Posts Tagged ‘Spain’

Postcards From Valencia: Something New

September 2nd, 2010

The historic center of Valencia was certainly my favorite part, but I have to showcase some of the amazing architecture that’s a bit newer. As you travel further along the Jardines de Turia, the tone moves from sports and gardens to art & culture, which are housed in buildings that are stunning in their own right. Art, science, music, oceanography and history all have homes in the complex.

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An overview of the City of Arts & Sciences (aka Ciudad de las Artes y de las Ciencias).

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The finest in Cylon architecture –

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The Hemispheric.

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A side view of El Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía

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L’Oceanogràfic in the back (largest aquarium/Oceanography park in Europe) and El Puente de l’Assut de l’Or – a bridge with only a single pillar, using enormous cables for support.

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El Museu de les Ciències Príncipe Felipe – built to resemble the skeleton of a whale.

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Postcards From Valencia: Something Old

August 31st, 2010

Valencia was one of my favorite cities in Europe. It was beautiful from one end to the other. The only frustration for me was the propensity for them to plant TREES everywhere, making unobstructed photos quite a challenge. Damn you, Valencia, and your dedication to greenery!

The city has some marvelous features, including buildings ranging from ancient towers like the Torres Serrano and Torres Quart, beautiful plazas, churches, government offices and even some amazing banks.

A few of my favorites:

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Mercado Cento – the main market in town for purchasing fresh (really fresh) meats and vegetables. Some of the beauty of this part of Spain comes from the use of tile and ceramics in the exterior of buildings. The market is one of the best examples of this.

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Inside the market. I thought about buying a rabbit on a spit, but they wouldn’t let me start an open flame in our hotel.

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Placa de adjutament – one of the main plazas in the city and the home to many of the government offices for Valencia.

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The most impressive piece I saw was this carved alabaster entryway at Palau del Marqués de Dosaigües, which houses the ceramic museum.

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One of the best features of Valencia is the Jardines de Turia park. The Turia river was prone to floods, so in 1957 they decided to divert the river outside of town. With the space that was left, they created a wonderful park with several kilometers of gardens, sports facilities, jogging and cycling paths, playgrounds, fountains and ponds.

 

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Nighttime shot of the Placa de Adjutament.

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Brain Drops VIII: Random Edition

August 29th, 2010
  • People who cover themselves in body paint then stand motionless for photos in public squares make me nostalgic for the interactivity of mimes.
  • The restroom in the Irun train station has a condom machine. I can’t even begin to understand why that’s necessary. Is train sex THAT frequent? Shit, why don’t I speak better Spanish? Donde esta la tren con mucho sex?
  • With all the busking that goes on in Paris, I was shocked that no one had packed a jacket onto his shoulder to play the “hunchback” at Notre Dame. So I did. There’s a fortune to be made.IMGP0903
  • People who talk on the phone in the restroom disturb me and it’s accentuated when it’s into a bluetoooth earpiece and in a foreign language because you have no idea what they might be saying or if they’re actually talking to a person and not their genitalia.
  • I can appreciate the cultural tradition of kisses on the cheek as a friendly gesture in France, but it looks weird when police officers with machine guns greet each other like that.
  • There’s a woman who just passed me wearing orange tights, a short blue skirt and an orange tee. She’s one mask away from being a superhero.
  • Reason #437 I love Europe: I walked into a small store to buy something to drink. When I stepped through the door, the shop owner literally ran from the back room with a piece of watermelon, put it in my hand, saying “have this! Please, it’s so sweet and delicious!”
  • Just saw a guy dump his fries on his burger like an additional topping. #realmenofgenius
  • Isn’t a metal detector at a night club in Madrid pointless? It’s not physically possible for anyone in those outfits to have a weapon concealed somewhere.

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Confessions of a Cultural Idiot Part 2: Learn

March 14th, 2010

This is part 2 of a four part series, in which I chastise myself for past experiences and give advice on fixing myself for future travels. Yes, I can give myself advice without being crazy. If you’d like to catch up, you can read Part 1: Eat Stuff.

Lesson #2 for cultural idiots: Don’t just take photos, take inspiration.

I’m setting up a contest on the site called “Identify This Photo.” Because I need serious help with about 7,000 photos that are a total mystery to me. Seriously, I don’t even think I took most of them. My working theory is that they just came with the camera like that generic family in a new picture frame. You may not know them, but damn, they sure look pretty.

Do you know where this is? Me neither.

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Da Bulls and Da Beers

March 12th, 2010

Imagine my surprise when I found that Pamplona was not filled with City Slicker style midlife crisis types and crazy people. It was MTV’s Spring Break in Spanish. Immediately upon our 6am train arrival we saw drunk 20-somethings in parks throughout town, passed out and scattered with the trash.

The running of the bulls was fascinating, though somewhat less than the Hollywood version of it. Only 6 wild bulls make the run, along with a few more trained to guide them on their way. After seeing it, I regretted not having the cojones to have done  it myself.

In the arena after the running

Once the run is complete the stands fill with people tempting fate further

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