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 we are in Spring !! 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 CXLVII is old Roman for 147, Enjoy it as Spain is everything under the Sun!
The icon of the Gran Vía in Madrid is renewed 90 years later: goodbye (and hello) to the mythical sign of the Capitol building Well, the sign of the mythical Capitol building (although it is actually called Carrión) renews its image coinciding with the 90 anniversary, the new sign that presides over the roof is an exact replica of the original that it exhibited in 1933 both in size and in typography. At the time, it had 64 apartments, a hotel, a cafeteria, a bar, a restaurant, the seltzer water factory, several shops and offices, party rooms and even a cinema with a capacity for 2,000 people. This one has been preserved , but divided into several small spaces, so that the current hotel, the Vincci Capitol, is the only one that currently houses a cinema in its lower part. Hence, it has themed rooms where the great figures of the seventh art are the protagonists. From Audrey Hepburn to Marilyn Monroe or Charles Chaplin, whose essence coexists with striking decoration elements. Behind the sign ,which weighs 600 kigs and measures 10.65 x 9.36 meters , and its 104 colored neon lights that light up at night, two suites are hidden, 1002 and 1102, in what used to be a warehouse and now , the most coveted of the entire Gran Vía. The Spanish Civil War would come, when it was occupied and used as an advanced observatory. One more historical note of this icon of the Gran Vía that is being reborn once more. Webpage: https://www.esmadrid.com/en/tourist-information/edificio-capitol
The town of Tomelloso, in Ciudad Real province,Castilla La Mancha, surprises with its wineries, history, drums and museums. It is in the heart of La Mancha, so it is not surprising that it is part of the Don Quixote Route, that its surroundings are dotted with vineyards -it is the largest wine region in the world- and that migas and porridge are included in the protein local cookbook since unidentifiable times. What no one expected is that the first women in all of Spain to wear pants were born in Tomelloso . Nor that the best artisan pizza in the world comes from here by the work of chef Jesús Marquina (or better, Marquinetti, as he is known), five times champion of the international contest that chooses the number one on the planet. The Tomelloso subsoil is pierced with more than 2,500 caves, most of which served as underground cellars until well into the 20C. Here is also the largest wine cooperative in Europe, Virgen de las Viñas, which takes its name from the patron saint of the town and which encompasses 23,000 hectares of vineyards. Formed by 3,000 members, in one day it collects 11 million kgs of grapes. Of course, they no longer guard the wines 12 meters underground in huge clay and cement jars. Technology ended this tradition, which began in the 1820s with mass production. The wine had to be stored somewhere… And what better way to take advantage of the cavities that the houses themselves hid than The Bodegas Perales is immersed in one of the largest and most legendary caves in the town. Open to the public for visits, one discovers inside how first the mules and then the tractors entered with the grapes through a gate. Also reminiscent of bygone times are the chimneys up to 20 meters high and varied decoration scattered throughout the city. They were always next to the distillation towers of companies such as Fábregas, Domecq, Altosa, Casajuana or Peinado to vent the smoke from the boilers. In 1950, there were a hundred. Now, about 30. And in disuse, but nobody thinks of touching them: the neighbors will take to the streets !. Webpage :https://visitatomelloso.com/
It will sound pretentious, but without Colmenar de Oreja, the films of Ben-Hur, Quo Vadis or Spartacus would not have been the same. Hollywood was inspired by the paintings of its most illustrious neighbor, the painter Ulpiano Checa, to recreate the settings of the Roman Empire that made these films so famous. From the chariot races linked in the minds of cinephiles to Charlton Heston to the baths, Nero’s banquet, the invasion of the barbarians or the last days of Pompeii. Ulpiano Checa Museum not surprisingly, it is one of the most important dedicated to an author. The Roman pieces are only a small part. The rest of the collection is divided by geographical areas: from his experiences in Africa, America and France, where he died, to his Spanish rhapsody or his town, with grape harvesters, smithies, jars and limestone towers as protagonists. . The Plaza Mayor would also see Isabel la Católica parade through its cobblestones, since here she installed the Court of Castile together with her brother Enrique IV before becoming queen and meeting Fernando de Aragón. The construction of clay jars to make wine, a tradition that still persists in some underground cellars. Like Jesús Díaz e Hijos, or Jesús Figueroa Carrero, founded in 1812. Pedro García’s is almost a hundred years old (1931), while Finca del Socorro has become one of the best centers of wine experimentation in Europe webpage :http://colmenarte.colmenardeoreja.com/
The season of the Spanish ‘Orient Express’ starts. While the Transcantábrico celebrates 40 years of travel, Al Andalus incorporates the city of Malaga into its circuit and the Costa Verde Express returns to run between Bilbao and Santiago de Compostela.
The conception and birth of El Transcantábrico, the first tourist train in Spain and the first in the world in metric gauge, represented a challenge in the Spanish railway scene and a risky and innovative commitment to recreate the atmosphere of the Belle époque trains. Since last weekend, the train has been running along the Cantabrian coast to offer an 8-day (seven-night) journey that runs, in both directions, between San Sebastián and Santiago de Compostela.webpage : https://www.renfe.com/es/en/experiences/luxury-journeys/transcantabrico/the-train
The Al Andalus, another of the emblematic luxury tourist trains managed by Renfe The wagons have incorporated a modernized typography and the colors that define the Al Andalus brand have been updated, evolving towards more vivid tones, although in the same color range that has singled out to the train. Thus, the new image is characterized by a reddish garnet tone, characteristic of monuments such as the Alhambra in Granada, which combines with black and gold. Al Andalus resumes its 7-day (6-night) trips on its Andalusian itinerary which, in the 2023 season, includes the city of Malaga. The trip runs in both directions between Seville and Malaga and on its route it passes through the Andalusian provinces of Cádiz, Granada, Jaén and Córdoba.webpage : https://www.renfe.com/es/en/experiences/luxury-journeys/al-andalus-andalusian-route/prices-and-contact
On May 20 2023, the season begins for the Costa Verde Express, which carries out six-day (five-night) itineraries, in both directions, between Bilbao and Santiago de Compostela Webpage : https://www.renfe.com/es/en/experiences/luxury-journeys/costa-verde-express/the-train
Also,do not forget this one. the Medieval Train to Sigüenza begins its season on April 15, with departures from Madrid and stops in Alcalá de Henares and Guadalajara. It will leave at 10h. from the Madrid-Chamartín Clara Campoamor station, stopping in Alcalá de Henares at 10h29. and in Guadalajara at 10h48, where passengers can board. The arrival at the Sigüenza station will be at 11h37, with the whole day ahead to walk through the labyrinth of stones and streets, to learn some history or savor the yolks of the earth. Webpage : https://www.renfe.com/es/es/experiencias/trenes-tematicos/tren-medieval
Something I am happy to tell you as had a couple of encounters here and is super The Financial Club is open to the public! The best views of the city and a high-altitude ‘gastro’ proposal . We take an elevator and go up to the 14th floor of the Centro Colón I was talking about the Financial Club, Calle de Genova ,a business, financial and political meeting point in Spain founded in 1972. We are currently 500 members . Until now, the 2,700 square meters of the club -spread over three floors- breathed a very masculine atmosphere. Now they are trying to give it a more unisex air. A second space, still with views of the Plaza de Colón, boasts versatility. It can be a room to have a coffee, it is set up to serve lunch or dinner and it adapts to the needs of the members, and of course meet with friends. Cozy, with a lot of velvet and wood and sober and modern furniture, they keep certain touches of its history. They recovered 36 chairs; some have been reupholstered with leather and others have been covered with canvas. Looking at Calle del Marqués de la Ensenada, you arrive through a corridor, where the team prepares the sweet part of the menu live and direct. In a large exposed kitchen, In total, the club has the capacity to serve 160 covers outside and 160 indoors. Last stop, the roof terrace, which is accessed by a spiral staircase and from which you have the most amazing panoramic views of the city. find the third bar. Dipping in the pool -like the gym, which is on the 13th floor-, is reserved only for members. Restaurant hours for visitors: lunch, Saturday and Sunday; dinner, Mnday to Sunday Rooftop: Monday to Sunday, from 18h. and weekends, from 12h.webpage: https://www.clubfinancierogenova.com/en/
She said « They told me great goods of the earth and rightly so that it is delightful and of good temper”, wrote Teresa de Jesús, by way of inspiration, before founding the monastery of San José del Salvador de Beas de Segura (Jaén), one of the 17 convents created in the 16C by this humanist and traveler woman. This architectural, literary and spiritual legacy has now become an attractive tourist route that not only disseminates the work of the woman who was declared a Doctor of the Church, but has also brought to light a rich monumental heritage that has ceased to be cloistered the journey that the saint undertook in 1567 and that, for two decades, took her from Ávila to Caravaca de la Cruz, or from Medina del Campo to Seville, passing through other Teresian enclaves such as Malagón, Valladolid, Toledo, Pastrana, Salamanca, Alba de Tormes, Segovia, Beas de Segura, Villanueva de la Jara, Palencia, Soria, Granada and Burgos. This route now takes on a special meaning as the Teresian Jubilee Year is celebrated. Webpage Footprints of Teresa of Jesus : https://www.huellasdeteresa.com/ciudades/
The International Book and Copyright Day is celebrated every April 23 2023. A date used to encourage reading around the world. In Spain, during that day literary activities are carried out, the streets are filled with book stalls and educational centers remember the most important figures in literature. This year it falls on a Sunday, so you can enjoy more outdoors. April 23 was chosen to celebrate Book Day because it is the date on which Miguel de Cervantes, William Shakespeare and Garcilaso de La Vega died. Although the three illustrious authors died in 1616, they did not do so exactly on the same day and it was declared by Unesco in 1995 as International Book Day, Webpage : http://www.spainisculture.com/en/propuestas_culturales/dia_del_libro.html
Some nice memorable places to eat good and traditional in my Madrid
Café Comercial Gta. de Bilbao, This emblematic venue in the Glorieta de Bilbao has been a meeting point for Madrid’s social life for more than 130 years. In addition to its full cultural agenda in the evenings, with concerts, monologues and flamenco shows, you can enjoy traditional cuisine with traditional flavors. webpage: http://cafecomercialmadrid.com/
El Escondite de Villanueva, Calle Villanueva, 26 It was one of the first places in the capital to introduce the non-stop business model in 2001. Today, it is one of the landmark places in the Salamanca district that has managed to adapt to all kinds of schedules throughout the day, from breakfasts to business lunches or livelier dinners. It is ideal to enjoy both an outdoor brunch on your terrace, a snack in the bar area and high tables or a dinner in the main dining room. webpage: https://www.elesconditedevillanueva.com/
Hot Now Calle Barbieri, 14. Original local and original concept of this pizzeria in Chueca that moves away from the traditional with its signature pizzas made with fresh dough made daily and a groundbreaking mix of ingredients. webpage: https://www.hotnow.es/
There you go folks, another dandy tour of my beloved Spain ! We are in Spring !!; just enjoying our veranda again, now sunny day. 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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