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 Winter is here already! 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 CXLI is old Roman for 141, Enjoy it as Spain is everything under the Sun!
‘La Dolores‘ sings 100 years without Tomàs Bretón, After the success of ‘La verbena de la Paloma’, Bizet from Salamanca, he elevated Spanish opera to the altars with ‘La Dolores’, which returns to the Teatro de la Zarzuela on the occasion of the centenary of the composer’s death, Between January 27 and February 12, 2023 the Theater will offer thirteen performances of La Dolores, an opera that was premiered in the same room in 1895 and that since then has remained a symbol of the best of the Spanish opera. Theater webpage : https://teatrodelazarzuela.mcu.es/es/temporada/lirica-2022-2023/la-dolores-2022-2023
The San Isidro Fair 2023, the earliest in history, already has posters with the presence of the main figures hired for three afternoons -Morante de la Puebla, El Juli in his 25th anniversary of alternative, Alejandro Talavante and Roca Rey- and the quadruple presence of Emilio de Justo, who adds his fourth appointment as head of the Charity series, The fair will start on May 10 with two very strong posters, breaking the tradition of starting from less to more, The very early preparation of San Isidro 2023, with the intention of of better marketing. It will be the first fair, by the way, with the release of prices for single tickets, out of subscription, that is. Webpage mundotoro (Spanish): https://www.mundotoro.com/noticia/recta-final-en-la-confeccion-de-un-gran-san-isidro/1670820
Emeritus King Juan Carlos I plans to be in Paris on February 9, 2023 where he will attend the ceremony of access to the Académie Française or French Academy of Mario Vargas Llosa as a guest. It should be remembered that Mario Vargas Llosa was awarded a marquisate by Don Juan Carlos in 2011, Don Juan Carlos was the first person who called him when he received Spanish nationality in 1993, as Vargas Llosa recalls , Vargas Llosa, lived for a few years in Paris, The academy (French) webpage : https://www.academie-francaise.fr/les-immortels/mario-vargas-llosa
The new house of Ortega y Gasset and Gregorio Marañón, after six years of construction, goes forward to open, The José Ortega y Gasset-Gregorio Marañón Foundation can now boast its renovated headquarters. The 1847 mansion on Calle Fortuny, 53, which has a window from which it is easy to dream of a better world, same house as the foundation, Webpage foundation : https://ortegaygasset.edu/
The Royal Collections Gallery, built in the Royal Palace complex in Madrid, will open next summer 2023. For now, the process of assembling the museographic elements that will house the 650 pieces of the inaugural exhibition continues, a third of which will rotate continuously. From what is known so far, the main access will be through the Plaza de la Almudena, (by the cathedral) although it will also be possible to enter from the Campo del Moro, National heritage webpage : https://www.patrimonionacional.es/en/future-museum-royal-collections
The great hotel of Canfranc train station. There is no official opening date yet, but Barceló is already selling rooms at Canfranc Estación hotel , a Royal Hideaway Hotel 5*, for February 1 2023. This station was inaugurated in 1928 , and railroad and history buffs know that the Canfranc International Station (Huesca) was one of the most important railway complexes in Europe in the first part of the 20C. The railroad is open up to here, from Zaragoza awaiting ok between France and Spain to continue into Pau as before Stay tune, Webpage : https://www.barcelo.com/en-es/canfranc-estacion-a-royal-hideaway-hotel/
The Best European Destinations association, dependent on the EU, has drawn up a list of the most beautiful places in Spain preferred by foreigners, I just pick my favorites ok, Their webpage : https://www.europeanbestdestinations.com/
RONDA (province of Màlaga), The New Bridge is the main protagonist of this Malaga town, as it is prodigiously raised over the Guadalevín river, saving the so-called Ronda pit, a spectacular gorge. Built in the 18C, the bridge was considered the highest in the world (it measures 98 meters) until 1839. You should also visit the town for its taverns, its ancestral homes, its palaces, its gardens, its museums, its bullring and its literary corners that writers such as Ernest Hemingway or Rainer Maria Rilke fell in love with.,
CUDILLERO (Principality of Asturias), It is one of the most beautiful towns in Spain and also one of the favorites for foreign tourists. Its hanging houses, its cozy port, its seafood taverns, its intricate alleyways… Everything in Cudillero is a fairy tale.
AGÜERO (province of Huesca), Located just 40 kilometers from the Huesca capital, this beautiful mountain town stands out for its imposing rock formation known as Los Mallos,(saw them many times passing by!) some stone monoliths attached to the old town. One of them, Peña Sola, exceeds 200 meters on its western slope. To get here you have to go through a lush forest and a winding road.
SAN ANDRÉS (Province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife), The town of San Andrés, was founded in the 15C, making it one of the oldest on the island, which can be seen in its architecture, of colonial court. Its colorful houses and its Teresitas beach are two of the hallmarks of the largest town in the Anaga district.
PEÑÍSCOLA (province of Castellon), One of the hidden jewels for the Best European Destinations association due to its monumental castle of Papa Luna, its beaches, its charming streets and its privileged climate, which makes the sun rise 300 days a year !
Born in the 13C to serve the nearby Monastery of Santa María la Real, today the town of San Martín de Valdeiglesias is a prosperous town located at the western end of the Community of Madrid, where it borders the Castilian provinces of Ávila. and Toledo. For its part, the aforementioned monastery located next to the nearby and well-known San Juan swamp, is undergoing a slow and laborious restoration after decades submerged in abandonment and ruin. The castle of La Coracera is the emblem of this town. It was built in the 15C by Don Álvaro de Luna, a patron of King Juan II, father of Enrique IV and his sister, the all-powerful Queen Isabel la Católica. Not surprisingly, the castle functioned as the monarch’s chamber during her proclamation as Queen of Castile in the nearby town of El Tiemblo in Avila. We must not forget that it was even the headquarters of dictator Napoleon’s French troops during the War of Independence (peninsular wars). Close to the castle is the Enchanted Forest, another of the essentials of the town. It is a well-kept botanical garden that integrates more than 500 plant species. More than this, it stands out because more than three hundred sculptures have been created inside it from plants. Bordering the San Juan swamp, at other times of the year it would be obligatory to go to the so-called Madrid beach to take a bath and sunbathe on the shores of this enclave in the Sierra Oeste of the Comunidad de Madrid. Even so, there is always some adventurer who does not hesitate to enter its waters in the middle of the winter months to practice kayaking, wakeboarding or paddle-surfing, some of the water activities most frequented in these parts. You can also sail, paraglide or mark a hiking route in its surroundings. The town on tourism: https://www.sanmartindevaldeiglesias.es/municipio/turismo/
Guadalajara can boast of being the second Spanish province with the most castles in the country behind Jaén. In total, this corner of my nostalgic Castilla La Mancha has 198 fortresses spread throughout its territory, many of which are in an admirable state of preservation. The Torija castle is located in a privileged area as a crossroads and natural transit to Aragon. The origin of its current plan dates from the 15C and was the work of the Mendonza family. Since the end of the 16C it has ceased to be inhabited and only on exceptional occasions was it used to house kings such as Carlos V or Felipe II and other distinguished visitors. In the 19C it would be occupied by the French occupying troops of General Hugo and later by Juan Martín el Empecinado who blew it up, leaving it in ruins. The current restoration was carried out in 1962., The castle of Sigüenza, erected in the 12C on top of a pronounced hill in this town, was used continuously as the residence of the bishops until the middle of the 19C. In the 15C it served as a refuge against the raids carried out by the Navarrese during the war of the Infantes of Aragon. During the Napoleonic occupation, the castle abandoned its character as a bishop’s residence to be the headquarters of the occupying French troops from 1808. In 1827 it returned to being the residence of bishops. It served as a fortress in the Carlist Wars for the last time, suffering extensive damage, a ruin that was completed in the Spanish Civil War (1936-39). One visited recently briefly see post is the Molina de Aragón castle located in the north of the province, perched on the slopes of the mountain that rises above the town and the valley of the River Gallo, the Molina de Aragón castle is the largest and most monumental of all that remain today in Guadalajara, The set consists of a first walled belt known as albacara that has numerous defensive towers and whose main access is the Puerta del Reloj. (clock gate) The interior is made up of the fortress itself, with six towers of which the remains of two remain and another four in good condition and which are connected by a crenellated wall walk, and by a large space , In this flat interior terrain are also the remains of the Romanesque church of Santa María del Collado and a natural chasm known as Cueva de la Mora. From the castle you can also reach what is known as the Torre de Aragón, a three-story pentagonal tower surrounded by a wall with battlements. It is a reconstruction from the 19C, although an Arab fortress was located here, which in turn was built on a Celtiberian castro.!Awesome !
The Exit Alcalá cocido roll, prepared by the chef Roseny Brito and stuffed with the traditional meats of the Madrid stew, has been the winning tapa in the final of the 1st Official Championship of Tapas and Skewers of the Community of Madrid, organized by the Higher School of Hospitality and Tourism of Madrid. In the final, the cocido roll from Exit Alcalá faced the bola de cocido from Taberna Casa Maravillas, the Madrid chotis from Welkhome Club (also made with stew) and the Asian reinterpretation of the squid sandwich from BLT. The winner Exit Alcalà from Alcalà de Henares webpage : http://www.restaurantesexit.com/cgi-bin/area_alcala.asp
And finally, my rant of the month or year . I do not know if just me but I have been noticing many folks trying to follow my blog giving a few likes and once ok the « friend » contact they just disappears ! I do not know why people follow , but to me , me think, you follow me because you like my content lol ! Just goes without saying that once in a while you should stop by to say Hi ,give a « like » and so on, I have taken many down from as much as 3000 followers to just over a thousand, Still a lot with hardly any real following, Is it me ? Or is just my mind ? What do you think ?
There you go folks, another dandy tour of my beloved Spain ! We are in Winter and cold weather and snow are showing up, and will be colder from now on ; just enough to be cozy and homey again. Time to enjoy my some news from 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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