Casa Lis

If you like the turn of the century style, and if you'd like to see something special in a really good location, then you should go and visit the Casa Lis. Obviously it's very cheap, especially if you have the student card ;)

More than a wonderful example of Art Deco building in Salamanca, the museum holds a wide collection of forniture, statues and other typical objects of that period. A very unique collection, and even a bit odd, is the porcelain doll one. Counting 300 pieces, it's the widest public show in the world of this kind.

What interested me more was the abundance of decorations. There are examples of jewels by René Lalique (with the famous grass and dragonflies that have begun a symbol of Art Deco), Carl Fabergé's eggs and chryselephantine statues, porcelains and enamel, brozes, paintings, sculptures, fans and handkerchieves. Moreover there is a glass collection which consists of chandeliers, vases, perfume bottles y board games. All, even the smallest objests, is finely decorated with modern techniques wich highlight the colours.

My favourite place is that of the Café: here it really seems to travel through the time. From here you can go to the terrace and admire the astonishing south façade of the building, with its galeries of iron and glass in a perfect combination of classic and modern style. Moreover in the central patio there is a galery with columns of fused metal and wonderful painted glasses. In the whole building stand out the decorations over the doors representing the blueflower honoring the very first owner Miguel de Lis.

Until the 1st of september you can visit the exposition "Coco Chanel y sus amigos", with a colection of pictures, dresses and even the most known perfumes of the greatest stilist ever. Futhermore, next friday august 7th the concert cycle "Una noche con Coco" will end with Sheila Blanco performing classic rock, jazz, blues and french song versions. There will be the opportunity to visit all the collections and enjoy this magic place until 12 pm.

Ester (Italy)

Extracurricular activities 25.05.2015 - 30.05.2015

Let's make the most our of what is left of May with our extracurricular activities. Check them out:

Monday 25, 6:00 pm: Small boat ride - Why not take advantage of the good weather and go ride a small boat along the river Tormes?
Approximate duration: 1 h.

Tuesday 26, 4:50 pm: Trivial - We are playing a questions and answers game with eacher Beatriz. A great way to test your knowledge, practise your Spanish and have fun.
Approximate duration: 1 h.

Wednesday 27, 6:30 pm: Exhibition - We are heading to DA2 (Domus Artium 2002), a contemporary art museum. Among the current exhibits is a show displaying the final projects of the students graduating from the Salamanca School of Art.

Approximate duration: 1 h.

Thursday 28, 8:00 pm: Microtheatre - Let's go wish happy birthday to La Malhablada and watch one of their microtheatre plays adapted for students of Spanish.
Approximate duration: 40 min.

Friday 29, 7:45 pm: Tapas tour - A grace note to end the week: come taste some tapas of your choice in some of the best bars of the city centre.
Approximate duration: 1 h 30 min.

Saturday 30, Excursions - Toledo o La Alberca? Choose your destination for a perfect weekend. Further information at the reception desk.

Please don't forget that you need to sign up for each activity at the reception desk (in order to reserve your place). The minimum number of participants required for each activity is usually three. Unless otherwise stated, the meeting point is Tía Tula school.

Try to participate in as many activities as you can; they are designed not just for you to have fun, but also to improve your knowledge of Salamanca and Spanish culture, and to put into practice the Spanish you have learnt in class.

International Museum Day

Today is marked as the International Museum Day, an iniciative seeking to raise awareness of the fact that museums play an important rol in society. Quoting Prof. Dr. Hans-Martin Hinz, President of the ICOM, "museums are an importante means of cultural exchange, enrichment of cultres and development of mutual understanding, cooperation and peace among peoples". Since it was established in 1977, International Museum Day is held around May 18th every year and each edition celebrates a different theme, this year's being "Museums for a sustainable society". Four museums in Salamanca have joined the initiative with free admission and special activities today:

Museo Casa Lis

Visit the 19 collections of this peculiar museum, focusing on art nouveau and art déco, with free admission today between 11 am and 2 pm.

Museo Da2
This contemporary art centre located in the old jail offers guided tours free of charge today at 1 pm, 6 pm and 7 pm. Besides the exhibitions currently on display, visitors will be shown areas which are not usually open to the public, such as the restoration space and the warehouses. You need to arrange your visit by calling 923 18 49 16. Groups of maximum 20 people.

Museo de Historia de la Automoción
Free admission today at this museum displaying more than 90 vehicles from different periods. If you are lucky enough to be visiting the museum at midday or at 6 pm, you are welcome to join a free guided tour. Furthermore, following this year's theme, "Museums for a sustanaible society", visitors will be introduced to a device invented in the nineteenth century, the gasogen, that has since been improved and is being applied to projects related to energetic efficiency and sustainability, such as some that have to do with biomass fuel and electricty generation.

Museo de Salamanca
Museo de Salamanca exhibits paintings, archaeological remains, craftwork and goldsmithing, among others, also adheres to International Museum Day by holding special activities from Tuesday, May 19th to Sunday, May 24th:

Tuesday, May 19th | 5 pm: themed visit: "Mujeres protagonistas" (Leading women).
Wednesday, May 20th | 5 pm: themed visit: "Paisajes en el museo" (Landscapes in the museum) | 6 pm: piano concert.
Thursday, May 21st | 5 pm: themed visit: "Mujeres protagonistas" (Leading women) | 6 pm: voice and piano concert.
Friday, May 22nd | 5 pm: themed visit: "Paisajes en el museo" (Landscapes in the museum) | 6 pm: guitar concert | 7 pm: temporary exhibition "La liberación de los cautivos" (The liberation of the captive).
Saturday, May 23rd | 11:30 am: workshop "Arqueólogos e historiadores por un día" (Archaeologists and historians for one day) | 1 pm: piece of the month, El códice de los trajes, del siglo XVI (The codex of garments, 16th century) | 1:30 pm: piece of the month, El códice de los trajes, del siglo XVI (The codex of garments, 16th century) | 5 pm:
themed visit: "Mujeres protagonistas" (Leading women) | 6 pm: violin concert.
Sunday, May 24th | 1 pm: chamber music concert.

Don't miss this chance to get to know Salamanca a bit better. Our alumni Claire didn't and she told us in this article.

Credits:
Poster distributed by ICOM.
Collage, left to right:
"Cafetería de la Casa Lis (Salamanca)" by Siri twin under GFDL via Wikimedia Commons.
"PEGASOZ102SAOUTCHICK" by Arbeyu under CC BY-SA 2.5 via Wikimedia Commons.
"El Día de la Hecatombe - I" by r2hox under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Flickr.

Being on a clock in Salamanca: 36 hours in the city

Some people think that being a tourist is a very relaxed activity and for some it actually may be. However, if you want to see ‘all there is to see’ and you only have a limited period of time, sightseeing might become a race and thus almost a sport in its own right. Do not be fooled, walking around and up and down the city (depends on what city you are visiting) is no easy task. A friend of mine came to visit me this weekend and unfortunately she could only stay a day and a half. Salamanca has a lot of things to offer, more than you can visit in 36 hours (unless you want to be sightseeing from 8am to 10pm without stopping for food).  The 2 things you simply must visit are the Cathedrals as well as Plaza Mayor. However, visiting these two doesn't mean that you've seen it all, it simply means that you won’t be chased by ghosts when leaving the city. 

I prepared a small ‘plan’ of basic things that in my opinion should be on anyone’s list. I didn't want her to feel overwhelmed, after all, she came here to relax and not to run around trying to do it all. The places I suggested were: Ieronimus, Scala Coeli and El Huerto de Calixto y Melibea (if you'd like more information about this garden have a look at our earlier article here).

Ieronimus is a permanent exhibition through the medieval towers of the Old and New Cathedrals where you can become familiar with their construction and history as well as with the interior of the cathedrals as seen from the inner platform. Also worth mentioning are the amazing views you can enjoy from the surrounding terraces and the towers themselves. 

Another exhibition, Scala Coeli, invites you to discover the two towers belonging to the ‘Clerecia’, a building directly opposite to ‘La Casa de las Conchas’ (The House of Shells). The view from the towers is breath-taking and you can see the New Cathedral from a slightly different perspective than you are used to. You will also get to see one side of Plaza Mayor which you are not accustomed to (you might not even realise it is Plaza Mayor at first). 

And as you might be a little bit exhausted after climbing all of the stairs (although it’s totally worth it), you might want to go have a look at Casa Lis, a Museum Art Nouveau and Art Déco, where you can see some interesting collections of glass and porcelain dolls and have a coffee at a quite unusual and charming café. And if you are only in town visiting there’s a well-stocked gift shop which has a different assortment than the rest of the tourist shops.

Although it is nice to explore the city by wandering around, sometimes it is just not possible and then you need to have a ‘plan’ or at least a doable list of things you would like to see and activities you’d like to do. I think that if you only have a limited time to spend in Salamanca then these things should be on your list. However, most importantly, do not forget to enjoy your time (relax) and feel Salamanca’s atmosphere. After all, that’s what travelling is about. 

Activities 28/07 - 03/08

We have another great week of activities for you this week! Come for a milkshake with us on Monday or soak up some culture with a museum exhibition, tapas and Latin dance classes. If you need some time to relax, come down to the park with us on Wednesday to relax in the shadows and practice your Spanish whilst playing some games. If you fancy a break from the city over the weekend, come along with us to the beaches of Santander to relax in the sun and the cool sea breeze!

Monday 28th July: Milkshakes! We are going to a café to enjoy a milk shake, or any of the other sweet things or drinks they have on offer such as tea and various cakes. Meeting place Tía Tula 18:50. Approximate duration 40 min.

Tuesday 29th: Museum. We will be taking you to the 'Casa Lis', an art nouveau and art deco museum. The museum gives a tour of art from the late 19th century until the Second World War, as well as a contemporary Gaudi exhibition. Meeting place Tía Tula 18:50. Approximate duration 1h. (Bring your student card for a discounted price)

Wednesday 30th:  Park. We will be going to one of the city's parks to spend the afternoon relaxing in the shadows of the trees while playing different games. Meeting place Tía Tula 18:50. Approximate duration 1h30.

Thursday 31st: Dance class. Come and enjoy learning the steps of Latin dance and practice your dance skills to take out to the bars this weekend! Meeting place, Tía Tula 20:00. Approximate duration 1h30.

Friday 1st of August: Tapas tour. We will be going to some of the best bars in the city centre to try some of the local Salamancan tapas delicacies. Meeting place, Tía Tula 19:00. Approximate duration 1h30.

Sunday 3rd: Excursion. Santander Beach. We will be taking you for a day trip to The beach in Santander to get some sea breeze on your face. Leaving at 07:00 and returning at 20:00 (approximate times). Please ask at reception for more details about prices.

*Note: Please contact reception for information about prices for any of the activities. If you are interested in any of the activities, it is helpful if you contact the reception to let them know. Minimum 3 people for each activity unless otherwise stated.