Posted by Katrin on July 1st, 2007 — Posted in Art, Bars, Travel
Last year I blogged about Madrid, which has mysteriously vanished and got lost somewhere in the Matrix… Pictures and text was safely stored on my computer though, so here it is again:
Hola Madrid!
Last weekend I was lucky enough to fly to Madrid. It was my first time in Spain (if you leave out one childhood vacation which I don’t remember at all) and I felt very adventurous. Mostly because I am not used to being in a country whose language I don’t speak and it is such a weird feeling when you can’t communicate. You become very good in smiling and pointing though.
We were visiting friends who live right in the centre. The first night we went out to explore the tapas bars in their area. I might not have to stress how fantastic these were and can just leave it up to your imagination. But just in case: They were FANTASTIC! Mostly because there were only locals around us since tourists often don’t find their way into the regular living areas of a city. In the first one we had tostas which are similar to tapas but they are mostly all on a piece of baguette so you can eat them easily while standing and holding your glass of wine. You just keep ordering what you like and tell the waiter later what you had.
Then we went on to the next bar where we had our first Serrano Ham (there was lots more to come) and octopus which was delicious. It was a very buzzing atmosphere, everybody was enjoying a glass of wine and talking.On Saturday we started to explore the city. When I don’t have much time in one place I like to have just a general idea about where to go and then stroll around.
Madrid is certainly a good place to do that! Just start walking and see what lies ahead!
We also wanted to explore the shopping possibilities, after all Christmas is coming up. The inner city is very good for shopping and if you prefer to have it all under one roof try the department store El Corte Inglés. There are different ones around and if you are looking for presents this is a good place to go. We also bought a paella pan along with tapas plates and bistrot wine glasses for ourselves there.
El Corte Inglés
Hermosilla, 112
28009 Madrid
We didn’t have much luck with the weather, but that gives you just another excuse to go in somewhere and try more specialities. In the afternoon we were quite exhausted and felt like having a coffee somewhere. We came across this absolutely packed place which can be described as a tapas bar just for coffee and cakes. You stand at the bar, order your coffee and point to any of the little white dishes with a variety of cakes on them. They had a sitting room upstairs but that was full already and we were happy anyway to be in the middle of the buzz. Definitely a must-try-when-in-Madrid!
La Mallorquina, S.L.
Puerta del Sol, 8
Mayor, 2
Phone: 91 521 12 01
After having dinner in the inner city our host promised to show us two bars he liked. Both of them are quite hidden and you have to know where they are, otherwise you might walk by without noticing.
The first one was absolutely fabulous, my Dry Martini was superb and the setting couldn’ have been more amazing. It seemed to be an old theater and the bar is on the stage with a wide open space above you instead of a sealing! There was a sitting area as well which must have been the stalls of the theater once. You stand up there at the bar overlooking the rest. Who would have thought as the simple outside looked like this:
The second one was a Cuban bar which was different but very good as well. You actually had to walk into a regular appartment building and then find the bar at the first floor. Very smokey as I imagine cuban bars to be, and a very lively atmosphere. If you walk by a front door like this, it might be worth checking out the first floor:
Unfortunately I promised not to reveal their destinations, so they will remain special.
On Sunday we took a stroll in the park and headed towards the Prado Museum. It is free on Sundays and was packed in a very casual, relaxed way. I liked that but it also made me not want to stay very long because there are so many people moving around and standing in front of you. If you are in
Madrid and want to go choose another date, what you see is definitely worth the EUR 6,-!
I wanted to see Goya’s Maya which is brilliant. Or both of them I should say as you see here dressed on one and undressed on the other one. And then Las Meninas by Velasquez blew me away!
Museo Nacional Del Prado
Paseo del Prado s/n.
28014 Madrid
Phone: 91 330 28 00
And full of all these impressions we headed back home to London!
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Posted by Tom on June 17th, 2007 — Posted in Art, Travel
On a recent trip to San Francisco I had the chance to experience two different hotels. One was the usual business hotel although with a nice, young and stylish twist but the other one was a true San Franciscan delight: Hotel des Arts at 447 Bush Street.
Curiously enough the website “warned” me that the Hotel des Arts does not offer the same level of comfort than other hotels in the chain. But it was one of 5 staff picks in the Lonely Planet guide and these guys usually know their business, right? On arrival a sign told me the reception is on the 2nd floor (which I found odd until I remembered that Americans called the ground floor the 1st floor. Strange country.) Once I found my way there I was immediately surrounded by interesting, modern art. The front desk staff was friendly and explained there would be free breakfast in the mornings in room 203.
At the Hotel des Arts all rooms are painted by different contemporary fine artists (if you’re interested in buying, all art on display is for sale and starts from about $400). Mine had a green and black comic style theme to it. I found it a bit childish but actually very appealing. All walls were painted even the bathroom featured one of these quirky comic characters. The bedroom had a decent size and was equipped with everything I needed: a large bed, a fridge, a microwave (did not need that, though), a bathroom with a bath and toilet. The only downside was that the basin was in the main room. To my surprise there was also free wireless internet. But then this is San Francisco, hub to the Silicon Valley, so I guess that’s kind of expected if you want to attract the Mac geek crowd.
After a good nights sleep in Hotel Jeremyville, as my room was called, I tried room 203 for breakfast. Really funny as it actually was a normal room, only the bed was missing. On one side of the room was a buffet with bagels and muffins, coffee, tee and orange juice. I guess to make life easier for the cleaners, there were carton cups and plates so after I had finished everything went into the bin. Not exactly the best Californian initiative to help reduce carbon emission.
But apart from the environmental nonsense, I really enjoyed the hotel. Having each room painted by a different artist is appealing even though you can’t really select the art you will be surrounded by. Also a plus: the room for just $100 a night at a great, downtown location. The Hotel des Arts should definitely be on your itinerary if you like art, are a bit adventurous and own a Mac.
More things to do in San Francisco:
Hotel des Arts
447 Bush Street
San Francisco, CA, USA
Hotel des Arts
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Posted by Katrin on October 19th, 2006 — Posted in Art, Bars
Well, the Tate Modern is certainly not something nobody else knows about. However there is something new about it which I discovered when I went there just a few days ago.
They have built some huge slides inside the building where you can choose from different heights, depending on how adventurous you are. Quite amazing if you ask me! And a really good idea as no other museum has an attraction like this I would imagine. They are created by Carsten Höller. Tickets for the slides are for free, timed and available on that day. They will remain there until the 9th of April, 2007.
But even if you don’t dare sliding down there, the Tate Modern is always worth a visit! It is for free except special exhibitions and that means you can always come back. Which you might want to because the collection is quite big and very diverse as well. It was my second time there and it certainly wasn’t my last!
Once you’re there take your time and have a Glass of Wine or Coffee at the Bar on the top of the building. Great view!
You can also try the restaurant but I like to just sit at the bar along the window. A very stylish way to start or end an evening…
Tate Modern
Bankside
London SE1 9TG
020 7887 8888
Sunday – Thursday, 10.00–18.00
Friday and Saturday, 10.00–22.00
Last admission into exhibitions 17.15 (Friday and Saturday 21.15)
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Posted by Katrin on August 25th, 2006 — Posted in Art
Today I needed a break and felt I should do something that is uplifting and entertaining at the same time. For me exhibitions always have this effect and so I decided to take the Bus into the city (rather than taking the tube and having no daylight until I get out again) to see the exhibition in the Royal Academy of Arts about Modigliani and his Models.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I don’t know much about art professionally, I just enjoy Galleries and Museums very much in an innocent kind of way. I don’t think you need to spend hours and hours in there, it is just about taking in what the art life has to offer. If for you that means going in, having a look at your favourite piece and getting straight back out, that is just as good as holding on to your audio guide and looking at each painting for about 15 minutes to understand its deeper meaning. I might ad as well that it also depends on the company you are in. As it was just me this time I could do everything in my own time. I quite like that as it means you are free to skip whatever you don’t consider necessary and if you feel like it you can walk around the only piece of art that is of interest to you for the whole time you are there.
I do like Modigliani very much. The exhibition is rather small and three o’clock on a Friday afternoon is certainly not the best time for it - it gets quite crowded. However, I didn’t mind much. If I get involved with a painting I like I don’t get easily distracted. In this particular case I also had come mainly for “a quick dip” as I would like to call it. My schedule for the day didn’t leave me much time anyway. Modigliani and his Models is devided into four halls: Sculpture and Portraits of the Artistic Community of Montparnasse, Beatrice Hastings and Nudes, The South of France and Portraits of Hanka Zborowska and Lunia Czechowska, Jeanne Hébuterne and Late Portraits and the Self-portrait. While strolling around I discovered that I actually like these smaller exhibitions as one doesn’t get so overwhelmed that you can hardly take in anymore. The paintings were well chosen and presented, my favorite being a long wall with paintings of nudes in only slightly different positions, all hanging next to each other. This series of grand nudes has been painted between 1916 and 1919. I also enjoyed the Portraits of the Artistic Community of Montparnasse, although this does require a bit more reading and getting background information to fully appreciate what is shown. For me of interest as I have developed a liking of Paris in the beginning of the 20th century, especially the literary and artistic environment and the inspiration one were for the other. During my year in Paris I have also lived near the area of Montparnasse and feel now somehow related if I can put it that way.
Funnily enough the piece of art that grabbed me most wasn’t a painting but a sculpture. It stood in the middle of the first hall, under a glass cube and showed a head in the for Modigliani typical elongated way (I am not exacly sure whether this is the right English term to use). It was stunning! I was surprised to learn that he stopped painting altogether to focus on sculpture for a while.
Born in 1884, Modigliani died only 35 years old in January 1920.
The exhibition will continue until 15 October and I highly recommend it if you are in the area! And as a side note the Royal Academy of Arts is a very impressive building in itself with a beautiful courtyard where you can sit and have coffee. It’s worth a visit, even if you just need a break from busy Picadilly.
And if you haven’t had enough of Modigliani, how about having a look at the new biography: Modigliani: A Life, by Professor Jeffrey Meyers. Or for those who prefer easy entertainment: Modigliani, a film by Mick Davis, starring Andy Garcia as the famous painter.
Modigliani and his Models
Royal Academy of Arts, The Sackler Wing of Galleries
http://www.royalacademy.org.uk/
Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BD
8 July - 15 October 2006
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