This is yours truly with another episode of some news from Spain !!! thanks to you all. There is lots of things going on in my beloved Spain, and Fall is on the half way point ! I am eagerly looking forward to be back to Spain too!! Let me tell you the latest tidbits of news chosen by yours truly, By the way CXXXVII is old Roman for 137, Enjoy it as Spain is everything under the Sun!
‘Orfeo’: the dazzling adaptation of Monteverdi’s opera shocks the Teatro Real, see it to believe it. webpage: https://www.teatroreal.es/en/show/lorfeo-0
Visits to the Valle de los Caidos or Valley of the Fallen plummeted 60% after Franco’s exhumation, popular interest in what was renamed Valle de Cuelgamuros had been trading downward for some time. In 2018 and 2019, in the midst of the socialist government’s campaign to exhume the dictator, the figures shot up to unprecedented levels. In the two years, the barrier of 300,000 visitors per year was exceeded, a figure well above the average, the day Franco left the basilica, on October 22, 2019, more than 80 journalists were accredited. the projection is that visitors to the Cuelgamuros Valley will once again fall below 200,000. I guess Franco was it there ! Despite everything, it remains in third place among the most popular monuments in Spain managed by Heritage Foundation, behind the Royal Palace and the Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial. Webpage: https://valledeloscaidos.es/
Metro of Madrid and Real Madrid will transform the Santiago Bernabéu station in 2023. The subway line 10 station, which will be more modern and accessible, will be themed and its new image will be related to the Madrid club and the history of the stadium. architectural finishes and infrastructures and the space will be equipped with technology, with new entrance turnstiles and state-of-the-art transport ticket vending machines. The works are also included in the 2021/28 Accessibility and Inclusion Plan and will allow the installation of new lifts and complementary measures to facilitate transport for all travelers. In total, 4 escalators and 12 elevators. The corridors will be removed and replaced by a large hall, in the style of other more modern Metro stations. Thus, an access with four stairs will be created that will lead from the north zone, which is the part facing the stadium, to this area. From this point you can go down eight escalators to the intermediate level walkway. And from another six to the station platforms, which will have greater capacity. The current access on the sidewalk of the pairs in front of the Santiago Bernabéu will disappear, since the future access will be even closer to the coliseum. This will be built with a temple. Real Madrid webpage: https://www.realmadrid.com/en/news/2022/11/24/santiago-bernabeu-metro-station-collaboration-agreement
Spain has 7,661 kms of coastline distributed between the coast of the Peninsula and the archipelagos of the Canary Islands and the Balearic Islands, as well as the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla. Surely, your first thought was to assume that it is the popular Kilometer 0 of Madrid, one of the most photographed and popular points for tourists. However, although many think that it is the center of the capital, the truth is that this point measures the distances of the six national highways. And it is not even the geographical center of the peninsula since it has been located about 10 km to the south, on Cerro de los Ángeles, in the municipality of Getafe. We will tell you that the inhabitants who have to travel the most kilometers to reach the sea are those of a small municipality in the province of Toledo, whose name is Nombela. The closest beach to this town is Malvarrosa, in the city of Valencia, and it is 441 kms away, that is, about 4 and a half hours away with a toll. In the case of making the journey without paying, this would last up to 5 hours. and it is located at the confluence of the provinces of Toledo, Madrid and Ávila, the three provinces whose capitals are the furthest from the sea in the entire national territory. Its origin dates back to the beginning of the 12C although it did not obtain the title of town until the second half of the 17C. Among its historical complex, it has several monuments of interest such as the Hermitage of Santo Cristo de la Nava or the Parish Church of the Assumption of Our Lady. Town of Nombela webpage: https://nombela.es/historia/
During the plenary meeting held yesterday, the Museo Reina Sofía Foundation approved the acquisition of 74 works by 25 artists and groups, which will become part of the Museo Reina Sofía Collection and are valued at more than two million and half a euro This year, Susana and Ricardo Steinbruch donated a work by Mira Schendel; Marga Sánchez has donated a seminal video by Bruce Nauman, while Francesca Thyssen-Bornemisza has done the same with works by Naufus Ramírez Figueroa, Andreas Siekman, Wael Shawky and Teresa Solar; Silvia Gold and Hugo Sigman, with a collography by Belkis Ayón, and José Antonio Llorente with a work by Mercedes Azpilicueta For his part, Victor Levy has donated a painting by Jordan Kerwick; Gabriel Calparsoro, a performance by Jorge Luis Marrero; Julia Borja and Mario Cader-Frech, in unison, a portfolio of aquatints also by Naufus Martínez Figueroa; Juan Carlos Verme, a work by Amelia Toledo, while Diana López de Sifontes and Herman Sifontes have contributed 2 photographs and 3 photobooks by Fina Gómez. In turn, the Museo Reina Sofía Foundation (USA) received a donation of 7 works by Öyvind Fahlström. Donations from other individuals not members of the Foundation have also been accepted, such as a set of 5 drawings by Julie Mehretu and several works by Brazilian artists such as Lucas Arruda, Sonia Gomes, Antonio Obá or Rosana Paulino. Likewise, works donated by their own authors have been received, such as the artists Olga Dueñas, Cybèle Varela or the photographer Pedro Valtierra. For her part, the artist Eva Lootz has offered works as a donation and/or as a testamentary bequest. Three works by Mary Help of Christians have been approved for acquisition, two works by Rubem Valentim and Heitor dos Prazeres; 3 pieces from the same series by Guilherme Almeida, a set of 5 2019 flags of the Escola de Samba Estaçao Primeira de Mangueira, a woodcut by Mestre Noza, Inocêncio da Costa Nick, as well as a photobook and a set of photographs by Pedro de Moraes and Walter Firmo. To all this we must add 13 illustrations and 2 figurines by Manuela Ballester, a set of materials from the stridentista movement (publications, posters, magazines, proofs) by Ramón Alva de la Canal and other artists; two pieces from the late 50s by Max Aub and 4 arpilleras by various anonymous Chilean artists and the Vicaría de la Solidaridad Workshop. Eleven unique and vintage photographs by Leo Matiz, a film by Alejandra Riera and an acrylic by Sheroanawe Hakihiiwe have also been approved. Museum webpage: https://www.museoreinasofia.es/en/collection
The Galeria Canalejas , where luxury, glamor and the best cuisine come together. It is the new golden mile of the city. Located a few meters from Puerta del Sol, delimited by Plaza de Canalejas, Carrera de San Jerónimo and the Madrid streets of Alcalá and Sevilla. inside it houses an exclusive selection of fashion boutiques, perfumery, luxury accessories and high jewelry from the most prestigious brands in the world, such as the emblematic Hermès, Louis Vuitton, Aquazzura, Cartier, Saint Laurent, Valentino, Rolex, Omega, Zegna or Jimmy Choo, among others. In addition, it has the Beauty Gallery by Isolée space, designed for those who want to be up-to-date with the latest beauty trends. In its 4,000-square-meter Food hall, 13 Centro Canalejas Madrid restaurants meet, with which the heritage of the seven buildings on which it stands and which have witnessed the financial life of our country have been restored and recovered. The Banco Hispanoamericano (1902), Banco Español de Crédito (1920) and Banco Zaragozano (1940) were headquartered there.Webpage: https://www.galeriacanalejas.com/en/
The city of San Sebastián would not be the same without him. The emblematic María Cristina hotel turns 110 in a great moment. The Film Festival has turned it into the ‘home’ of the great actors, it offers an unbeatable breakfast and its Dry Bar is a must. Stately, elegant and an icon of San Sebastián, it was the undisputed protagonist of the belle époque since it opened its doors in 1912. One hundred and ten years later it continues to be a benchmark for luxury, home to the actors who parade for each edition of the Film Festival that is held in September in the city and an open history book that begins with the Queen Regent María Cristina, the first person to set foot in the hotel and for whom it bears her name. Located at the mouth of the Urumea River, between the beaches of La Concha and Zurriola, little by little it conquered the aristocracy of those years, who made the destination fashionable. Webpage: https://mariacristinahotelsansebastian.com-hotel.com/en/
New winds blow between the gorges of the Júcar and Huécar rivers. Cuenca has been elected Spanish Capital of Gastronomy 2023. Between heaven and earth, between the avant-garde and the Middle Ages. Cuenca, which has always given travelers more than they receive, has been chosen this week as the next Gastronomic Capital of Spain. The La Tirolina Las Hoces is the dream come true of Cristian Fernández, who has been pursuing this project for four years with the desire for a record: the cable promises to be, in addition to the longest double urban zip line in Europe, a spectacular way to briefly contemplate Cuenca in full view as a bird. Cristian has done his numbers well: They are 445 meters long, 120 meters high, and 90 kilometers per hour, just below the height of the Heart of Jesus, at the top top of Cerro del Socorro… We are talking about gastronomic dinners in places like the Puente San Pablo bridge, outdoor meals between the gorges or at the top of the MUPA, the Paleontological Museum, with fantastic views of the city. Tastings have even been organized in the Cathedral, and all mixed with music and art festivals in the streets that anticipate what will happen in the city during 2023. Another novelty is the recovery of an icon such as the Casas Colgadas or Hanging Houses, which had been closed for nine years. It has become the new adventure of chef Jesús Segura, winner of a Michelin star in his last Trivio restaurant. The new neighbor of the Museo de Arte Abstracto Español (they are wall to wall) has created two restaurants in one. In Cuenca it is impossible not to be inspired by the Museo de Arte Abstracto Español, created by Fernando Zóbel in the 1960s. These days it is semi-closed for some works that will last until the beginning of next year. Even more reason to visit the equally essential Espacio Torner and explore Cuenca’s renowned contemporary streak. This is the case of the old Gothic temple of the convent of San Pablo that houses the work of the artist Gustavo Torner from Cuenca. Not a museum to use but a space for reflection, where painting, sculpture and architecture dialogue and unite with each other. Where container and contents have the same importance. Art lovers will continue up to the Antonio Pérez Foundation in the former convent of the Discalced Carmelites, from the 17C. And those of the books, the other way around, will head towards the beautiful Plaza de la Merced. There stands the Science Museum, but also the Seminary Hostel, with modern rooms and jewels such as the chapel and a highly valuable library of 100,000 volumes. They are discovered on a walk through the Plaza Mayor where the Cathedral stands, which by the way, offers nocturnal visits to its most emblematic spaces. A few meters away, the Posada de San José, former palace of the family of Juan Bautista Martínez del Mazo, the disciple and son-in-law of Velázquez, offers accommodation and all the typical flavors (and with great views). Cuenca tourism webpage: https://visitacuenca.es/es
There you go folks, another dandy tour of my beloved Spain ! We have reach the mid point of Fall season and the leaves change , the clouds darkern and the weather cooler, and will be colder early December ; just enough to be cozy and homey again.Time to enjoy my dear Spain once again, and we are gear up for it! Hope you enjoy the post as I.
And remember ,happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 
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