We went for a walk Sunday morning to the marina and boardwalk areas of Alicante. We wanted to check out an art exhibit that was there. As we approached the marina area, we could see large steel frames lined up in rows on the boardwalk.
The Sebastião Salgado ‘Genesis” exhibit had large steel frames with large photographs on each display. We walked along looking at each photograph. Some of the photos were of nature while others were portraits of people.
Photograph of an elephant from Africa,
Photograph of Iceberg near south pole
The exhibit was quite interesting with great photos from across the world.
Shelley and Ray at the Sebastião Salgado ‘Genesis” exhibit.
We walked by a park called la florida which was near a church in Victoria which had a large alligator. We stopped to check out the Alligator and then the church.
Ray with Alligator in front of the Catedral de Maria Inmaculada
After “wrestling the alligator” we headed to the “Catedral de Maria Inmaculada” to look at the ornate sculptures that surrounded each arch. The cathedral was built in 1912 in a neo-gothic style.
Ornate arches of the Catedral de Maria Inmaculada in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
When we began looking at the sculptures up close we could see some very different and strange ones. Below are a few of the sculptures we found on the outside of the church.
Chained dragon with two elf looking creatures
After looking at the sculptures on the outside of the church we went inside to explore the interior.
Inside view of the “Catedral de Maria Inmaculada”
We noticed ornate sculptures on every pillar in the church. They were also very different and evil-looking.
Man strangling another manMan picking or poking the nose of another manDragon with monkey headCreature standing over the skull with crownDevil faced creature with human body
Pig on human body holding a woman’s head severed in his handsMan with arm around eagleA dragon with the head of a human in his mouth.A man pecking out the eye of another man with toolA person pulling out the tongue of a dragon
One of the sculptures that I thought was really different was the one below.
Sculpture of an animal creature eating the intestines of a human
The significance of these sculptures within a catholic church is unknown to me. I have read that these sculptures signify the tormented souls of individuals in the afterlife. It is certainly different from what we normally see in the catholic church.
We went to an amazing tapa bar called “Nagusia Lau” in San Sebastián.
Tapa Bar Nagusia Lau in San Sebastián in Spain
Inside the bar were tapas of every imaginable type laid out on the bar area.
Tapas laid pout on the bar for choosing by customers.
When we entered the bar the place was packed with people. We were lucky to find a table near the back of the bar. We sat down and our waitress arrived and explained how the tapa bar worked. We go to the bar and select and put on our plate whatever tapas we want. We then tell the person behind the bar our table number and he notes the tapas on our plate.
Shelley walking along the bar selecting her tapas.
Selecting our tapas was not easy because of the large selection of interesting and tasty looking tapas. We walked along the bar looking at the different ones trying to select the ones we wanted.
some of the tapas for choosing.
We chose different tapas and headed back to our table. Each tapa was very tasty but there were a few that were extremely delicious, “Gambas” and “Pulpo”
“gambas” scrimp in a fresh sauce with peppers“Pulpo” octopus sliced in garlic butter with paprika and other spices
We really enjoyed sampling some of the great tapas in San Sebastián and the Nagusia Lau Tapa bar was a great experience.
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 RiojanoBarrels 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 MerinoArtist Ricardo Zamorano MolinaArtist Pedro FloresArtist Javier Vila Tierra TrágameEntitled PecesArtist Ana, Paillole
The Bodega del Riojano was a very unique spot and we enjoyed our time exploring the different barrels.
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 SantanderCentro 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.
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