Posts

Posted on

Flamenco in Madrid

In Madrid, La Cueva De Lola is a small, unassuming, movie picturesque bar to view flamenco dancing. The show quality/price ratio was surprisingly high so i can t recommend it for an evening out. But the sangria there is not really recommendable so try to order something else for your “included” beverage in the €25 price.

Posted on

Madrid Royal Palace

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Palace_of_Madrid

A light with a soccer ball reference?
He was playing the brass rubbing instrument
There must have been lions in Spain
Juan Carlos, in the middle, abdicated for his son on the right.
A Stradivarius. There is even a Stradivarius bass on display
Posted on

San Sebastián

Very close to the French border, in Spain, and on the Atlantic, this town is a premium priced beach (by Spain standards) easy going and lovely little town. The people are Basque as is the food in some restaurants. Going back into France was slightly tricky since the train booking sites for France are not great for cross border trips especially if you have a Eurail pass as we did. Getting only the seat reservation (the rest free on the pass) was tricky, going through a third party site. But just relax and enjoy San Sebastián.

Very delicious traditional Basque food at very reasonable prices.
Pork cutlet had no sauce but was tasty.
Order at the counter for take away if you like
The beaches are very clean and nice, and crowded.
Not my idea of a beautiful arts event building.
Chorizo, smoked salmon and sangria.
Of course you need a pool on the beach?
I just sat at the elite Londres hotel cafe on the beach area pretending to be “elite, haha.
Why not a simple homemade costume? I don’t think it would be good for swimming however.
Ice cream to follow the coffee, of course.
Above is Spanish and in the middle is Basque, considered by some scholars to be the oldest language in western Europe, unrelated to others.
Great vantage point
From the train a photo of houses in a small Basque town just north of San Sebastián, all white. There must be a reason.
Posted on

Barcelona-Sagrada Familia

Like a Christmas tree
Flowers at the top
His tree imitations seem to provide enough support so flying buttresses are not necessary
The inside is pretty much finished. When I came here 13 years ago it was not.
Posted on

Barcelona-Casa Batllo

Click on the link below for information about this building; One of Gaudi’s best.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casa_Batlló

Lots of people
The building was remodeled by Gaudi. Here is the before and after models.

Neighboring building also designed by Gaudi.

Posted on

Barcelona-Gaudi-Casa Mila

the descriptions here indicate that this was Gaudi crowning achievement. This house was created for a wealthy family. You will notice his tendencies to reject straight lines, and his multiple references to different forms in nature.

Actually, this photo and the one below were taken in Portbou. This photo shows the rally for the socialist party leading up to the election a few days later.
This made me question where this games origins were
Even the ceiling corners are nonlinear
most old buildings of this era have many very small rooms, very compartmentalized. This was the dining room and the meeting room that Gaudi decided should become what we now call a “great room”.
This is casa Batlló before and after Gaudi’s remodeling
Chimneys designed as guards or warriors
Sagrada Familia in the distance
During the two hour lunch break at the train station there were only two windows open to serve over 50 people waiting to buy tickets
Posted on

Nimes (France) – Around Town

When Augustus Caesar finally took control of Egypt, Rome decided to use the Egyptian alligator and palm trees to represent the Roman empire. In the 1500s the mayor of Nimes requested from Rome permission to use the alligator and the palm trees as the symbol of the city.

Beef tartar with…
The bark of the trees around the city, just happen to have the same colors, all three, as the paint used on the wall of the hotel room. I’m sure this is not a coincidence. The French are very clever with art representations.
It wasn’t bad but it made me homesick for Chiba sushi
Both of the first two train stations we entered in France had pianos for people to play
Kids playing in the water
For my Japanese friends
This little guy rings the bell