Archive for 'Curiosities in Spain'

At the core of the twisting streets and alleys of Barcelona's medieval Jewish Quarter, within the Gothic Quarter of the city, there is a very special cafe. A must for seasoned foodies who have found a vacation rental in Barcelona and are looking to explore the palate of the city.

This cafe is Caelum, meaning “heaven” in Latin, which is stocked with a treasure trove of unique delicacies that are sourced from and made in monasteries all around Europe. Comprised of a store and a cafe, there is a vast array of products like sweets, pastries, jams, beers, biscuits, scented candles and more the are all made by a different religious community that specialising in the careful artisanal production of an item.

If you like incredible museums and great views then you need to find a vacation rental in Barcelona and take a day trip to the seaside beautiful town of Sitges, where you will find the rather special Maricel Museum.

The Maricel Museum, or Museu de Maricel, is located in the Maricel Palace and traces its origins to 1969, when the Barcelona Provincial Corporation bought the building to house the collection of Doctor Jesús Pérez-Rosales, who had been a well known gynaecologist and an avid art collector. The museum was then opened to the public in 1970, with over 3,000 items on display, including Romanesque murals, Gothic paintings on wood, Renaissance carvings and altarpieces, sculptures, items of furniture, precious metals, ceramics, porcelain and many works that chart Spanish art from the 12th century to the 20th century. In 1995 the Maricel Museum was also made home to the "Vila de Sitges" collection of art, about fifty works by local Sitges in the 19th and 20th centuries.

If you book a vacation rental in Málaga and are exploring the city, then a visit to the Alcazaba of Málaga is a must. A fortress-palace and an Arabic citadel, it is a beloved historical monument in the city and one of the best places to take in a wonderful view over Málaga. An architectural gem, steeped in history, and utterly beautiful, it is an inexpensive attraction to visit but provides an incredible bang for its buck.

One enters the grounds next to the Roman amphitheatre and then takes a meandering path uphill, wandering past lush greenery, rich red bougainvillea, palm trees high overhead, fragrant jasmine bushes and rows of orange trees. Then there is the building itself; light-coloured stone, thick walls, imposing and, yet, beautiful at the same time, with delicately pointed ogive arches, patios taking in wonderful views and little gardens and pools dotted around.

Joan Miró was born into a family of goldsmiths and watchmakers in the Barri Gòtic neighborhood of Barcelona. He began drawing classes at the age of seven at a private school and, at 14, he enrolled at the fine art academy of La Llotja and later studied at the Cercle Artístic de Sant Lluc. In 1918, at 25, he had his first show at the Galeries Dalmau, which was widely ridiculed. Sensing his work would not be appreciated fully at home, he moved to become part of the flourishing Fauve and Cubist scenes in Montparnasse, continuing to summer in Catalonia. In Paris, Hemingway became an early fan and Miró became part of the Surrealist group. In the following decades, he moved between different genres and artistic styles and became a lauded name in the art world.

A post shared by Jose David Arribas (@jdarribas) on Nov 24, 2017 at 3:17pm PST

The beautiful city of Madrid is full of things to see and do from incredible museums and galleries to great places to eat and from wonderful views to architectural gems. Like all places, in addition to the traditional tourist attractions and things to do, there are little curiosities and oddities to be discovered all over the city. One of these is the “la abuela rockera”, a very special statue in the neighbourhood of Vallecas. Just find a vacation rental in Madrid and come discover this unique memorial for yourself.