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22 August 2012

Southeast US: Day 4, 2nd part, Blue Ridge Parkway



 I know I had left this travel for too long, but here I come back with it. As I said in the previous post, one possibility is to stay in Asheville to see the Biltmore Estate, but if you don’t feel like it this itinerary I am going to talk about  would be a good plan. After a good  breakfast in Asheville you can  a bit of the town before getting yourselves on the road. There are beautiful houses of the wealthy families who came to the area to improve their health and the town itself is also interesting.







Then, we go back to the Blue Ridge Parkway
Just driving and stopping from time to time at the countless viewpoints you will have pictures like this:


You may do your first stop at Craggy Gardens but if you do not have much time and want to enjoy each thing without looking at your watch I recommend driving directly to Mount Mitchell State Park.

Mount Mitchell, about 2000 m high,.is the highest peak in the Appalachians, the highest also in the eastern United States and the third highest in the country. It is named after Elisha Mitchell, who first calculated its height in 1835. This man died in 1857 after slipping and falling over the falls that also bear his name, Mitchell Falls, when he came back to verify his calculations. Having been there and seen it how uncomfortable the weather is at the summit, with a tremendous and very cold wind  in only early October, I find it incredible that someone with the conditions of that time could get there and do such calculations.


There is an observation tower which you can access by walking just some meters after leaving the car, which offers these great views (although in a day without fog I am sure it would have been much more spectacular):


If time for lunch is getting close you will have to eat at the restaurant next to the summit, since you have nothing more for many miles around. In any case, and  forgetting about the waiting time for a table, it was not bad, it was very similar in quality and price of all that we saw in the area so I can not say it was the sort of place with terrible food and the highest price that takes advantage of being the only one in the area. And the views, great of course (you are going to say I'm obsessed with views ... :))




06 August 2012

Southeast US: Día 4, 1ª parte, Blue Ridge Parkway


Soon in English!

Sé que había dejado este viaje un poco abandonado, aquí vuelvo con él. Como comentaba en el post anterior, una posibilidad es quedarse en Asheville para ver la mansión Biltmore, pero si no os apetece especialmente este sería un buen plan.
Tras tomar fuerzas con un buen desayuno en Asheville podéis ver un poquito el pueblo antes de meteros en la carretera. Hay casas muy bonitas de las familias adineradas que venían a la zona para mejorar su salud y el pueblo también es interesante.



Retomamos después el camino por la Blue Ridge Parkway. Solo conduciendo y parando en los incontables miradores ya tienes estampas como esta:


La primera parada puede ser en Craggy Gardens pero si no tenéis mucho tiempo y queréis disfrutar de cada cosa sin estar mirando el reloj os recomiendo conducir directamente hasta el Mount Mitchell State Park. 

El Monte Mitchell, de cerca de 2000 metros de altura, es el pico más alto de los Apalaches, el más alto también del este de los Estados Unidos y el tercero más alto de todo el país. Se llama así en honor a Elisha Mitchell, que fue quien calculó su altura en 1835. Este hombre murió en 1857 al resbalar y caer por las cataratas que también llevan su nombre, las Mitchell Falls, cunado iba a tomar nuevas medidas para verificar las que había tomado. Habiendo estado allí y visto lo inhóspito de la cumbre, con un viento tremendo y bastante frío siendo solo octubre, me parece increíble que alguien con las condiciones de la época pudiera adentrarse allí y conseguir medir la altura correctamente. 

Hay una torre de observación a la que accedes subiendo algunos metros tras dejar el coche, que ofrece estas preciosas vistas (aunque en un día sin niebla seguro que hubieran sido mucho más espectaculares):


Si se os hace la hora de comer no os quedará más remedio que comer en el restaurante que está al lado de todo esto, no tenéis nada más en muchos kilómetros a la redonda. De todas formas, y quitando la espera, no estaba  mal, era muy parecido en calidad y precio a todo lo que íbamos viendo así que no se puede decir que fuera el típico sitio con comida horrible y un precio altísimo que se aprovecha de ser el único abierto en la zona. Y las vistas, geniales por supuesto (me vais a decir que estoy obsesionada con las vistas... :) )


30 July 2012

A bit of madrid: second part

And this is the rest/Aquí va el resto:




Os podéis creer que nunca me había fijado en lo que sostiene la estatua? No sé si me acaba de gustar pero es original que sean reproducciones de sus cuadros.

Can you believe that I never noticed what holds the statue? I am not sure if I like it, but at least it is quite original to put reproductions of his paintings.




Esta iglesia es muy popular para bodas/ This church is very popular for weddings



¿El pintor que sueña con que algún día sus cuadros estén en el Prado?/ The artist who dreams that one day his pictures will be exhibited in the Prado?







Y finalmente la ampliación última que se hizo /And finally the last enlargement that was done

24 July 2012

A bit of Madrid

Hoy os dejo con algunas fotitos de mi ciudad, tomadas hace pocas semanas en mitad del calor abrasador que soportamos en verano.

 Por cierto, sobretodo para los que sois de fuera, no se os ocurra venir en verano, esto es un horno, calor seco a lo bestia. En enero tampoco es el mejor momento... Para mi los mejores meses en cuanto al clima serían marzo, abril, mayo, octubre y noviembre. Por supuesto puede llover, pero es poco probable que el termómetro baje de 5 grados (al menos de día) o suba de 25º (aunque en mayo alguna sorpresa os podéis llevar).

Las fotos son de los alrededores del Museo del Prado, visita imprescindible. Os podéis creer que nunca había estado por la parte de atrás del Museo? A veces me pregunto si a los demás les pasará lo mismo que a mi, como reservo el tiempo libre para las vacaciones (léase viajes) visito muy pocos sitios en mi ciudad, siempre tengo la excusa de que puedo volver en cualquier otro momento. Quizá debíamos tomarnos más respiros en nuestras ajetreadas vidas... Estuve aquí ese día por pura casualidad, y por pura casualidad también llevaba la cámara. Debo confesar algo: me encantó hacer de turista en mi propia ciudad!!


Today I leave you with some pics of my city, taken a few weeks ago in the middle of the terrible heat we, the madrileños, have to bear in summer. 

By the way, especially for those who are from other countries, do not ever think of visiting in summer, this is an oven, literally. January would not be the best time either for the opposite reasons... To me the best months regarding the weather would be March, April, May, October and November. Of course it can rain, but at least it is unlikely that the thermometer will drop below 5º C (at least during the day) or over 25ºC (although in May it can bring some surprises).

The photos are taken around the Prado Museum, a must as a visit. Can you believe I have never been in the other side to the building? Sometimes I wonder if it happens to everyone as it does to me, that as I reserve most of my free time for the holidays (ie trips)  I visit very few places in my city, I have always the excuse that I can return at any other time. Perhaps we should take more breaks in our busy lives ... I was here that day by chance and by chance also had the camera. But I must confess something: I loved being a tourist in my own city!

Wish I was below that water..




Velázquez posing for me









The Ritz Hotel



















Las de la parte de atrás el próximo día/ Next day the ones showing the building from behind

23 July 2012

Back and first birthday for the blog!

Y por fin estoy de vuelta!!! Ha costado, pero parece que el ordenador vuelve a su ser... Entretanto este blog ha cumplido un añito, muchas gracias a todos los que lo seguís!!!

And at last I am back! Not easily, but finally it seems my computer is back to work again. In the meantime, this blog has just turned a year old, thank you so much to all those who read it!!!

03 July 2012

Coming back soon, I hope

Hi! Just to let you know that because of a very intelligent virus that has infected my computer I don't know for how long I won't be able to post, just hope I can find a solution for it soon.

Hola! Entro solo para informar de que voy a estar varios días sin actualiza a causa de un virus super majo que se ha instalado en mi ordenador, espero poder arreglarlo pronto...

28 June 2012

Miami: Tenerife Reflecting Point

Una de las curiosidades que encontré en Miami fue esta placa conmemorando el hermanamiento de Tenerife y el Condado de Miami-Dade, cosa que desconocía. Creo que en Tenerife hay otra. Este esta en una zona muy bonita, al lado de una pequeña playa en la que se practica kite-surf. Cuando estuve all í  hab í a una pareja haciéndose fotos por su boda. Os dejo con algunas fotos del lugar...

A very curious thing I found while in Miami was this plaque celebrating the sisterhip between Tenerife and Miami-Dade County, of which I was completely unaware of. It hink there is another plaque in Tenerife. This one is located at a very nice area, just next to the water where people were kite-surfing. When I was there there was a couple of newly weds being photographed.














































24 June 2012

St John's Eve 2012

Os dejo con las poquitas fotos que me han quedado medianamente decentes de la noche de San Juan, hogueras y fuegos artificiales. No es que estas sean estupendas pero es que la mayoría de las fotos de los fuegos artificiales han sido un gran conjunto de desencuadres, desenfoques, fotos en negro con un punto de luz asomando por la esquina, etc. :) Necesito más practica.

Here I leave to you the very few pictures that look more or less good, or at least the ones I am not terribly embarrassed to upload, from the ones I took last night int he celebrations of St John's Eve. Not that they are very good as you will see, but most of the ones I took have resulted into a combination of motin blur, poor composition, pictures totally black but for a blurry point of light saying hello at a corner, etc. :) Definitely I need more practicising.

LAS HOGUERAS/THE BONFIRES























































LOS FUEGOS ARTIFICIALES/ THE FIREWORKS


Estas fueron sin duda las mas difíciles, era como ir "cazando" luces con la cámara. Os dejo algunas con composiciones como veréis "interesantes".

These were the most diffcult without a doubt, I felt like I was "hunting" lights with my camera. Here I leave you with some "interesting" compositions.








































































21 June 2012

St John's Eve/Midsummer


Este fin de semana será la noche de San Juan, el 23 o el 24 segun el lugar de España en que estés. Se trata de una fiesta con mucha tradición y costumbres y ritos que varían en cada localidad, pero que suelen tener el denominador común de las hogueras. En muchos otros lugares de Europa se celebra unos días antes, la noche del solsticio de verano (20 o 21 de junio). Claramente el origen de todas estas fiestas parece ser este, la entrada del verano. 

¿Qué es lo típico en vuestro país o ciudad en San Juan o Midsummer? A mi me encantaría estar en algún lugar cerca del mar. Me llaman mucho más la atención las hogueras sobre la arena que sobre el asfalto, definitivamente. En cualquier caso trataré de acercarme a alguna de las que se organizan donde vivo, aunque me parece que saltar por encima… quizá en otra vida :)


This weekend we will be having St John's Eve festivities or Midsummer, celebrated on the night of the 23rd or 24thJune depending on where in Spain you are. It is a very traditional festivity in Spain, with customs and rites that vary a lot in the different regions, but with the bonfires as the common factor. In many other places in Europe this is celebrated a few days before, at the summer solstice (20th or 21st June). Clearly the start of the summer seems to be the origin of all these festivities. 

What is typical in your country/city at St John’s night or Midsummer? I would love to be somewhere by the sea to celebrate. Definitely I feel more attracted by bonfires in the sand than over asphalt.  Anyway I will try to go see some of those that will be made where I live, but about jumping over them…. maybe in some other life :)

18 June 2012

Art Déco in Miami

Quizá  una de las cosas que más me gustó de Miami (Miami Beach en este caso)  fueron sus preciosos edificios de estilo Art Déco. Para mi el calor era infernal, y eso que no era la peor época (mayo) y no recuerdo el paseo a plena luz del día como algo precisamente maravilloso, pero debo decir que mereció  la pena solo por esto. Eso si, de noche, con las luces, aunque distinto, también es interesante y mucho más agradable en cuanto a temperaturas se refiere...(ay, esa brisa...) Os dejo con algunas de las fotos que hice.


Perhaps one of the things I liked the most about Miami -Miami Beach in this case-was this: its gorgeous Art Déco Buildings. To me, the heat there was like hell, even if it was not the worst time of the year (May) and I don't really have a nice memory of this walk, but I must say it was worth it just because of this. Anyway, at night, with lights and the cool breeze it was very nice and also interesting, if different. Here I leave you with some of the pictures I took.















14 June 2012

Still here :)


Hola, escribo este post para dar señales de vida,  estoy un poco liadilla y no he podido actualizar pero espero hacerlo dentro de poco.
¡Nos vemos! 

Hi! Just to say I am still here, just terribly busy these days, I will try to publish a post soon.
See you soon!

04 June 2012

Gorgeous beaches: Comillas, Cantabria

Y esta es la famosa playa que atrajo a nobles y burgueses, del mismo nombre que el pueblo, Playa de Comillas, de arena fina y con bandera azul. Está en el mismo pueblo y muy cerquita también se encuentra la Playa de Oyambre, perteneciente al Parque Natural de Oyambre.
No tuve oportunidad de bañarme pero imagino que en verano será muy apetecible...




And this is the famous beach sharing the name with the place, the large Playa de Comillas, a blue flag beach with fine and golden sand. This one is in town, and very close you will also find the Playa de Oyambre, belonging to the Natural Park of Oyambre.
I did not have a chance to swim, but I guess it will be very nice in summer...


28 May 2012

Lego in Copenhagen, Denmark


A place to dream and being a child at least for a while... Some pictures from the Lego shop in Copenhagen, I would have stayed to play for hours :)

Copenhagen
The Black Diamond (The Royal Library)

Streets of Copenhagen





























21 May 2012

Architecture in Comillas, Cantabria





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Some days ago I was writing on this gorgeous English-style house in Comillas, and I mentioned it contrasted with the rest of the villas, mainly Modernist, that were built when spending the summer in Comillas became fashionable, after King Alfonso XII spend his summer holidays there, invited by the Marquis of Comillas. This first Marquis of Comillas, Antonio López y López was a key person for the history of the town. Born in Comillas to a very humble family in 1817, he migrated like so many others with the dream of prospering to the Americas, and fortuned smiled at him in Cuba. He returned wealthy to BarcelonSpain, where he continued his different enterprises, among them the foundation of the Compañía Trasatlántica Española. Married to Luisa Bru Lassús, who belonged to a well-off Catalan family that he met in Cuba and whose father was one of his business partners, his support to King Alfonso XII in the Cuban revolts earned him the title of the Marquis of Comillas, created for him and his descendants. He invested large sums in his home town, thanks to his influence and to that decisive invitation to the King to spend the summer holidays in Comillas, it was actually the first Spanish town which had street lightning, in 1881.

The king’s visit attracted many nobility members and the gentry, who started spending their summers in Comillas, looking for its temperate and mild climate and the benefits of the famous sea bathing properties. This way, impressive houses and public buildings started to be built in this typical and small Cantabrian town –in 2011 it has nearly 2500 inhabitants-, many of them the design of young Catalan architects following the beginnings of the Modernist style, among them, Antoni Gaudí.

At the same time, the second Marquis of Comillas continued with the creation of the Universidad Pontificia de Comillas, its building being one of the most spectacular.

Here I leave some pictures for you, I am sorry that the midday light was not the best one to appreciate them.

The Palacio de Sobrellano, with many neo-Gothic elements, built for the first Marquis of Comillas, who actually never saw it finished as he died before the end of the Works, in 1888. Its architect was Joan Martorell.










The Capricho de Gaudí, nowadays a prestigious restaurant, designed by Antonio or Antoni Gaudí for Máximo Díaz de Quijano, a relative of the Marquis of Comillas










The Puerta de los Pájaros, by Gaudí, from 1900.







The Universidad Pontificia de Comillas, designed by  Joan Martorell and Lluís Domènech i Montaner