Dalí in the Suburbs
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Mac
Nov 15, 2010, 7:32:49 PM11/15/10
to Travel Spain
Salvador Dalí on What's My Line? Advertising brandy, chocolate, Alka-
Selzer? Do any of you Americans of a certain age remember these?
"Lunes cerrado" sent us out to the Plaza Castilla, where the two
towers of the Puerta de Europa lean alarmingly in to a new golden
pencil, and the Fundacion Canal de Isabel II was housing an exhibition
of Dalí the illustrator, reinterpreting and deforming the works of
Rabelais, Goya and La Fontaine. All this was unlikely enough
(eccentricity multiplied, in a gallery founded by a company named for
a water system and a nymphomaniac queen), but all was trumped by the
short film depicting the 1950s (?) television features. I haven't
laughed so much for ages - Dalí was undoubtedly the supreme 20th
century comedian.
But what else to do on "closed Monday"? Nothing for it but to get
into walking mode, so it's Plaza de Vila, Cathedral de Almudena (what
on earth is the huge building being constructed to the west of the
cathedral - it partly blocks off the view from across the river - not
necessarily a bad thing?), Puente de Segovia, Rio Manzanares, Príncipe
Pío, the Templo de Debod basking on its hill in the evening sun,
guarded by two police on huge, calm beautiful horses, and Don Quixote
and Sancho shadowed by the tall buildings round the Plaza de España.
Phew!
Something is going on at the Valle de los Caidos. Mrs Mac, who has
watched more television than me, informs me that numbers at the weekly
open'air masses are increasing exponentially (normally 50, yesterday
3000). The Basilica is "closed for repairs", but a groundswell of
protest is building up, and they don't all seem to be ageing
Francoists. It may all come to a head next week, the anniversary of
the Generalissimo's death. We plan to be in the area.
¡Mira este espacio!
Mac
Selzer? Do any of you Americans of a certain age remember these?
"Lunes cerrado" sent us out to the Plaza Castilla, where the two
towers of the Puerta de Europa lean alarmingly in to a new golden
pencil, and the Fundacion Canal de Isabel II was housing an exhibition
of Dalí the illustrator, reinterpreting and deforming the works of
Rabelais, Goya and La Fontaine. All this was unlikely enough
(eccentricity multiplied, in a gallery founded by a company named for
a water system and a nymphomaniac queen), but all was trumped by the
short film depicting the 1950s (?) television features. I haven't
laughed so much for ages - Dalí was undoubtedly the supreme 20th
century comedian.
But what else to do on "closed Monday"? Nothing for it but to get
into walking mode, so it's Plaza de Vila, Cathedral de Almudena (what
on earth is the huge building being constructed to the west of the
cathedral - it partly blocks off the view from across the river - not
necessarily a bad thing?), Puente de Segovia, Rio Manzanares, Príncipe
Pío, the Templo de Debod basking on its hill in the evening sun,
guarded by two police on huge, calm beautiful horses, and Don Quixote
and Sancho shadowed by the tall buildings round the Plaza de España.
Phew!
Something is going on at the Valle de los Caidos. Mrs Mac, who has
watched more television than me, informs me that numbers at the weekly
open'air masses are increasing exponentially (normally 50, yesterday
3000). The Basilica is "closed for repairs", but a groundswell of
protest is building up, and they don't all seem to be ageing
Francoists. It may all come to a head next week, the anniversary of
the Generalissimo's death. We plan to be in the area.
¡Mira este espacio!
Mac
Roger Warwick
Dec 12, 2010, 9:56:44 AM12/12/10
to trave...@googlegroups.com
Hi all
There's an article today in El País about the building Mac was asking
about below.
Article: http://goo.gl/Bq9Sp
It's the new "Museo de Colecciones Reales" or Museum of Royal
Collections, which is planned to open in 2014 and will house the
State's collection of tapestries and other "objets d'art"
Roger.
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