This is yours truly with another episode of some news from Spain !!! Lots of things going on This is Spain, let me tell you my latest news chosen by yours truly, By the way CLXXIII is old Roman numeral for 173, Hope you enjoy this post as I.
The Bardenas Reales, a semi desert at the foot of the Pyrenees. In northern Spain stretches a stunning steppe, with colorful mountains, vertiginous canyons, and windswept plateaus. A veritable European Western setting, frequented by griffon vultures and fighter jets. There, Daenerys landed her dragon. Here, Michael Fassbender tried to smuggle drugs. A little further on, Terry Gilliam saw his Don Quixote dreams go up in smoke, drowned in the worst floods the region had ever seen. The reason the series Game of Thrones (2011-2019), the film The Counselor (Ridley Scott, 2013), and the documentary Lost in La Mancha (Keith Fulton and Louis Pepe, 2002) were all filmed here, in the Bardenas Reales Natural Park and Biosphere Reserve in Navarra, 70 km from the French border, is that this magnificent and vast natural setting has a completely unexpected Wild West feel at these latitudes. This wind is the cierzo, a cool, dry wind that is said to blow one day out of three and, reaching speeds of 20 or 30 KPH, can leave cyclists stranded. He is the principal sculptor of this landscape: mountains colored and smoothed by erosion, mesas (small plateaus) all planed down, gypsum columns with slender forms defying the laws of balance, canyons suddenly opening up beneath your feet, bare plains dotted I drove by it on a memorable road warrior trails of my dear Spain, The Navarra region tourist office on the Bardenas Reales: https://www.visitnavarra.es/en/bardenas-reales
The Prado Museum celebrates photographs that tell its story as works of art. An exhibition brings together part of a collection of nearly 11,000 images, including reproductions of rooms, paintings, and artists from the museum. These are part of the exhibition “The Prado Multiplied: Photography as Shared Memory,” installed in a small room where the environmental conditions have been adapted to house the collection of Drawings, Prints, and Photographs; these other “44 works of art.” The Prado began systematically photographing its works in the 1860s. For info it has started again offering free admission on Sundays! The official Prado museum on photos: https://www.museodelprado.es/en/coleccion/dibujos-estampas-y-fotografia
The Thyssen museum invites you to step into a Robert Rauschenberg painting , The museum joins the celebration of the centenary of the artist’s birth with an installation that reconstructs his creative process. His celebrated combine paintings, which redefined the limits of sculpture and served as a bridge between abstract expressionism and American pop art, were just one stage in the career of a multifaceted artist who never tired of changing his style. When he mastered a process, he abandoned it and moved on to something else. He eliminated the boundaries between disciplines; in addition to combining painting with sculpture, collage, and objects found in the streets of New York, he experimented with screen printing, tried his hand at photography, and, from the 1950s onward, found his great passion in dance. Express, one of the masterpieces of that period, is the only work by the celebrated artist belonging to the Thyssen Museum in Madrid, and this year the museum has chosen to celebrate it with an installation: Rauschenberg: Express. In Motion. What the museum is presenting, and which will be open to the public from February 3 to May 24, 2026 is part of the international commemoration of the centenary of the artist’s birth, which the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation has been promoting since last year with various activities around the world. The Thyssen’s offering is, in reality, a small and simple installation in room 48 that primarily showcases in-depth research aimed at reconstructing the artist’s creative process. The official Thyssen museum on Express: https://www.museothyssen.org/en/collection/artists/rauschenberg-robert/express
On the night of May 17, 1793, a resident of Coruña del Conde climbed to the top of the castle hill and launched himself into the void piloting a small plane he had built from iron, wood, and birds of prey feathers. Diego Marín Aguilera, as the ingenious man from Burgos was called, flew low, but he flew 431 Castilian varas, about 360 meters, and didn’t go further because the anchor of one wing broke, because his fellow villagers immediately burned the invention, and because the Inquisition belatedly blessed the charred remains. Today, a monument pays homage to that pioneer of Castilian aviation at the entrance to the town, standing directly opposite a statue of El Cid, who also flew over here in 1081 on his way into exile. Of course, El Cid did it on horseback, and back then Coruña del Conde, in the Ribera del Duero region, wasn’t yet called that, but rather Cluña, Crunnia, Crunna, Cruña, or Curuña all names derived from Clunia Sulpicia, the important Roman city whose remains carpet another hill of the town, the Alto de Castro. The town of Coruña del Conde on its heritage: https://www.corunadelconde.es/lugares-de-interes
The castle of Peñaranda de Duero. Its keep houses the Castle Interpretation Center, with five floors and seven rooms that recount how people lived, fought, and died in each of them. The best part, without a doubt, is the view from the roof, which offers an almost bird’s-eye view of this exemplary medieval town, with its walls and two gates, its imposing palace and church in the center, and its traditional adobe houses with timber framing surrounding them. It’s rare to find a house without a wine cellar, complete with its own wine press and characteristic air vents. Beneath the City/Town Hall lies the Cárcel wine cellar, open to visitors, where you can then sample a wine from the local Santa Ana cooperative. A short distance away, in the splendid Plaza Mayor, stand the former Collegiate Church of Santa Ana, the monumental pillory, and the Renaissance palace of the Counts of Miranda. The latter, also known as the Avellaneda Palace, is currently closed for renovations: it will be converted into one of the luxury hotels of the Castilla Termal chain. The town of Peñaranda de Duero: https://www.penarandadeduero.es/
Miguel de Unamuno: 90 Years of the Mystery of a Death No One Has Been Able to Solve‘Unamuno’s Last Case,’ a novel exploring the dilemma of the final months of the Spanish intellectual’s life. Meanwhile, the process to exhume his remains continues. The Casa del Libro on the book: https://www.casadellibro.com/libro-el-ultimo-caso-de-unamuno/9788410496897/17494810
The Pyrenees are one of Spain’s most prized natural landscapes, and in winter, one of the most sought-after destinations for ski enthusiasts. At the heart of this imposing mountain range lies Huesca, (see post) a province of contrasts, home to five alpine ski resorts and several cross-country ski resorts. About 100 km from the city, and very close to the French border, is Candanchú, inaugurated in 1928. It was the first ski resort to open in Spain, and also the first to offer courses, more than 60 years ago. With its steep and rugged mountains, it offers four areas for skiers, including the Pista Grande, perfect for beginners. The highest point for skiing is Tuca Blanca, at 2,400 meters above sea level. Formigal and Panticosa merged several years ago to become the largest ski resort in the country, offering 180 km of skiable terrain for all levels. This paradise allows you to explore up to six valleys in the Pyrenees, and even offers night skiing and snowboarding. It’s a favorite among younger skiers, as it boasts one of the most sought-after après-ski spots in the country, Marchica. In the Benasque Valley, the most alpine of the Pyrenees and home to the highest mountains in the Pyrenees and the Iberian Peninsula, such as Aneto, at 3,404 meters, lies the Cerler ski resort. It offers 79 km of skiable terrain with slopes for all levels, as well as a snowpark and a snowmobile circuit. Expert skiers will find the province’s highest peak here, Pico del Gallinero, at 2,630 meters, and also the country’s longest run, stretching 9 kilometers from the peak to the village of Cerler. In addition to alpine skiing, Huesca offers cross-country skiing in various locations such as Linza, with its 7.5 km of trails at the head of the Ansó Valley. Nearby, in the Hecho Valley, is the Gabardito circuit, which winds through pine forests, beech groves, and natural meadows. The Panticosa Spa, with a trail around the lake, and Llanos del Hospital, with up to 30 kilometers of trails, are other excellent cross-country skiing spots.
The Skiresort site on ski stations in Huesca: https://www.skiresort.info/ski-resorts/huesca/
Immerse yourself in Madrid’s Finnish Forest, or Bosque Finlandés which holds a secret from ‘Don Quixote’ The Los Batanes Estate in the town of Rascafría brings together the Scandinavian country with Miguel de Cervantes himself. The 58 hectares of this land, located in the heart of the Lozoya Valley, encompass valuable natural spaces and a rich history. Los Batanes was one of the quarters into which, in the 14C, the properties of the Carthusian Order of Santa María del Paular, the first Carthusian monastery in Castile, were divided. Founded by the Royal House of Trastámara in 1390, it was one of the most important monasteries in Spain and a testament to the social, economic, and religious power of the Carthusian order during the Middle Ages. Within the same territorial boundaries of Los Batanes, and several centuries later, in 1992, the so-called Bosque Finlandés or Finnish Forest was created. A general assembly of the Federation of Natural and National Parks of Europe in the Finnish city of Korpilampi, two hundred bottles of Rioja wine, and several specimens of red fir donated by a Finnish nursery to the Peñalara Natural Park were the seeds of this spectacular landscape in the Sierra de Guadarrama, (see post) created in the image and likeness of the typical forests of northern Europe.
The route begins at the Los Cascajales parking area in Rascafría, within the town limits, from where a track leads across the Lozoya River. On the other side, we turn left and follow the river upstream to the famous Puente del Pérdon or Bridge of Forgiveness, built in the first half of the 18C to facilitate access from the Paular Monastery to the mill. After crossing the bridge, we find the entrance gate to Los Batanes. We continue along the so-called Camino del Papel or Paper Trail, the path used by the Carthusian monks to transport paper from the mill to the monastery, which leads us through poplar groves to the Finnish Forest. Upon returning to the starting point, we can visit, again crossing the Bridge of Forgiveness, the El Paular Valley Visitor Center, the Monastery, and the Giner de los Ríos Arboretum, dedicated since 2002 to the educator and father of Guadarrama mountaineering, and home to nearly 200 species of trees from various parts of the world. Los Batanes and the Finnish Forest. Circular route. Distance: 4.3 km. You can reach it by metro and bus for about 2h30 they said, but with a car is about 1h20 taking the M30 beltway to connect with the A1 highway dir Burgos to exit Salida 69 to connect with the M604 road dir Rascafria on Calle de Abelardo Gallego bear left onto crossing Puente del Perdon over the Lozoya river ,then quickly bar left again to the embarcadero or embarkment and see panels, The Sierra de Guadarrama on the Bosque Finlandés: https://sierradelguadarrama.com/el-bosque-finlandes-de-rascafria/
A Tour of Gaudí’s Barcelona on the Gaudí Year The Gaudí Year, we will not only see the Sagrada Familia completed, when the temple’s pinnacle is revealed in June 2026. We will also have a wealth of opportunities to discover the deeper, more hidden dimension of Gaudí, even behind his most famous works. A spectacular wrought-iron dragon guards no 7 Avenidad Pedralbes. It is the entrance to the Güell Pavilions, which Gaudí designed in 1884. At the time, they concealed a fabulous 30-hectare estate. Hence, the master drew inspiration from the Garden of the Hesperides, as described by Verdaguer in his poem Atlàntida. This year, visitors can also see the interior, previously closed to the public, and contemplate the first example of one of the techniques that would come to define Gaudí: the famous trencadís. Another dazzling wrought-iron gate opens the doors to the Teresian College at Carrer de Ganduxer, 85-105, his first building with religious symbolism, which we can also visit this year. Curiously, it still has the same use and owner as when he built it. Inside, a forest of imperfect columns takes your breath away. So do the galleries of parabolic arches that transform with the changing light of the day. Outside, another quintessential Gaudí element pierces the sky: the four-armed cross, the same one that would crown the Sagrada Familia, and which Gaudí used here for the first time. The Bellesguard Tower at Bellesguard, 16 stands on the site of the last fortress of King Martin I, the last monarch of the Catalan dynasty. Four major exhibitions are planned, showcasing entirely new material: previously unknown, unpublished content that has never before been open to the public. One of the most anticipated exhibitions is titled “Gaudí Code.” This immersive exhibition, will use 3D augmented reality glasses to reveal some of Gaudí’s most famous works, as well as others he only ever designed, in a surprising way. The project will open in the last quarter of 2026. El Mundo newspaper on Gaudi’s Code: https://www.mundoamerica.com/news/2026/02/02/6980cef2fdddffe8648b458e.html
The official Gaudi Council on the program Gaudi 2026: https://consellantonigaudi.cat/es/programa-2026/
At no 18 Calle Echegaray , there’s a passageway that doesn’t appear on any map. Behind the counter of an old liquor store, a secret door leads to a bar that completely transforms itself every year. Here, every 365 days, a new country takes over, and after immersing itself in Mexico, India, Colombia, and Brazil, Calle 365 Madrid is now a little piece of Puerto Rico in the heart of the Barrio de las Letras ( see post). Upon entering, Calle 365 transforms into the Mirador de San Felipe del Morro, inspired by the fortress in San Juan, the capital of Puerto Rico, and a graffiti mural pays homage to La Perla, the city’s most iconic urban art neighborhood. The club is filled with high tables with windows that evoke the island’s colorful houses and also features a food truck serving the tripleta, one of the country’s most popular sandwiches with three types of meat and cheese. In addition, the bar boasts a rum bar as a tribute to the tradition of sugarcane and rum. The cultural exchange is not limited to gastronomy; there will also be a weekly program full of activities to experience the Puerto Rican spirit: on Mondays, salsa classes will be given at 19h with a specialized instructor; on Wednesdays, there will be a language exchange with piña coladas to loosen up; Thursdays are dedicated to reggaeton and karaoke; and on Sundays, there will be live music featuring congas. The official Calle 365 Madrid : https://calle365madrid.com/
There you go folks, another dandy tour of my dear Spain.It is time to enjoy my some news from Spain once again, Remember,Spain is everything under the Sun ! A very special post, always remember where it all begin, it is you ! Again, hope you enjoy the post as I.
And remember ,happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 