July 16, 2012

• 12.07.2012 Cuenca. A total-immersion cultural experience.

  Why am I in Cuenca? Why in the heart of Castilla-La Mancha? Well, I’m not crazy about Don Quixote, but I am crazy about Graham Green’s Monsignor Quixote, so that’s a huge reason. But when I read in my enormous copy of the Lonely Planet guide for Western Europe that Cuenca is a UNESCO Heritage Site, that clinched it for me. UNESCO seldom gets is wrong. And they didn’t this time either. The Old Town of Cuenca is a medieval delight of winding streets, gorgeous-looking houses left, right and centre, millions of little churches, steep ravine-like walls surrounding the town, and the famous Hanging Houses which cheekily jut out over a vertical ravine.

  I started my exploration of the Old Town in Cuenca by walking up the winding street starting at the tourist bus car park, and I got some fabulous shots of the Hanging Houses – Las Casas Calgadas – from the San Pablo pedestrian bridge. However, when I discovered that the much talked-about Museo de Arte Abstracto Español was actually housed inside Las Casas Colgadas, that got my culture-vulture heart pumping hard. What can I say? The museum had a stunning collection of modern art while making the very most of this old, famous building. One room was completely white, for example, with white art. Surreal, but very memorable. I especially liked this huge, black painting in one room, with just a tiny cross and a small line in the middle. Don’t laugh, but I really did! It was by Antoni Tapies, and I’m sure there are art experts out there for whom he’s really famous, and who find this painting really remarkable. The painting is called Cruz y raya.

  There was also an entire exhibition showcasing work by Vladimir Lebedev. I’m not too keen on his illustrations for children’s books, but I saw some really great drawings and
  portraits.

  The lunch deal at a small restaurant in Plaza Mayor was out of this world.

  • Bread
  • Green salad
  • First course (I chose tagiatelli with ham)
  • Second course (I chose lamb chops)
  • Mineral water
  • As much red wine as I wanted (they put a 1-litre bottle on my table)
  • Desert (I chose bread pudding with cream)

  Price: €10

  I have no idea how they make money on this. However, all the other restaurants in the square were empty and mine was bustling like Waterloo Station in rush hour, so I guess the volume is the secret.

  And, I forgot to say. The food was excellent. Oh, and I also forgot to say. It was while having this meal, that the holiday feeling finally kicked in. Totally.

  Memorable bits from the walk along the winding streets of old Cuenca include the Cathedral, the ruins from the a church of San Pantaleon, and the old remains of the Arab section and archway of the castle wall. The old residential quarters above the city – Barrio del Castillo – also had some houses I immediately fell in love with. Why don’t I live here in Cuenca? No idea.

  So, is that it? Well, it’s not. I walked past another art museum called Fundacion Antonio Perez after lunch but it was closed. However, I decided to wait until it opened again at 5.00PM, which turned out to be an excellent decision. This modern art museum had four floors filled with the most creative and interesting work I’ve seen in a very long time. This place was fun, oozing with energy. It had this kind of mind-meeting-mind stuff where you are challenged and intrigued. It truly was the cherry on the cake from my Cuenca visit today. I can’t possibly remember everything I’ve seen there today – it was a kind of total-immersion-in-art experience – but Lucebert’s extremely colourful and slightly disturbing characters remain in my memory.

  Tomorrow it’s Barcelona. With two AVE trains, I should be there just after noon.

  

  • 6:28 pm
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