MALAGA AND CARMEN THYSSEN MUSEUM

Carmen  Cervera, called Tita popularly, born in Barcelona 23 of April 1943, was Miss Spain in 1961, after 3 broken marrages, she married  the Baron Hans Heinrich Thyssen-Bornemiza.

He inherited a buisness empire, and a major art collection with pictures of European masters from 14th to 19th century, and after his fathers death his business were limited to art. Prefering the German expressionism, he became a real expert in painting.

Tita was his 5th wife, in 1986 several European Cities competed about housing the Thyssen-Bornemisza art museum, and her influence was desicive persuading the Baron to decide on the future of his collection and cede the collection to Spain. Opened in May 2006, near  he Prado Museum, in what is called the"Golden Triangle of Art". More than 1600 paintings in the Thyssen-Bornemisza collection, the second largest in the world, after the British Royal Collection.

In 2011 the Baroness wanted to share her private collection, she comes from a art loving family, and her husband the Baron,  educated her to be an art collector herself.  The main focus is 19th century Spainish painting, predomantly Andalusian, and finally the16th century  Baroque Palacio de Villalon was partly reconstructed for this occation. In the more than 5000 sq. m. exhibition spaces,there  are three rooms for the permanent collection and two for temporary exhibitions. Situated in Calle Compañia number 10, to the left at the end of the main street Calle Larios in the old town of Malaga.

www.carmenthyssenmalaga.org

At the moment and until 23 of April 2014, Courbet, Van Gogh, Monet, Leger. From naturalist to Avant-gardes in the Carmen Thyssen Collection.

We had a wonderful morning at the museum, then a walk along the port to La Malagueta, and back through the park, and lunch in one of the bars in the buisy old town of Malaga.

And then some shopping, Malaga has really improved, from beeing a town the inhabitants was a sort of shamed of, to make a modern but traditional south Spanish city, much of this happend since the Picasso Museo was opened 10 years ago, Congratulation Malaga!!!!! ,

The museums coffe shop.

The patio.

Design.

Some of the pictures, we had a guided visit, you get to see the art from another perspective too.

Photographs can be taken, but without flash, sometimes difficult to get the right light, but  they give you an idea.

The new promenade Muelle Uno in the port of Malaga.

Beach of Malaga.

Town Hall of Malaga.

Alcazaba and the Roman Theatre

Some tapas in the old town.

Leaving Malaga at sunset.

Again Spain is not only sun and beach, we have a lot to offer.

Have a good sunday, my man is cooking a paella tomorrow, if he lets me I will share the recipe, jejeje.

Night, night to all of you.                                                                                                                                   

ITALICA

Last weekend we went to Seville, I have a very dear friend there, and her son is my goodson, now a 19 year old boy, nearly a man , second year at university, but I love to spend some time with them.

At arrival, my friend asked us to stop in Sevilla Center, and so we did, and the best of all surprises, she took us to the roof terrace bar at EME Fusionhotel Catedral, situated in front of the Cathedral, and with spectacular views over La Giralda, we arrived about 7 pm so we had the view of sunset, and also by night, both fantastic.

Spanish Tortilla

Then we went for some drinks and tapas in the old town always with the special atmosphere, a song from Los del Rio ( light flamenco music group) the lyrics says "Sevilla tiene un color especial"            ( Seville has a special colour) and true it is.

On sunday we decided to visit Italica, city founded in 206 BC by the roman general Publius, in order to settle the roman soldiers wouded in battle during the Second Punic War. The name Italica bound the colonia to their Italian origins.

The roman emperor Trajan was born in Italica.Hadrian was generous to his settled town, it was made colonia, he added temples, including the Trajaneum, venerating Trajan, and rebuilt public buildings, Italica's amphitheater seated 25 000 spectacors, the third largest in the Roman Empire.

The citys Roman population estimated to have been 8000 .

A shift of the Guadalquivir River bed , left Italica isolated, high and dry ( if you want to visit , don't go in July or Agust).the city started to dwindle as early as the third century . Later Seville grew nearby, but no modern city covered Italica's fundations. The result is an unusually well preserved Roman city, and unexpected archeological riches are now in the Museo Arqueologico of Seville, the most famous marble coloussus of Trajan.

Italica has original cobbled streets and mosaic floors , the excavation began in 1781, and still continues. One can observe the way the Romans developed the territory, streets 8 meters wide, traffic in both directions, and wide sidewalks, the "clubs" only for gentlemen, with their termas, pools of hot (caldarium) temperate (tepidarium) cold ( frigidarium) water and dry sweating rooms (laconicum) as well as spaces to exersice, as was the costums of the Roman's. Aqueducts was build to bring water to the growing city, houses up to 4000 square meters, probably "semipublic" , and private houses all with a central patio, several public and private spaces, the houses was named after the floor ceramics all with patterns of the mythology, animals, flowers, plants and geometrics.

The city of Santiponce 9 km north of Seville also has the Roman Theatre, capacity of 3000 espectators, several cultural events in the summer in these ancient surroundings, and The Monastry of San Isidoro del Campo founded in 1301 can aslo be visited.

Have a look at ;

www.turismosantiponce.es
www.spain.info

 I hope you enjoyed this little trip in the time, Seville is full of small squares and narrow streets, The Maria Luisa Park, La Torre del Oro, La Maestranza Plaza de Toros, a walk along the Guadalquivir River, a visit to the Expo 92 area, La Cartuja, lots of traditions, street life, the prosessions in the Easter Week,  Sevillana
 ( the typical music for the dance with the same name), in April every year you have the Feria de Abril, a one week long party, everybody dressed in the flamenco way, and dancing Sevillanas, have a look here:
 ,

CASA DALI IN PORTLLIGAT

I had to do something with this,I'm so sorry, this is the first time I use my Iphone for the travel posts, and I'm not satisfied with the result, so I will revrite this, the visit at Gala and Salvador Dali's house in Portlligat is so exiting, the artist bought several fishermens houses, and made this laberintic home.They lived  there more or less permanently from 1930 until 1982 when Gala died, and the artist moved to the Pubol Castle.
Here the visit goes through their more private part of the residence, on the ground floor, and on the first floor the studio with lots of objects related with the artistic activity, and the outside areas dedicated to their public life.

You can feel the genius all the time, during the visit.

Hall o the bear.

Portlligat fishing boats, the day was a little between sun and rain, but the temperature was fine.

Tree in boat at the beach.

Outside  ish sculpture.

The kitchen.

Detail from the kitchen.

This is a small window in a staircase, looking into the kitchen, this make you feel how  houses was built together by steps to comunicate the dierent levels.

The birds room, and library.

Outsides with wonderul views.

Gala modelling.

Their bed room.

Detail from the bedroom.

Dali's bath room-

From Dali's studio.

Here you can see the huge tripod, invented by Dali himself, and take a look at the floor, there is a groove so he could hoist his canvases up and down, and always sit on the same place painting.

Galas private living room.

Bottle.

Summer dining room.

Detail from summer dining room.

Here is my man .

Pigeon House.

Egg on the roof.

Cup Planter.

Could be a disco decoration of today.

The pool.

Pool side details.

Light-house lamp in the middle.

Plastic Michelin man and my grandmother's swan vases.

The pool side invites to stay.

Wiew of the house and  the Portlligat beach.

From the house.

Christ of the rubbish.

Window in the wall wiew.

www.salvador-dali.org

This was a rich personal and professional visit, as a home designer I saw so many curious details, all the way the mix between old and new,the modern and the classic, the symmethry is often repeted, very inspiring indeed. I you are in the area of Barcelona or Gerona, take the trip here, and Cadaques is such a nice village