In my new life as retiree my blog is my biggest entertainement and before anything else, I like to thank everyone of my readers and followers to stay with me over the years since November 26 2010 !!! Thank you !!! Especially my first likes from former travel forum friend Jeannette I decided to trim some of my older posts in my series Some news from Spain and condense them as not to lose the most important parts, me think, of them, Therefore, this is my new work, the condense news of my dear Spain, Hope you enjoy it as I.
Some news from Spain ,XXXVIII March 14, 2017
Some ideas to get away for Father’s Day in Spain : You go to Consuegra (of Quijote windmill fame) where you have the Casa Rural El Retiro de La Mancha, a great complex for a great weekend. It has many gastronomic offers and guided visits to the castle or Castillo de la Muela Another is the Casa Rural Juliana, province of Cuenca . Here you will learn about the wonderful olive virgin oil and the honey of Alcarria. You can go on the route of Olives of the Mancha and Colmenas with tasting of olive oils and honeys. You can do ,also, a guided visit to the famous monastery or Monasterio de Uclés. Something I will do next summer. I will be in another house nearby but this one is a good one too And on one we visit last summer and post here in Chinchon you have the Hotel Rural La Graja. It has a thermal circuit of one hour and a message of 30 minutes. At night, you have a gourmet tasting in a nearby restaurant.
More in arts see Faces a showing of more than 50 photographs in black and white of movie director Isabel Coixet done from her 22 movies. This expo is free until June 30th in the Espacio Cultural La Térmica, avenida de los Guindos, 48 Malaga. It has shots from artists like Time Robbins , Juliette Binoche, Rinko Kikuchi or Candela Peña. You can see the passion of the moviemaker for the publicity world, expressive of the human body and the photography.
You run to the Círculo de Bellas Artes and see the work of Francis Bacon with more than 100 works on paper by the artist coming from a collection of more than 600 drawings of Cristiano Lovatelli Ravarino, partner of the artist for many years that are put together in the Francis Bacon Collection of the Drawings Donated to Cristiano Lovatelli Ravarino. They all belong to the last decade of the artist painter, including the parents of Velázquez, clergy portraits, auto portraits and those of friends ,and images of his eternal obsession, such as cruxifiction, addomens, heads etc to put the figure into a space. The expo is “En Francis Bacon. La cuestión del dibujo”, there are works in black and white to rend homage to Van Gogh, atelier shops of Guercino or Leonardo Da Vinci, more auto portraits, and painting of his friends, etc . Circulo de Bellas Artes, Calle Marqués de Casa Riera 2, showing until May 21 2017
One of Madrid best icon cafés closed since last July is making a comeback under new ownership. This is one of my favorite and we discussed with friends there its closing so sad, now I am thrilled to read and tell you that from March 21st it will be open again! Café Comercial part now of the Grupo Escondite who also owns Lady Madonna, El Escondite de Villanueva ,and Bárbara Ann. The Café Comercial in the Glorieta de Bilbao is 130 years old founded in 1887 with the name El Comercial, giving light to the novel “La Colmena”, of the Nobel prize winner Camilo José Cela, and here many famous came to meet such as the writers Antonio Machado, Enrique Jardiel Poncela, Rafael Azcona ,and Rafael Sánchez-Ferlosio. Be there from March 21
Flamenco the history of the jonda culture is having a show in the Biblioteca Nacional or national library . You will see 150 works coming from the Biblioteca Nacional de España ,and Museo Reina Sofía, Museo Picasso de Barcelona, the Fundación Cante de las Minas de la Unión and many private collections. A trip thru 400 years with books, manuscripts, recordings, drawings and paintings as well as fragments from film, photographs and record label covers as well as posters ! It will show one of the earliest manifestation of flamenco in work like the La Gitanillla of Cervantes or stamp paintings such as El Vito of Goya, to arrive of the films of Saura, etc. Literature and books , newspapers articles from Chaves Nogales, Gómez de la Serna, Caballero Bonald or Félix Grande, and movies from directors Val Del Omar, Rovira Beleta, Serrano de Osma, Carlos Saura,and Tony Gatlif, capturing artists like Carmen Amaya, Antonio El Bailarín, La Paquera ,and Enrique El Cojo. Until May 2nd
How about Charles III king Carlos III; in his 300 year anniversary of his birth. In the museum of history you will see over 200 pieces part of the collection of the city of Madrid, Museo del Prado,National Heritage, National library ,and the museum of natural sciences or Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, this in addition to those already exhibit at the Museo de historia,which is in the former hospice of San Fernando, calle Fuencarral,78
The Madrid half marathon is back; April 2nd and will be run from Paseo del Prado (between Neptuno and Atocha),and finish line at the Paseo de coches in the parque de El Retiro I love the Feria del Libro de Madrid (book fair of Madrid) and this year is no exception. A must for all readers abound on earth. From May 26 to June 11, 2017. Since 1933 in the Paseo de Recoletos, and my parking is just off Cibeles lol! Then, it was moved to the bigger Retiro park . The coming one will the 76 edition and will have about 365 chalets and 480 exposing members amongst them, official organisms, distributors, specialist bookman, general libraries, editors from Madrid and beyond. From 1982, the event is call as today the Feria del Libro de Madrid and always opens up with a member of the Royal family walk in the morning And another big event in Madrid as anywhere in Spain is the Holy Week or Semana Santa. This year from April 9 to 16. marching virgins and saints on the streets of Madrid with drums and trumpets with a sacred song. And time to taste those Torrijas! The next one is wonderful and roots of Madrid, the Fiestas San Isidro from May 12-15, the castizo soul and the spirit of Madrid come together each year to honor the city Patron Saint. In my time there I always enjoy these festivities and lucky to be there again in summers and the next. The zarzuelas or operettas or feast of San Cayetano, San Lorenzo, and my favorite the Paloma are held from August 5-16 this year. This is the history of Madrid by its Verbenas. This is the theater presentation of la Verbena de la Paloma,
And do you know we are celebrating 400 years history of the Plaza Mayor of Madrid all year long! Some in the area of Plaza Mayor even older you ask, well there is. Here are some: the oldest business is not far, just at Calle Mayor ,59, call the Antigua Farmacia de la Reina Madre founded in 1587 by a Venecian chemist with fame as he provided medicines to king François I of France while prisoner in the tower or Torre de los Lujanes in the Plaza de la Villa. The original was in the Calle Sacramento in 1914 when it was translated to the current place with structure, furniture and medicines and all! While it is call the Posada del Peine ? because it was a gift that offer the proprietor to their guest , a comb=peine and posada a hotel type. It was given tied up to a cord in the bathroom so it will not be taken from the room. Those that walked by the street Calle de Postas, next to the Plaza Mayor, will have notice the beautiful façade that you see today in the modern hotel of the chain Petit Palace that opened in 2006 at the same spot that one day occupied the Posada del Peine that worked as one from 1610 to 1960! And we have more, that are from about the same age as the Plaza Mayor. these are the Posada de la Villa in Cava Baja, 9 that opens by 1642 where it was a windmill once of flour,the only one in the city. It welcome all visitors to the city and today serve an excellent roasted lamb in wood oven! The other place and one of my favorite corners in Madrid is the Libreria San Ginés , attach to the Church of same name next to street Calle Arenal at Pasadizo de San Gines, 2 (and you know what’s on that street too ::). It’s origins go back to 1650 when Diego Logrono worked as a librarian. Here, you will find old books and used, with post cards, posters etc. You can take a picture with its stalls outside; and you too can come up with stories like mine.
Some news from Spain ,XXXVIIII March 20, 2017
Joaquín Sorolla love so much his native land that end up creating a small Valencia on the street Calle Martínez Campos in Madrid, today ,it is his museum By the city hall square or Plaza del Ayuntamiento, is the heart of the Falla festivities and open to all ; the Fallera Mayor, who is in charge of given order so it begins the Cremà or burnings. This is the place as well where you see the loud and explosive mascletás; concert of firecrackers! While in the above square see the splendid Palacio del Marqués de Dos Aguas ; that today is the museum of Museo Nacional de Céramica Gonzalez Martî. Close by you see the Church or Iglesia de San Martín , where he married Clotilde. You cross the street of calle San Vicente Mártir,and you are by the street calle Mantas. Here at No 8 there is a plaque indicating where he was born. He was baptized in the Church or Iglesia de Santa Catalina, just behind the nice round square or Plaza Redonda. When his parents died in 1865, he is left orphan and there are folks who took him and his sister ,uncles that lived in street or calle Don Juan de Austria,20; today it is the house of the region of Aragon or Casa de Aragón ; close by the school or Escuela de Artesanos de Valencia , where he began to paint. His first studio was closer to the hotel at calle San Martín, 9. Here he began to paint his city, Valencia. One of the first to be painted was the Cathedral , discovering inside renaissance paintings that he did not even knew as well as mysterious crypts and underground tunnels that had access by the museum. You continue tracing his footsteps at the College or Colegio del Arte Mayor de la Seda, one of the most emblematic buildings of Valencia from its golden age. Near the college is worth visiting the center or Centro de la Artesania de la Comunidad Valenciana that is the guardian of old traditions and its personages. All agree that Sorolla wanted to teach at the school or Escuela de Bellas Artes where he studied, and today it is the Center or Centro de Exposiciones del Carmen, in a wonderful district that has not change at all. You should not missed the new IVAM or Instituto Valenciano de Arte Moderno dedicated to the maestro Ignacio Pinazo, in the room where the remains of the medieval ramparts were found. Close by to the above you will find the house or museum of a friend of Sorolla, José Benliure, maybe the best kept secret of Valencia. Here is a bust that made the friendship of his friend by Mariano Benliure in the city museum or Museo de la Ciudad that occupies the old palace or Palacio del Marqués de Campo, or the ninot indultado that represent it on the museum or Museo Fallero that occupies the old convent of the house of San Vicente de Paül. To see more of his works you need to cross the river by the bridge or Puente del Mar that you can see in one of his paintings at the museum or Museo de Bellas Artes. Here, it is recreated a museum within a museum showing 57 of his works.
The museum of another great friend of Sorolla, this is Vicente Blasco Ibañez, that this year we are celebrating 150 years of his birth.
The house of a Saint very closely linked to Vannes in the Morbihan Breton where I live as he evangelise this area by 1419 thereabout and his body lies in the Cathedral St Pierre et St Paul at Vannes , France. Here we talk about the La Casa de San Vicente Ferrer, where it has works by Sorolla such as the Ex voto y Pouet; you come across the building call Lonja where you will see further paintings of the master at the door, and stairs. He, also painted the Church or Iglesia de los Santos Juanes, whose interior damaged during the Civil War still can be seen ; better faith took the Church of Iglesia de San Nicolás that only needed to be clean to show all it’s splendor as we see it today.
You have a family and visiting Madrid then you must visit Parque Warner. Already open for business and celebrating 15 years to have parties with all the family and many nice rides. You will be met by Bugs Bunny and Pato Lucas (duck lucas) with music and dance routines. Here the musical Rock of Ages like a broadway show with rock’n’roll and the wild west awaits you with ballerinas of Can Can show style; and the kiddies will chose the winner of the dance of the Looney tunes. Big dance festival and choreograph routines on the streets of the park. There is the big Hollywood boulevard with the wildest gangsters of the west in the Warner Bros Studios showing 3-D movies such as «La LEGO film» , and «San Andrés». You will see spectacles such as the Loca Academia de Policia, with new vehicles and acrobats and the Gotham City Streetmosphere Show, that shows a fight between Batman and the Joker. The end of the party is with the Celebration Parade 15th Anniversary, an impressive parade to celebrate the 15 anniversary of the park with all its personages, vehicles, and theme carriages on the streets.
Some news from Spain XL March 29, 2017
The choices of Spaniards to go out on trips is mostly within Spain at 90,9% and only 9,1% outside. This is from a survey of Turismo de Residentes (ERT/Familitur) done for the INE (sp. statistical institute). On costs 68% was done in Spain while outside expenditures came to 32%; the average expenses were median of 44€ in and 96€ out. No wonder with the beauty of Spain who wants to go outside !
My Tenerife ,can claim a wonderful astronomic observatory that gave the name to many lunar mountains and a fantastic record , the biggest shadow in the world projected on the ocean ! The island inclination and closeness to the great TEIDE mountains and volcano makes it so that when the sun is rising or goes down the volcanic umbra on the water becomes the biggest triangle of shadow on Earth You can go to the top of the crater in the volcano with a guide. Other goodies in mother nature are the Parque Nacional de las Cañadas del Teide, and visiting the quaint towns of Garachico and Masca as well as the municipality of Icod de los Vinos. In this latter one you find the drago milenario, a tree and a natural attraction on the island. This tree is almost 20 meters high and is between 800 to 1000 years old. If you are older, you might remember this tree was feature on the corners of the old 1000 pesetas bill (Spain’s money before the Euro).
There you go folks, a big task but a work of love to keep the best, me think of these wonderful older posts over the years, These are what I think worth keeping of my older Some news from Spain series, and I thank you, Again, hope you enjoy this post as I.
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 