A creativity in the balance between originality and conventionality. In Costa Brava, Portbou http://www.catalonia-valencia.com/portbou-travel-guide.html is a town with a special seafaring tradition. Its peculiar location turned this town into one of the main points of access into Spain. Its fishing port sits on a sunny coastal valley. Its historic quarter is surrounded by coastal hills and slopes covered with vegetation. …
Read More »MARIA BLANCHARD (1881/1932), SPANISH CUBIST PAINTER – Discovering Cubism, influenced by artists like Juan Gris.
Painting images extremely expressive and sometimes, even intimidating. In Santander, most of the 1,200 objects on display in Flavióbriga Museum date from the period between the Upper Palaeolithic and the Iron Age (but you can admire also items from the Roman era, mostly from Julióbriga and Castro Urdiales (the ancient Flavióbriga). Over 3,000 square metres, it aims to show the …
Read More »THE SOLO GUITARIST WHO BEGAN PERFORMING AS A BOY – Sabicas / The man that brought his art to concert halls and theaters.
Playing guitar at the age of five, performing debut two years later. It’s walls have a perimeter of 5 kilometres, which an evocative walk around the city, one of the most interesting and best conserved fortifications in Spain. You’re in Navarre, on the fertile Spanish plain of the river Arga sits Pamplona, a city full of history and deep-rooted traditions …
Read More »SIX HOURS OF TRAVEL AND FIVE SPECIAL PLACES TO KNOW ABOUT – Author’s travel in France, from the Manuar Henri IV of Bessines-sur-Gartempe to the Château de Sable restaurant of Porspoder.
408 miles of French creativity, together with two painters and a poet, a writer and a singer-songwriter. The painter Suzanne Valadon was born in this village in 1865. Bessines-sur-Gartempe is a commune in the Haute-Vienne department (Nouvelle-Aquitaine, western France). Obviously, your “author’sjourney ” needs to host you in a 16th century palace, the Manoir Henri IV http://www.henri4-hotel-restaurant.fr/manor-henry-iv.html The hotel’s restaurant …
Read More »THE ATLANTIC FRANCE IN 20 PICTURES – Five unmissable places where the French creativity continues to be born.
Bessines-sur-Gartempe e Poitiers, Nantes, Quimper e Argenton-en-Landunvez. Traveling Frence, never forget that the creativity of the inhabitants of an terrestrial latitude and longitude it’swrapped in flavors, smells and atmospheres, books and poems, songs and paintings. Everything is useful to tune emotionally to culture. That’s why, when you decide to visit this land, you should also know the fruits of the …
Read More »BRETON SONG – Max Jacob / A man that felt the sting of anti-Semitism, as a child.
The professional of prose poetry. Not far from Brittany’s far western point, where a poet was born who knew many forms of modernist art, Quimper is a historic city permeated with this region’s identity. Every few steps, here there’s a crêperie to tempt you http://alafoliecafe.com/about-us/. Its old town has medieval timber-framed houses (always with typical Breton granite at the base). …
Read More »THE CONFIDENT – Helene Gremillon / A woman destined very young to literature.
When a letter arrives every Tuesday, with the sequel to a gripping story. Here was born the writer of a well-known novel translated into twenty languages. City Centre Has a small square which is surrounded by cafes, where you can sit down with a glass of wine or coffee. Its “Macaroons from Montmorillon” (a local speciality delicious with a coffee …
Read More »SUZANNE VALADON (1865/1938), FRENCH PAINTER – To become model for Toulouse-Lautrec, after the birth of a son.
Taught herself, thereby formed a style all her own. The painter Suzanne Valadon was born in this village in 1865. Bessines-sur-Gartempe is a commune in the Haute-Vienne department (Nouvelle-Aquitaine, western France). Obviously, your “author’sjourney ” needs to host you in a 16th century palace, the Manoir Henri IV http://www.henri4-hotel-restaurant.fr/manor-henry-iv.html The hotel’s restaurant will propose you traditional French dishes. In Paris, …
Read More »MARIE BRACQUEMOND (1840/1916), FRENCH PAINTER – When a new style is not just a new way of painting, but a way of seeing things.
One of the three great ladies of the Impressionist movement. All year round, the landscape is fantastic with rocks and scum. In these places a woman was born who had her own way of painting things. Here, scattered in very different districts (the district, Argenton, Trémazan and Kersaint), the municipality of Landunvez is famous for the five kilometers of its …
Read More »LOST PARADISES – Heloise Letissier / When creativity combines music with video art, drawings and photography.
The pansexual artist, romantic or emotional, regardless of the gender identity of the people. Here was born a special French songwriter. It’s France’s sixth biggest city, an important university town with a rich variety of bars and pubs. Visiting Nantes you can know “Le Briord“, a rustic café with local art displayed on the walls. https://www.lebonbon.fr/nantes/drink-decouvertes/le-briord-a-la-bonne-franquette/ One Saturday a month, …
Read More »FROM BAVARIA NICE TO THE HOUSE OF BUDDENBROOK – German creativity, through five shades of art.
Schnitzel and wurst as you read Thomas Mann, listening to music by Masha Qrella. You’re welcome in Aschaffenburg, “the Nice of Bavaria”, hometown of a famous German painter, where a wonderful experience awaits you at the Zum Goldenen Ochsen, Hotel & Gasthaus am Schlossgarten. Located in the nearby half-timbered building, the Oechsle Restaurant welcomes you with typical local dishes, to …
Read More »IN THE LANDS OF GERMAN CREATIVITY – An author’s journey in five stages.
Seeing Germany, with the eyes of art. Traveling Germany, never forget that the creativity of the inhabitants of an terrestrial latitude and longitude it’swrapped in flavors, smells and atmospheres, books and poems, songs and paintings. Everything is useful to tune emotionally to culture. That’s why, when you decide to visit this land, you should also know the fruits of the …
Read More »OSWALD ACHENBACH (1827/1905), GERMAN PAINTER –2,000 paintings, but approximately two-thirds are privately owned.
Turning into a typical representative of the Gründerzeit period. If you are looking for urban buzz and lifestyle off the main drag, try shopping in the Flingern district and on Lorettostraße. Yes, really Düsseldorf is an inspiring city, that can fulfil your shopping wishs. Here you find the exclusive Königsallee (with its luxury brands), the lively Schadowstraße (with its wide …
Read More »ERNST LUDWIG KIRCHNER (1880/1938), GERMAN PAINTER – When human figure its central into the art.
When a painter creates appearances of things. You’re welcome in Aschaffenburg, “the Nice of Bavaria”, hometown of a famous German painter, where a wonderful experience awaits you at the Zum Goldenen Ochsen, Hotel & Gasthaus am Schlossgarten. Located in the nearby half-timbered building, the Oechsle Restaurant welcomes you with typical local dishes, to be enjoyed in a rustic atmosphere. The …
Read More »DESTINATION VERTICAL – Masha Qrella / A musical career began with German bands Mina and Contriva.
Feeling electronics and indie rock. What there is to see in Berlin, the city where an original German singer-songwriter was born? Some aspects of Berlin’s varied dark history have left traces to be seen today. Yes, you too can discover that Berlin has more dark sites to offer the than any other city in the world! Anhalter station ruins and …
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