Tag Archives: Spain culture

Spain

A Barrell of fun

We went to a bar called “Bodega del Riojano” in Santander Spain. This was a very interesting and quaint spot with an unassuming front entrance.

Entrance to the Bodega del Riojano in Santander, Spain

We went inside and immediately were impressed by the atmosphere and the unique decorations. There were barrels tops all painted with different images throughout the entire bar.

Barrels with unique paintings on each one above the bar area.
Barrels painted in the hallway of the Bodega del Riojano

We found a nice area to sit down and enjoy a drink . We could see that each barrel was painted with a different style and look. Some of the barrels had images that were photographs while the majority of them were hand painted.

Shelley, Ray, Mark and Vicki in the Bodega Del Riojano in Santander

The bar was a lot larger than it appeared with a large dinning area towards the rear of the building.

Part of the dinning area in the Bodega del Riojano
Barrels on display in a section of the Bodega del Riojana

There was some very interesting barrel paintings, including our favourite one. When you look closely at the painting you can see that one eye is missing. At the bottom of the paining is a bowl with an eye in with the olives.  The painting is done in a somewhat cubism style.

Barrel Painting entitled “Baco Cosecha 59” In the Bodega del Riojano

What was very interesting is that every barrel was painted by a different artist. The above barrel was painted by Sergio del Pozo Cossío, in 1994 “Baco Cosecha 59”.

Below are a few of the 126 barrels that are displayed in the Bodega del Riojano.

Artist Victor Merino
Artist Ricardo Zamorano Molina
Artist Pedro Flores
Artist Javier Vila Tierra Trágame
Entitled Peces
Artist Ana, Paillole

The Bodega del Riojano was a very unique spot and we enjoyed our time exploring the different barrels.

“Ados eta egun handia”

Spain

Santander Spain

We went to port city of Santander which is the capital of the historical region of Cantabria. It is located on the north coast of Spain. We walked along the coastline which had a large park. 

Park area near the bay of Cantabria bay

We walked through the park exploring and admiring the views. We came across some bronze status, which was a memorial.

Memorial of the fire of February 15, 1945 in Santander, Spain

It was a memorial for the rebuilding of Santander after the massive fire of February 15, 1941,  which destroyed most of the city. During the fire a total of 72,211 firefighters fought the fire and its aftermath. There was only one death throughout the fire and it was a firefighter named Julian Sanchez who was from Madrid.

Ray and the memorial

The park was quite long and ran parallel to the water.  Along the parkway we came across a large structure which was quite unique.

Structure along the coastline in Santander, Spain

It is called “Centro Botín” and it is an art center with a very unique architectural design. We walked under the edge of the Centro Botin near the water.

Shelley under the base of the Centro Botin Art building in Santander
Centro Botin, Santander

The building appears split into two halves with a central connecting hallway. There is also a stairs and an elevator which allowed people to reach the roof. We decided to head to the roof and check out the views. 

Shelley and Ray on the roof of the Centro Botin art building in Santander, Spain

We continued our walk along the  park and came across some bronze statues of children, called “raqueros”.

Bronze status of children on the shoreline of Santander, Spain

Apparently the story of the statues is to depicted the children who would wait for the tourist ships to arrive at port. The tourist would trow coins into the water and the children would dive in for the coins.

Statue of child diving into the water in Santander, Spain

We walked along the park for a while before heading in to explore  the old quarter of Santander.  The waterfront parkway was a great time and a leisurely way to spend a few hours.

“Ados eta egun handia”

Spain

A visit to San Sebastien, Spain

We went to San Sebastien to explore this beautiful city. We began our exploring by taking the hop-on-hop-off bus.

Hop-on-hop-off Bus in San Sebastian, Spain

We were able to explore the different areas of San Sebastian and see some of the key points of interest before exploring them in more detail on foot.

Shelley, Ray, Mark and Vicki on the Hop-on-hop-off bus in San Sebastian

The city had some unique and beautiful sites. There are several great beaches which are very picturesque.

Beach front of San Sebastian, Spain

Ray on the boardwalk at the edge of the concha beach.

We walked through the old city centre exploring its charm. There was some beautiful architecture and parks.

We then went to “Funicular Monte Igueldo” which is a mountainside train which brings you to an amusement park. We decided to take the train car which is pulled up the mountain Igueldo by cable to the top.

The Funicular Monte Igueldo cable car in San Sebastian

We bought our tickets and lined up for the next cable car.

Ray, Shelley, Vicki and Mark waiting for the cable car to arrive.

You could see the train tracks leading up the Igueldo mountain.

Funicular train tracks leading the cable car to the top of the mountain

We rode the cable car up the tracks to the top of the mountain. It was an eerie felling as we went up the steep incline of the mountain. There was no sound of a motor and if the cable broke the cable car would surely go straight down the mountain. When we reached the amusement park at the top the views were spectacular.

Shelley, Ray, Mark and Vicki at the top of the mountain overlooking the city of San Sebastian, Spain

We walked around the top of the Igueldo mountain enjoying the beautiful views.

Amusement park on the top of the mountain

A view from the mountain pf the City of San Sebastian

We decided to stop and have a refreshing drink while looking at the views. Afterwards we headed back down the mountain using the cable car. We enjoyed exploring the city of San Sebastian and look forward to our next visit to this wonderful spot.

“Ados eta egun handia”

Spain

A Flamenco concert in Vitoria-Gasteiz

We were fortunate to get tickets to a flamenco concert being held in the Santa Maria Cathedral in Victoria-Gasteiz.

Jose Thomas Jiménez renown guitarist on stage  playing flamenco music

The concert featured the renown flamenco guitarist José Tomás Jiménez. The small venue was at the Cathedral of Santa Maria which is located in the old quarter of Vitoria-Gasteiz. We arrived early and managed to get seats which were close to the stage.

Vicki, Mark, Ray and Shelley in the Santa Maria Cathedral in Vitoria-Gasteiz

The Cathedral of Santa Maria was built in the late 13th century in a Gothic style. It was built as a church-fortress as part of defence system of the city. The area where the concert was held had a large arched ceiling and provided great acoustics.

Arched ceiling in the concert area of Santa Maria Cathedral.

José Tomás Jiménez began playing flamenco on the guitar and it was amazing the music he produced. We listened intently as he played for about 30 minutes non-stopped. He then had a drummer and a flamenco singer join him on stage.

Flamenco singer and drummer on stage with José Tomás Jiménez

They played flamenco music and the singer would sing along with her amazing voice. They played for about two hours with spectacular and intense flamenco music.  The concert was great and a fun way to spend the evening.

“Ados eta egun handia”

Spain

North to Vitoria-Gasteiz

We decided to take a trip to the north of Spain to explore some of the area. We headed out by high-speed train with some friends to the city of Vitoria-Gasteiz.

Ray and Shelley on High speed train to Vitoria-Gasteiz

The train had lots of leg room and was quite comfortable. It is a great way to travel at 247 kms per hour.

247 Kms per hour speed sign on the train to Vitoria-Gasteiz

We arrived in the early evening to the city of Vitoria-Gasteiz, which is the capital city of the Basque region. This was our “base” and we would stay here and take day trips to explore the region. We got unpacked and settled in before exploring the city of Vitoria-Gasteiz.

The following day we began exploring the city, which was very vibrant and interesting. We walked through the streets towards the centre of the city.

The streets of Vitoria-Gasteiz near the old quarter of the city.

We came to a main plaza called “Plaza de la Virgen Blanca” which is one of the oldest meeting points in the city.

Plaza de la Virgen Blanca in Vitoria-Gasteiz

Ray and Shelley at the base of the Plaza de la Virgen Blanca

There were some cafes and restaurants around the plaza with a larger monument in the centre. The monument called “La batalla de Vitoria” is a monument to remember the battle which took place in the city during the Napoleonic wars in 1813.

La batalla de Vitoria monument in the Plaza de la Virgen Blanca, Vitoria-Gasteiz

We walked through the old quarter which dates back to the 11th century.   We came to the 11th century “wall” of Vitoria-Gasteiz which was a fortified wall to protect the city.

Section of the fortified wall of Vitoria-Gasteiz built-in the 11th century

We explored the old city centre and came across many unique and interesting buildings and architecture. Below are a few of the pictures in the old city centre of Vitoria-Gasteiz.

13th century building in centre of the old town in Victoria-Gasteiz

View from the church area to the Plaza Virgen de la blanca.

Ray overlooking the city of Vitoria-Gasteiz from the old city streets.

Plaza de España

Government building with gardens in old centre of town

Church in Vitoria-Gasteiz old centre

The city is rich with history dating as far back 581 AD. We spent the entire day exploring the streets of the old centre of the city. It was truly amazing to see such historic features in the city.

“Ados eta egun handia”