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Spain (Summer 2005)

My partner Octavio and I toured the new Museo del Arte Contemporaneo (MUSAC) in Leon, Spain, in August 2005. We stood in front of the rainbow-colored panelled walls in the courtyard for a photo.

In August, 2005, my partner Octavio and I spent 10 splendid days in Spain, dividing our time about evenly between Madrid, León, and San Sebastián. Here, Octavio and I are standing in front of the Museo del Arte Contemporáneo (MUSAC), the new contemporary art museum in León, where Octavio has mounted exhibitions. Octavio is an independent international art curator and writer specializing primarily in photography, video, and film. Our tour of MUSAC was near the end of our trip.
The plaza in front of Leon Cathedral was drenched in sun.

The façade of the cathedral in León dates to the 16th century, but the essential architecture reflects its origins in the 13th century. The splendidly-preserved stained glass windows are among the best in the world.
The old quarter of Leon has narrow cobblestone streets.

A perfect surprise: a street in the old quarter of León named Calle Cervantes.
The baroque facade of the San Marco monastery building is extraordinary.

Our hotel was a few blocks away from the Plaza San Marco, named for the Renaissance-Baroque monastery that has now been turned into the Hotel Parador León. I was having trouble keeping my eyes open, between the intense sun and the dripping sunscreen.
This page © 2004 by Amittai F. Aviram.