Iberia by James A. Michener
Unlike most Michener books, this one is more of a travelogue rather than a work of fiction. Michener traveled around Spain during the 1960s and wrote profusely about the country he loved.
Although Spain has changed radically during the intervening decades, it does provide a lot of insight into Spanish history, culture and personality. A good read and as with all Michener books, it contains valuable lessons about a unique culture. 0449207331
Following the Sun: From Andalusia to the Hebrides by John Hanson Mitchell
This engaging and inspiring read follows a bicyclist on a 1500K trek from Cadiz in Southern Spain thru France to the British Isles eventually ending in the Hebrides in Scotland. On the way Mitchell’s main goal is to follow the summer sun and report on how others worship the sun in various cultures.
There’s a lot of interesting stories and insights into the cultures he passes through. The section on Andalucia and Spain is quite good, and will encourage travelers to seek out their own spot of sun in that beautiful part of the world.
The Rough Guide to Spain by Mark Ellingham, John Fisher
The Rough Guides combine in depth research about each destination, excellent recommendations for lodging and eating for budget travelers, alternative attractions and information, and much more.
These guides are updated regularly, and this is the 2004 edition, so it’s going to have the latest info for your trip!
Eyewitness Travel Guide to Spain by Deni Bown
This wonderful guide book series is famous for the beautiful illustrations of buildings, especially the cutaway interiors, floorplans, and also for the walking tours of various cities. Nice maps, photos, restaurant and hotel listings, useful info and much more make this guide one of the most popular.
The Spain Guide includes special sections on Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Andalucia, the Basque country, even the Canary Islands!
A popular place on sunny days and every night of the year, the Rembrandtplein is always alive with people and action. The park is a tribute to the famous Amsterdam artist, Rembrandt van Rijn, and there’s a statue of him in the center.
On one side is nice grassy area, which hosts a beautiful tulip display in the spring. Shade trees provide some relief from summer heat.
The center park is surrounded by cafes, restaurants, nightclubs, casinos, a bank, a four-star hotel and a coffeeshop. Sit in a sidewalk cafe, order a beer, and watch the show!
One of the nicest little walks I took recently in Paris began on the tacky Rue de Clichy. If you want to ignore that scene, go up Rue Lepic towards Montmartre and you’ll find yourself in Parisian paradise just a block away from the madness of Pigalle and the Moulin Rouge.
No trip to Paris is complete without a visit to one of the most magnificent museums in the world. It’s timeless elegance encases some real jewels, including the Mona Lisa, several Michaelangelos, the Venus di Milo, and so many more.
Once the palace to kings and emperors, the Louvre shelters some of the great art works of the world. The collections focus on sculptures and paintings from the European masters, as well as ancient Egyptian, Greek and Islamic art. They’ve also restored some of Napoleon III’s apartments complete with original furnishings which convey what it was like to live in the Louvre when it was a royal palace.
The Musée National d’Art Moderne (National Modern Art Museum), located in the colorful Pompidou Center is a glowing tribute to 20th Century art. Occupying the fourth and fifth levels in the modernist/industrialist Pompidou Center, the museum contains one of the best collections of modern art in the world.
Forty galleries display works from the modern collection which spans from 1905 until 1960 and covers Fauvism, Cubism, Dadaism, Surrealism, the Paris School, and American modern art. Some galleries are dedicated to individual artists, others to various themes.
All the great modern artists are represented with prime works including Salvador Dalí, Pablo Picasso, Marc Chagall, Rene Magritte, Piet Mondrian, Vassily Kandinsky, Juan Mirò and Paul Matisse.
Another floor highlights various exhibits of modern art post 1960. These include the wonderfully campy Pop Art from Andy Warhol and psychedelic Op Art from Vasarely. New Realism and Kinetic Art are also displayed here.
This museum is a must see on your next trip to Paris! The Pompidou Center is a major entertainment destination and contains an excellent public library too!
Pompidou Center also called Centre Beaubourg, was completed in 1977. This imposing structure got off to a very controversial start (not unlike the Eiffel Tower), with many critics protesting the clash between the modernist/industrial design and the surrounding classical Parisian architecture.
To allow for more unobstructed exhibition space, Pompidou Center’s utilities were put on the outside. The façade makes the building look like an oil refinery or a power plant. Things like airconditioning ducts and plumbing snake around the outside of the building, and their color-coded conduits indicate the various building functions they perform.
