In the land of the Queen of Saba

I visited Yemen in 1998 and recall it was quite an experience. It was a business trip and I only stayed a couple of days in Sana'a. The unification of North and South Yemen happened in 1990 but a short civil war erupted in 1994 which was won by the North. The country was, and still is, very unstable, and it appeared that the Government did not have full control, especially outside of the capital, where tribal leaders held the real power. These tribes were also behind the kidnapping of foreigners, sometimes for money and others just to obtain advantages for their regions.
Arriving in Sana'a airport, the first hurdle was to go through passport control - even with a valid visa it took quite a long time whilst officials slowly checked every single page of the passports of each of the people waiting in line. I arrived at the Sheraton Sana'a Hotel, which since January 2013 has been taken over by the U.S. State Department to house it´s diplomats. The hotel was advertised as 5-star though, in reality, it was more like a 2-star hotel in Europe. In a way it reminded me of the T.V series Fawlty Towers. The rooms were very basic, we had a reception hosted by the Swiss manager of the hotel to welcome us, the entertainment was provided by a Bulgarian group and the food was...well, not what you would expect.
Sana'a is a city of contrasts, where you would see the newest model Mercedes trying to drive through a herd of sheep; a city where a lot of people walked around with a Kalashnikov assault rifle and all the men wore a dagger called jambia; and where all activity slowed down from around 1 PM when the men engaged in the ritual of chewing khat, a plant that contains an amphetamine-like stimulant. The architecture of the city is very particular with multi-story buildings that look like mini-skyscapers. The markets in the city, especially the one for spices, are unmissable.

©Unesco

A slaughterhouse that is now an art centre

The old slaughterhouse in Madrid which stood derelict and abandoned for many years has been transformed into an art centre called Matadero Madrid - Slaughterhouse Madrid - not the most attractive of names but there you are. The centre has regular exhibitions, community activities, concerts, theater, film and quiet an impressive "reader´s house" funded by a private foundation. It is a 10 minute bus ride from the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía. I leave you with a few pics from a recent visit; the first two are from current exhibitions.

Bedtime reading

Is this what hell looks like?

Matadero Madrid

Matadero Madrid

Tulip mania

In these days of speculation and bubble bursting, the first speculative bubble comes to mind - the tulip mania that took hold of Holland in the 17th Century. It is amazing how something as beautiful as a tulip could have been the cause of misery to so many. The Dutch, however, made the best of it and adopted this flower which was originally brought to Holland from Turkey, developing a striving industry. The blooming of the flower has just begun and to see it in all its splendour it is worth making a journey to Keukenhof, a park in Lisse, about 35 Kms. from Amsterdam. I leave you with the link to my past post about Amsterdam and a picture of the main "culprit" of the tulip mania: the Semper Augustus tulip. Ironically, the coloured stripes that made the tulip so sought after were caused by a virus.

Semper Augustus tulip in a 17th Century print

Where a Prime Minister hid his bonsai

Just besides the Prado Museum in Madrid you can find the Royal Botanical Gardens, a quiet place to reflect on the paintings you may have seen in the museum or simply to enjoy the tranquility and colours of nature. It is here that you can find the bonsai collection of former Prime Minister Felipe González, who found in bonsai cultivation a form of relaxation. Enjoy!!!

Bonsai in Botanical Gardens, Madrid

La Menorah...like going to a friend´s house for lunch

One of our favourite restaurants is La Menorah in Estepona (Malaga). I am glad to see that they now have a web page for all to see - but just tell your closest friends. 

"We'll always have Paris..."

In the film Casablanca, Rick tells Ilsa: "We'll always have Paris..." whilst on the airfield the engine of the plane to Lisbon turns over and the propellers start turning. Just thinking I have to go back soon.

A small town in La Rioja and the British Imperial State Crown

Many of you may have visited the Tower of London and would have seen The Imperial State Crown, re-made for the coronation of King George VI and worn by Queen Elizabeth in her coronation, and every year since, for the State Opening of Parliament. What you may not know is that the big red ruby in the crown was a payment in kind to Edward of Woodstock, the Prince of Wales, also known as the Black Prince, by the Spanish King of Castile and León Peter of Castile for the help the former gave to the latter in one of the many wars of the 14th Century. The ruby adorned the figure of the Virgin Mary which up to this date is kept in the Monastery of Santa María la Real in the town of Nájera in La Rioja region of Spain.

© Crown copyright

A Madrid art centre you have not seen

If I appear certain that in your visit to Madrid you have not visited the Centro de Arte 2 de mayo (CA2M), it´s because it is located in the town of Móstoles, about 18 Kms. southwest of Madrid. Móstoles is nowadays, basically, a suburb of Madrid and is best known for having formally declared war on France on the 2nd May, 1808, following the popular uprising of the people of Madrid against the troops of Napoleon. CA2M is well suited for "installation art" and is currently showing: Pop Politics: Activism at 33 Revolutions and works by the Turkish artisit Halil Altindere.
A tip from one of the works by Altindere shown below: Some of the carpets sold in bazars in Turkey are laid out in the sun to wear down the colours so that they appear old and are sold as antiques.