog. This one is an older post that I like to break down into each individual museum with a post of its own rather than one all post as before. I feel that on one of my favorite cities in Spain is worth it to tell you about their museums we like in a bit more details on each. So, therefore, here are my version of the Provincial Museum of  Cuenca, in Castilla La Mancha autonomous community! Hope you enjoy them as I.

The Museo Provincial de Cuenca museum is located in the Casa del Curato in the San Martín neighborhood, it is a space created to deepen the history, traditions and culture of the province of Cuenca. Inaugurated in 1974, it has three sections: Archeology, Ethnology and Fine Arts. It’s numismatic collection is also remarkable.  Each floor of the building shows a different historical period, the first is reserved for archaeological discoveries of prehistory and the second shows the passage of the Romans through the province. Finally, the third floor covers the period from the fall of the Roman Empire to the 18C.

The breakdown is as follows:

Ground floor (1fl US): It is dedicated to Prehistory, from the Paleolithic to the Iron Age. The findings of the Verdelpino shelter (Valdecabras) stand out, which is a very significant deposit of the Neolithic peninsular. Of the Bronze Age  the idol of Chillarón and the sword of Carboneras stand out, whereas of the Iron Age  a model of the deposit of the source of the Mota is exposed , and diverse findings of the necropolis of the Hill of the Virgin.

First floor (2fl US): It is dedicated to the Roman world, being of special interest the three rooms dedicated to the three main Roman cities of the province of Cuenca: Segóbriga, Ercávica and Valeria. In them, in addition to a good number of materials found in the sites, you can see how a Roman city was born, how its public and private spaces are and what activities were developed in them. Also worth mentioning is the statue of Lucio César, executed in marble.

Second floor (3fl US): Rests from the 3C to the 18C are exhibited and the countryside of the Roman world and the traces left by the Visigoths, the Arabs and the later Christian settlers in the territory of Cuenca can be seen through the exposed materials.

The Cuenca province tourist office on the museum : https://www.descubrecuenca.com/es/museos/Museo-de-Cuenca-20

The Cuenca tourist office on the museum: https://visitacuenca.es/es/content/descubre-museos/museo-de-cuenca

The Cultural house of Castilla La Mancha on the museum of Cuenca : https://cultura.castillalamancha.es/museos/nuestros-museos/museo-de-cuenca

The Castilla La Mancha regional tourist office on the museum : http://en.www.turismocastillalamancha.es/patrimonio/museo-provincial-de-cuenca-3261/descripcion/

There you go folks, a nice museum to see in lovely Cuenca Unesco heritage site and very quant,nice, as a typical Castilian town should be. Enjoy the Provincial Museum of Cuenca !

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all!!!

I have several posts on sentimental Cuenca in my blog. This one is an older post that I like to break down into each individual museum with a post of its own rather than one all post as before. I feel that on one of my favorite cities in Spain is worth it to tell you about their museums we like in a bit more details on each. So, therefore, here are my version of the Museum of Spanish Abstract Art of Cuenca, in Castilla La Mancha autonomous community! Hope you enjoy them as I.

The Museum of Spanish Abstract Art . The bit of history is that in 1961 Fernando Zóbel (full name Fernando Zóbel de Ayala y Montojo Torrontegui ) looking for the right location for an abstract art museum, and in June 1963 his friend, the Cuenca artist Gustavo Torner , suggested the location of the museum in one of the Hanging Houses of Cuenca,(see post) where the Museum of Spanish Abstract Art (Museo de Arte Abstracto Espanol) was opened to the public on July 1, 1966. The building is own by the City of Cuenca, who rented it for a symbolic amount. Initially there were a dozen sculptures and a hundred paintings that Fernando Zobel had previously gathered, although not less than half were exhibited, with the intention of always applying a slow rotation of the funds.

In 1978 an extension was carried out, so that the Museum reopened. That same year of 1978, the Fundación Juan March took charge of the funds and its management, by donation from Fernando Zóbel, who also delivered more than 3,500 specialized books. The current manager, the Juan March Foundation, has continued to expand the funds, so that now there are more than 1,500 works belonging to the Museum’s funds, of which 515 are paintings or sculptures. An important collection of printed graphic work, in its beginnings by Abel Martín, later by other screen printers such as Javier Cebrián. Since 1994, and as a result of a series of improvements and extensions, the Museum has a specific room for temporary exhibitions that complements the permanent exhibition. And of course, the Casas Colgadas (15C see post) are in additional attraction to come here!

This important museum houses a permanent exhibition made up of hundreds of paintings and sculptures signed by Spanish personalities of abstract art. Here you can admire works by Antoni Tàpies, Antonia Saura, Eduardo Chillida and Pablo Serrano, among many others.

The official March Foundation on the museum : https://www.march.es/es/cuenca

The Cuenca tourist office on the Museum : https://visitacuenca.es/en/content/what-see-contemporary-art/museum-spanish-abstract-art

The Province of Cuenca on the Abstract museum : https://www.descubrecuenca.com/es/museos/Museum-of-Abstract-Art-13

The Castilla La Mancha regional tourist office on the Museum : http://en.www.turismocastillalamancha.es/patrimonio/museo-de-arte-abstracto-espanol-de-cuenca-1461/descripcion/

There you go folks, a nice museum to see in lovely Cuenca Unesco heritage site and very quant,nice, as a typical Castilian town should be. Enjoy the Spanish Abstract Arts Museum of Cuenca !

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all!!!

I have come here several times, and its time to update this older post on public transports in Barcelona. I won’t claim to be the expert on public transport ,but going here somehow has been always by plane and many years ago by train, and more recently a car ride from Madrid.  However, i will give you an introduction and hope it helps many in the future trips to Barcelona.

The plethora of taxis are there by the airport and many taxi stands in the city especially around the big hotel chain that are used for conventions seminars etc. The /metro/train/tram are nice ,but other than walking which i always do, the best is the aerobus from the airport and walking in the city.  

The Metro/subway/tube : the network is composed of 165 stations and 8 lines that cover 146 kms of extension, it all began in 1920, and in only four years the inauguration of the first section took place, which linked the Plaça de Catalunya and the Plaça de Lesseps. Not taken rather be above ground excuse me! Metro Barcelona webpage:https://www.tmb.cat/en/barcelona-transport/map/metro

The commuter trains are not only interesting to reach nearby towns, but they serve as a complement to the Metro to move around the city two companies that perform these services, Renfe, which operates most of the lines that start with R, and FGC ( Railways of the Generalitat of Catalunia), which operates the lines starting with S and some of the R. The letter R, comes from the word   “rodalies “ (cercanias), and the S, of Suburban’s. Taken the AVE from Madrid but not the local Rodalies trains. The R trains webpage: http://rodalies.gencat.cat/en/tarifes/servei_rodalia_barcelona/nomes_rodalies/

RENFE trains: https://www.renfe.com/es/en

FGC trains: https://www.fgc.cat/en/

The  tramway network has six lines, the first three calls Trambaix, and the last 3 Trambesòs. The T4, T5 and T6 lines are the one that runs through the center of Barcelona. Not taken, but webpage: https://www.tram.cat/en

At the Universal Exhibition of 1929, the Teleférico or cable car crosses the port of Barcelona from the Torre de San Sebastián, on the Barceloneta beach, to the Mirador de Miramar,(lookout point) on the hill of Montjuic. The total route is 1,292 meters reaching an altitude of 70 meters. Torre de San Sebastián can be reach by Metro: Barceloneta, Line 4. And Bus: lines 17, 39, 45, 64, 57, 59 and 157. webpage: https://www.telefericodebarcelona.com/en/telefericodebarcelonaen/

The tram Blau (blue Tramway) was inaugurated in 1901 to link the railway station on Avenida Tibidabo with the Tibidabo funicular to reach the blue tram, arriving by bus: stop tram Blau-Tibidabo. Also, Bus: lines 17, 22, 58, 73, 75, 126, 131 and 196. or Metro: Avinguda Tibidabo, line 7. Now temporarily out of service but for info webpage : https://www.barcelonabusturistic.cat/en/tramvia-blau-0

The Golondrinas (boat tours) has its pier in the vicinity of the Mirador de Colón, in the Portal de la Pau s/n. There you will find the ticket office for information and ticket Sales. Metro: Drassanes, Line 3. Bus: lines 14, 20, 21, 36, 57, 59, 64, 91, 120 and 15. Not taken but for info webpage: https://lasgolondrinas.com/en/

The more than 10,000 taxis that circulate in Barcelona are black with yellow doors and there are no problems to find them at any time of the day. Some of the companies are Associació Ràdio Taxi Miramar,   Cooperativa de Ràdio Taxi Metropolitana de Barcelona,. Ràdio Taxi, Servi Taxi,  and Taxi Groc. Easily found online. The route from the airport usually lasts between 20 and 30 minutes and the price is usually around 25€ with additional cost for extra luggage etc. Better get the rate before getting in the taxi. If not at the airport and you need it in the city I have used this one on business trips and it is good reliable service, Raido City webpage: https://radiotaxi033.com/

More than 1,000 buses make more than 80 different routes, reaching both the most touristy places and the most secluded corners of  Barcelona. Xiste is a night bus service, known as Nit bus, which covers a large part of the City. These city buses is what I used when not walking and they are great with good service. The Barcelona journey planner by bus: https://www.tmb.cat/en/barcelona-transport/map/bus

By road, Barcelona is located at a distance of 620 kms from Madrid, 350 kms from Valencia and 300 kms from Zaragoza . This is a great ride from Madrid on the A2 . The road guide in Spain is from the service/gas stations Repsol (just click “planificar tu viaje” ) webpage: https://www.guiarepsol.com/es/descubrir/

The main train station is the Barcelona Sants very busy station more in Renfe. Took it once from Paris gare de Lyon long ago, Webpage: https://www.renfe-sncf.com/es-es/servicios/estaciones/Paginas/barcelona-sants.aspx

The intercity bus company Alsa you can find routes and prices to get you in and out of Barcelona, never taken it but can take you for example to Madrid Ave de America or Estacion del Sur near Atocha! Webpage: https://www.alsa.com/en/web/bus/home

The Barcelona Airport (BCN), also known as El Prat airport, is located in the jurisdiction of this city along the coast, just 12 kms southwest of Barcelona. The Prat has two terminals, the modern T1, and the T2, which includes the old terminals A, B and C. This is what I have used the most over the years here and it is a nice medium size airport with wonderful shopping and eateries in airy spaces.  Webpage : https://www.aena.es/es/josep-tarradellas-barcelona-el-prat.html

The best way is the bus service Aerobus, and is the service I have used the most from and to the airport to Plaça d’Espanya. The Aerobus makes the journey connectingthe airport with the city center in a time of approximately 35 minutes. There are twodifferent lines that connect the two terminals of the airport with the Plaça de Catalunya making stops in some other points of the city (plaza de la Universidad, Sepulveda-Urgell, Gran Via-Urgell and Plaça d’Espanya).  webpage: https://aerobusbarcelona.es/?lang=en

Side offer if in a hurry the Barcelona city tour bus ride could be an option, again never taken it. webpage: https://barcelona.city-tour.com/en

This is the official public transports site in Barcelona for many modes of transportation like metro bus etc. TMB webpage: https://www.tmb.cat/en/home

The City of Barcelona Hola on public transports: https://www.holabarcelona.com/how-to-discover

The Barcelona tourist office on public transports: https://www.barcelonaturisme.com/wv3/en/page/5/getting-around-the-city.html

There you go folks with the above and some reading on the sites you should be a Champ in Barcelona. Big avenues broad streets, and plenty to do for all tastes. Barcelona by the northern Mediterranean of Spain. Hope you enjoy the post as I.

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all!! I am back!!!!