What's New In Madrid (pt. 3)

Two of the best museums in Madrid (or anywhere, for that matter) are the Museo del Prado and Thyssen-Bornemisza. Let's check out what's going on at these legendary institutions.

Museo del Prado recently completed a $208 million expansion. The biggest exhibition right now is called "Among Gods and Men: Classical Sculpture from the Albertinum in Dresden and the Museo del Prado." It features 46 classical sculptures from the Dresden museum (for the first time ever). Other upcoming exhibits include a Francis Bacon retrospective, a Victorian painting survey and a special show of murals by Sorolla.

You can click here for more information.

The Thyssen-Bornemisza also recently expanded and is now twice its original size. Ongoing and upcoming exhibitions include "The Shadow" - a depiction of shadows in art throughout history - as well as a major Matisse retrospective that runs from June 9th to September 20th.

You can click here for more information.

As usual, thanks for reading. Please visit International Lodging Corporation at our home page.

What's New In Madrid? (pt. 2)

Another great recent addition to Madrid's cultural scene is the CaixaForum. Just opened, this $96 million marvel will hold art exhibitions, film screenings, workshops, concerts and conferences. The renovation was completed by Herzog and de Meuron and converted this former 1899 electrical power station into a landmark cultural hotbed.

For more information on the architecture, please click here.

Here's an excellent behind-the-scenes video:

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What's New In Madrid?

Madrid, the vibrant capital of Spain, sets a high mark for culture and nothing is more interesting than the city's world-class museums. In this multi-part series, we'll start with the Museum Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia.

Reina Sofia is Spain's majestic modern art museum. They are currently planning a large modification and restoration project throughout the interior and exterior of the building, while also making a large investment in new art acquisitions. A recently-opened series of sixth floor terraces will host a series of happenings, poetry readings and dance performances that are free to the public.

As far as exhibitions, there is a major retrospective of Julio González (a prominent 20th century sculptor) running through June 1st. Paul Thek shows his American cult art through and Eulàlia Valldosera presents her conceptual material until April 20th. Other upcoming shows include sculptures by Paul Sietsema and Juan Muñoz and multimedia installations by Fischli and Weiss.

After seeing these shows, hungry art lovers can enjoy lunch at the museum's restaurant, presided over by Sergi Arola, one of Madrid's most inventive chefs.

For more information, please visit Reina Sofia online by clicking here.

As usual, thanks for reading. Please visit International Lodging Corporation at our home page.

Air Europa Flys Nonstop To Spain

We received another round of excellent news for American travelers eyeing a Spanish vacation in the near future. Starting June 1, 2009, Air Europa will fly nonstop from JFK Airport in New York to Madrid Barajas International Airport in Spain. Rates start at $490 plus taxes and surcharge. For those looking for a real value, we recommend looking into Air Europa's special $159 fare to mark the low season (starting October 29th). This flight in combination with the unbeatable hotel and tour rates that we offer is a great value play for 2009.

Here's the full story from the Tourist Office of Spain:

New York, NY, March 6, 2009 – There’s good news for American travelers to Spain. Air Europa, which recently announced new non-stop service from New York to Madrid, is offering some very competitive fares for its inaugural season. And there was news coming out of FITUR, Spain’s annual tourism fair which ended a few weeks ago. One of the world’s leading tourism expos, FITUR attracted more than 260,000 attendees who had the opportunity to learn about new developments throughout Spain’s 17 regions. Air Europa Announces Introductory Fares Spain’s second largest airline has announced a promotional fare for its new service to Madrid. Beginning June 1, when Air Europa launches daily nonstop service from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Madrid Barajas International Airport (MAD), the fare will be $490 plus applicable taxes and fuel surcharges. Later in the year, the airline will have a special low season fare of $159 to mark its inaugural season. Valid beginning October 29, that fare is good for midweek flights, must be paid upon booking, and travel must be completed by December 13. Air Europa will fly 299-seat Airbus 330 aircraft in two-class configuration. Founded in 1986, Air Europa is the second largest carrier in Spain and today serves 44 destinations. The airline is part of the Globalia Corporation and is an associate member of the Sky Team Alliance. For further information about Air Europa, go to www.aireuropa.com.

As usual, thanks for reading. Please visit International Lodging Corporation at our home page.

Hot Deal: Hotel Duquesa de Cardona

As the snow melts and temperatures begin to rise, we know nothing gets the blood flowing better than a hot deal. Today we're featuring a fantastic set of offers for Hotel Duequesa de Cardona - a stylish 4-star boutique hotel in the heart of Barcelona's Gothic Quarter. Overlooking the Olympic Port, Columbus monument, the World Trade Center and Las Ramblas, Duequesa de Carbona provides the perfect home base for an unforgettable Spanish experience.

Our hot deals are as follows:

• April Special - Weekday (Minimum stay of 3 consecutive nights required): Valid April 1 through April 30
  
  Rates: Start at €137.70 + 7% Iva tax, per night (based upon double occupancy in a Classic Room). Offer is subject to availability. Rates with breakfast included also available.


• April Special - Weekend (Minimum stay of 3 consecutive nights required): Valid April 1 through April 30
  
  Rates: Start at €165.24 + 7% Iva tax, per night (based upon double occupancy in a Classic Room). Offer is subject to availability. Rates with breakfast included also available.


• Free Night Offer: February 1 through March 31 (except February 15-20), and July 1 through August 31
  
  Stay for 3 consecutive nights and pay for only 2 nights. Offer is subject to availability.

As usual, thanks for reading. Please visit International Lodging Corporation at our home page.

Films Of Spain

It's certainly no surprise that Spanish cinema continues to grow in international popularity. The country's beautiful scenery has served as a great inspiration to both local and foreign directors. Luis Buñuel was the first to receive major international recognition. Then the 1980s brought the legendary Pedro Almodóvar - a renowned auteur who has inspired recent cinematic sojourns to Spain from filmmakers such as Woody Allen.

Spanish cinema is also gaining local popularity. Around 15 percent of box office receipts are now from domestic films. The government openly supports this trend and has made sure that national television stations have appropriate funding to film and screen local work.

Due to Spain's beautiful terrain (and its subsequent ability to produce amazing cinematography), many Spanish films are produced in English. Famous examples include: The Machinist, The Others, Goya's Ghosts and an upcoming film by American critical darling Jim Jarmusch.

As usual, thanks for reading. Please visit International Lodging Corporation at our home page.

The Politics Of Spain

While it may not affect one's day-to-day life, it's always a good thing to know about the political system in the country you're about to visit. Today, we take a look at Spain's government.

Spanish politics take place in a parliamentary representative democratic constitutional monarchy. Sound confusing? Well, this basically reflects Spanish history all the way from Kings of yeseryear to modern political science. The Monarch is officially the Head of State (similar to England) and the Prime Minister (or President of the Government) is equivalent to Barack Obama's role in the United States. The parliament represents a multi-party system with representation based on national elections.

As far as legislative power, there are two chambers of parliament (similar to the House of Representatives and the Senate in the U.S.). The judiciary is completely indepedent of both of the other branches.

The current Prime Minister of Spain is José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, who is better known as just Zapatero. He has been nominated to this role twice by King Juan Carlos, and elected by the Congress both times (2004 and 2008). His party is called the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party, and they have won a plurality of seats in the Congress of Deputies.

As usual, thanks for reading. Please visit International Lodging Corporation at our home page.

El Greco: A True Original

Any initial research into Spain will demonstrate a rich history of unique art - from gothic and religious perfection to the modern stylings of Picasso - and El Greco really stands on his own as one of the true classics. A painter, sculptor and architect working during the renaissance, El Greco (aka The Greek) touched on many styles such as Mannerism and Venetian Renaissance. His influence really became fomidable in the 20th century when poets and painters in the Expressionist and Cubist styles picked up memes from his work and took them into the modern era.

For more information on El Greco, check out his wikipedia entry.

As usual, thanks for reading. Please visit International Lodging Corporation at our home page.

Street Shots: Madrid

One of our main interests at ILC has always been street photography. What a great, innovative way to capture a city in its pure state! With improvised snapshots and a wandering eye, photographers can provide an unparalleled view into unique populations.

We came across the Flickr page for a user named Publikaccion this morning. This is a whimsical set of street photographs in Madrid that includes citizens and tourists from all walks of life while demonstrating vibrant urban scenes in an uncontrived and spontaneous style. If you're thinking about booking a trip to Madrid with us, this black-and-white set should surely get you in the mood.

As usual, thanks for reading. Please visit International Lodging Corporation at our home page.

Hot Deal: Casa Romana

Located in beautiful Seville, Casa Romana is a 19th century mansion that was transformed into a hotel in 2004. The property has surely maintained its classic old world architecture and charm, yet the addition of modern amenities make Casa Romana the perfect destination for today's travelers.

The hotel is near Plaza del Duque and a short walk to the Cathedral, Giralda, Barrio de Santa Cruz. A 15 minute stroll takes you to the Plaza de España (a splendid tiled treasure), María Luisa Park (once a private royal park and site of the 1929 Spanish American Exhibition) and Museo de Bellas Artes - a local fine arts musueum.

The ILC special offer is valid until December 23, 2008. Rates start at €100.00 + 7% Iva tax, per night (based upon double occupancy in a Standard Room) and include buffet breakfast.

As usual, thanks for reading. Please visit International Lodging Corporation at our home page.

Parque de Maria Louisa

This magnificent park was donated by Infant Princess Maria Luisa d’Orleans. Walking through the land’s majestic statues and elm trees is a truly wondrous experience. The mixture of foliage filtering the foggy light and birds buzzing amongst thousands of flowers makes this the perfect Seville setting to stage your own romantic fairytale.

As usual, thanks for reading. Please visit International Lodging Corporation at our home page.

Made In Spain Returns

We've blogged about PBS' fantastic Made In Spain series before, but there's certainly no harm in reminding that the show is returning with 13 new episodes this fall. Local listings do vary, but you can check out PBS and find when the program airs in your neck of the woods.
Citing the PBS press release, here's a few episode descriptions to whet your appetite:

In “Paella Day,” José takes viewers to Valencia, famed for its rice fields and as the birthplace of this renowned rice dish. Later, he teaches Americans how to cook their own version on a backyard barbeque. In “Cold Soup and Hot Flamenco,” he journeys to the Andalucian city of Granada and concocts gazpacho and ajo blanco. Later he dances his way through one of Spain’s popular festivals, the Feria de Abril in another Andalucian city, Seville. Tune in for “The Land of Fire” as José visits the fabled Castile and León – full of castles and cathedrals – and samples the region’s delicious roast suckling pig and roast lamb. Here, he encounters one of the country’s great delicacies, the Iberico ham from the black-footed pigs that feed on acorns. Once unavailable in the U.S., it has recently become a sought after addition to menus across the country. In “The Onion That Would Be King,” José explores Catalonia and attends the Calçot Festival in honor of the region’s unusual onion. While on the trail of a local cheese, in “A Tale of the Drunken Goat,” he visits Murcia and the Roman theatre at Cartagena and tries his hand at a unique style of fishing.

Sounds delicious to us!
As usual, thanks for reading. Please visit International Lodging Corporation at our home page.

Hot Deal: Hotel Alhambra Palace

ILC is proud to announce a special deal for booking a stay at the historic Hotel Alhambra Palace. Inaugurated by His Majesty the King Alfonso XIII, this 4-star Moorish castle-style hotel was built in 1910 and is located on the Alhambra Hill in Granada.
The property is a short 5 minute walk to the Alhambra palace (built in the 13th century) and the Generalife summer palace and garden retreat. It's also a 5 minute ride to the city center, which includes Capilla Real (a royal chapel), a 16th century cathedral, Albaicin (old Moorish quarter), the Archeology Museum and the Sacromonte.

Rates for this hot deal start at €150.00 + 7% Iva tax, per night (based upon double occupancy).
Click here for more information.

As usual, thanks for reading. Please visit International Lodging Corporation at our home page.

Cal Pep: Catalan Dining in Barcelona

Cal Pep has long been a favorite of locals in Barcelona. Serving a variety of Catalan dishes - from tallarines saltadas to brazo de gitano de patata - the restaurant features a wide variety of flavors in a vibrant yet casual setting. When planning a trip to Barcelona, this is some authentic local cuisine that we highly recommend.

Click here for the Cal Pep Web site or call (93) 310-7961 for reservations.

As usual, thanks for reading. Please visit International Lodging Corporation at our home page.

Grilled Clams With Smoked Chili-Cachucha Mojo and Bacon

Hello and happy friday!

Here's another great tapas recipe to try soon.

MOJO:

• 5 smoked chipotle chili pods, toasted and minced


• 1/2 cup cachucha peppers, stemmed, seeded and finely chopped


• 1/4 cup red bell pepper, diced


• 1/4 cup scallions, white and green parts


• 1/4 cup red onion, minced


• 2 tablespoons garlic, minced


• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped


• 4 ounces freshly squeezed lime juice


• 6 ounces light olive oil


• Salt and freshly ground pepper

To make mojo, mix all ingredients together in a bowl and slightly chill before serving.

Preheat a grill to medium-high heat. Place bacon in a saucepan over grill and cook until crisp. With a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to a plate lined with a paper towel. Discard bacon fat.

• 4 dozen clams, scrubbed


• 8 ounces bacon, finely diced

Next, arrange clams directly over the grate of the grill and cook for 6 to 8 minutes until shells open. Transfer clams to serving plate and discard any clams that haven't opened. Spoon a teaspoon of mojo into shells and sprinkle with crisp bacon. Serve immediately.

As usual, thanks for reading. Please visit International Lodging Corporation at our home page.