Museo Nacional Del Prado is a national Spanish art museum in Madrid and it has the finest, or one of the finest collections of European art from the 12:th century all the way to the early 20:th century. It is based on what was the Royal Spanish art collection and it has the finest collection of Spanish art in the world. The museum was founded in 1821 and it is one of the larger museums in Spain. Francisco Goya is the artist that is most represented in the museum but there are many others such as, El Greco, Hieronymus Bosch, Pieter Paul Rubens, Diego Velázquez and countless works of other great artists.
If you plan on visiting more than one museum of the Museo Nacional’s in Spain an annual card might make sense, it can be bought at the ticket office and the cost in August 2017 is €36.06 and that gives you unlimited entries to a list of museums across Spain for a year, follow this link to see the list.
Ticket purchasing area at the Prado.Francisco Goya, painter/printmaker and one of the most important and influential Spanish artists of the late 18:th and early 19:th century.Entrance hall of the Prado museum, with the marble sculpture The Defence of Zaragoza (1818-1825) by José Álvarez Cubero in the back to the right.Charles V and the Fury, Bronze – Italian school 1564.
A copy of a statue of Charles V from the courtyard at the Alcazar in Toledo is placed in one of the rotundas in the Prado. It shows Charles V as a warrior stepping on Fury represented by a man in chains with an angry look full of hatred. This is to show that Charles V as a Christian hero bringing peace to his people. Here is the original at the Alcazar of Toledo:
Original statue of Charles V and the Fury, at the Alcazar of Toledo.Museo Nacional Del Prado gift shop, exit here!
Bryan Ferry performing at the Hollywood Bowl on Saturday August 26 2017
Bryan Ferry and his orchestra together with the Los Angeles Philharmonics was performing at the Hollywood Bowl on Saturday August 26 2017. Bryan Ferry was born in England on September 26 1945, he turns 72 this year in September. He was born in Washington County Durham, close to Newcastle upon Tyne – where incidentally another great performer was born, Eric Burdon. Bryan was born into a working class family, his father was a farm laborer. Bryan attended a Technical school and went on to eventually study fine art at the University of Newcastle. He moved to London in 1968 to pursue a career in music and initially upon arriving in London he worked as a Pottery teacher before becoming a full time performer.
Bryan Ferry at the keyboard
Bryan Ferry still has his soothing crooner voice and is as good as he ever was. It was noticeable that as the show went on it got better and better. The performance at the Hollywood Bowl marked the ending of the U.S. tour. It is really great to hear the hits from the Roxy Music period performed live, such as ‘Avalon’ and ‘Love is the drug’. But there were many other tunes that also captured the audience’s attention, and of course the Hollywood Bowl is really the perfect setting for a performer like Bryan Ferry When you add the LA Philharmonics to his band, then greatness is the only result possible!
The light show at the Bowl is greatCrazy lightsVelvet ending
Tabarca Island off the Costa Blanca seen from the sea.
Tabarca Island is situated just off the Costa Blanca in the Alicante region of Spain. It is the smallest year round inhabited island in Spain and it is home to a large marine reserve. The island has a population of 68 people, but during the tourist season this swells considerably as there are quite a few ferries arriving throughout the day, the closest coming from Santa Pola (shorter distance at sea, about 20 mins) and others from the town of Alicante (about an hour trip at €19 r/t in August 2017). you can find some more information on the Alicante boats at the Cruceros Kontiki website here.
Kontiki III at the dock in Alicante
The friendly crew onboard any of the Kontiki boats are happy to take you out to the beautiful island of Tabarca, the bar onboard serves cold beer – have one to improve your sea-legs! Follow this link to the Kontiki Cruises (Cruceros Kontiki) website for more information.
Leaving the Alicante harbor for TabarcaApproaching Tabarca on the boat
The Tabarca island or as it is also known, Nueva Tabarca or Isla Plana it is about 5,700′ long (about 1,700m) and at it’s widest point it is just under 1,000′ (about 300m) wide. Up until the end of the 18:th century it was a refuge for Barbary pirates. Barbary pirates were African based pirates that raided and plundered the coastal towns of the Western Mediterranean. They also ventured further out into the world, but this was their main area of operation. In 1760 Charles III of Spain ordered the fortification of the island and he also ordered it to be repopulated. When a Genoese ship manned by sailors who came mainly from the namesake island (Tabarka) off the coast of Tunisia which was part of the Republic of Genoa until 1741 shipwrecked off the island, the sailors were rescued and eventually settled on the island together with a Spanish garrison sent to defend the island. It was officially renamed Nueva Tabarca in 1770 and the island was fortified. At one time the island had as many as 1,000 inhabitants, mainly fishermen. The Italian heritage can still be noticed in that many last names are still decidedly of Italian origin.
Looking out over the small crafts in the harbor on TabarcaThe Kontiki boat at the dock on TabarcaThe Kontiki brings provisions to Tabarca and there is a frenetic activity when the boat arrivesThe signpost is there so you will know your way around the island…Look at it as a piece of public art…Since the islands was inhabited to protect the Costa Blanca from invaders the small town is walled in.One of the few ‘streets’ on the island.Sign in a window.One of the nice swimming coves on the island.
The island is home to the first marine preserve in Spain, created in 1986 to protect birds and aquatic life. The waters are clear and unpolluted which makes it a great environment for all kinds of marine wild life. It is notable that this was the last place in Spain where the endangered Mediterranean monk seal was successfully bread, unfortunately despite these efforts the species became extinct in this area in the 1960’s. Currently (in 2016) an estimated population of less than 700 Mediterranean monk seals remain in a few other locations, mainly in the Aegean sea. An artificial reef was put in place near the island by the marine reserve authorities to protect it from fishing and to increase the marine biodiversity of the island.
The prettiest barmaid on Tabarca is ready to serve you a nice cold beverage at Isla Bonita Beach Club.
There are many places to have a cold beverage at on the island, the best in our opinion is at Isla Bonita Beach Club at Plaza Grande on the island of Tbarca, here is a link to their facebook page. They also serves food and the environment is great, go there for drinks and food, and of course the prettiest barmaid…
You get a nicely chilled glass for your beer at Isla Bonita Beach ClubNature on the island, low slung vegetation of course – it is a windswept island with little shelter for the plants
The island is mainly volcanic rock with limestone and deposits from the Quaternary (the current and most recent of the three Cenozoic periods) time period.
Tabarca fort , it looks like a pyramid with the top cut off from a distance and is one of the landmarks of the island distinguishable from afarCloser look at the old fort
Panoramic view from the castle out over the harbor and the mediterranean sea
On top of the 166m high mount Benacantil in the centre of Alicante on the Costa Blanca coast region of Spain sits a Muslim built castle that dates to the 9th century when the Muslims controlled the Iberian peninsula. It is called Castillo de Santa Bárbara.
Sign to the elevator up to the top of the castle on the road below
The castle has an elevator up to the top, it €2.70 roundtrip in August 2017 and it takes you to the top (stop 2) or you can stop at stop 1 where there is a museum with items about the Castle but also with other times from the area such as artifacts found in excavations around Alicante province. The elevator use is free between 1 and 2. You can also chose to trek up the walkway, but it is steep and if the weather is warm, it is quite a workout!
The 166m high mount Benacantil in the centre of Alicante from the sea.Medieval looking soldier with an Armbrust standing guard at the castle.View from the castle down towards the harbor area 166 m below.Part of the walkway up to the castle.
