The Prado Museum, Madrid

The Prado national museum,located in Madrid(Spain),is one of the most important museums in the world. His main attraction takes root in the wide presence of Velazquez, Goya, Tiziano and Rubens, of whom the museums possesses the best collection that exits worldwide, to what is necessary to add the collections of important painters such as the Greco, Murillo, Jose de Ribera, Zurbaran, Rafael, Veronese, Tintoretto, Van dyck, The Bosco, to mention only the most relevant.
The usual limitations of space explain that the museum displays a selection of high quality(some 900 pictures). It has 7800 that are included in his inventary.

DIEGO VELASQUEZ:LAS MENINAS

Las Meninas is a 1656 painting by Diego Velasquez,the leading artist of the Spanish Golden Age,in the Prado Museum in Madrid. The works complex enigmatic composition raises questions obout reality and illusion, and creates an uncertain relationship between the viewer and the figures depicted. Because of these complexities,Las Meninas has been one of the most widely analysed works in Western painting. Las Meninas is shown in a large room in the Madrid palace of King Philip
the 4 of Spain, and presents several figures, most indentifiable from the Spanish court, captured, according to some commentators, in a particular moment as if in a snapshot. The young Infanta Margarita is surrounded by her entourage of maids of honour, chaperone, bodyguard, two dwarfs and a dog. Las Meninas has long been recognised as one of the most important paintings in the history of Western Art.
Provenance and condition of painting
The painting was referred to in the earliest inventories as La Familia(The Family). A detailed descripcion of Las Meninas,to which we owe the identification of several of the figures, was published by Antonio Palomino, (The Georgio Vesari of the Spanish Golden Age)in 1724.
Subject matter Las Meninas is set in Velasquez studi in Philip 4 Alcazar palace in Madrid. The hight-ceiling room is presented, in the words of Silvio Gaggi,as a simple box thet could be divided into a perspective grid with a single vanishing point. In the centre of the foreground stands the Infanta Margarita.
Composition The painted surface is divided into quarters horizontally and sevenths vertically. This grid is used to organise the elaborate grouping of characters, and was a commom device at the time. Velasquez presents nine figures -eleven if the king and queens reflected images included- yet they occupy only the lower half of the canvas. The elusiveness of Las Meninas,according to Dawson Carr, suggests that art, and life, are an ilusion. The relacionship between illusion and reality were central concerns in Spanish culture during the 17 th century, figuring largely in Don Quixote, the best known work of Spanish Baroque Literature.

http://platea.pntic.mec.es/anilo/cuaderno/meninas.htm

A Coruña

A Coruña is situated northwest of Spain. It is one of the best places you can visit. This is a suitable place to spending your holidays during the hot summer months, away from the excess of sun rays. It has a fantastic views. Take for example, Méndez Núñez's gardens where you can see a clock and everydays date both made of flowers, a fountain where you can see some fish, and a lot of statues, for example, John Lennon sitting down with his guitar; the "Kiosko Alfonso" where there are exhibition carried and round-table conferences. We must remember that in the month of August it takes place the book and craft fairs. Then going to the sea you can have quiet beaches, for example, Riazor, Orzán and Oza, situated right in the city centre.

If you are interested in visiting museums, there are a lot of them, among the most important are The Scientific Museums called "The Three Houses". These are three: the Aquarium Finisterrae called "Fish House" where you will be able to appreciate the underwater world; the Planetary and the "Sciencie House" where you can discover the Sciencie mystery; and finally if you want to know all about the human body you can go to Domus called "Human House". As another curiosity you can visit the Hércules Tower, the oldest Roman light house that is still working since the second century.
If you are interested in food there are excelents restaurants where you can taste the most delicius Galician food: the Galician stew, with pig's trotter and turnip tops. You can get lost in so many pubs to enjoy at the night. Among the many places to visit in the outskirts of the town you can enjoying the spectacular green scenery and blue beaches. But don't forget, above all there are so kind and friendly people that will make you return soon.
You should travel to A Coruña. Don't miss it!

SORIA

Castilla y Leon´s smallest provincial capital goes along the Duero River. It´s an expensive city, it´s clean and it´s peaceful and very quiet. We must say that the weather is very cold, in the winter and warm in the summer, but don´t forget that in the summer night you must wear a sweater because avery evening it is cold.

Soria´s modern parador is named after the poet Antonio Machado, who wrote in favour of the town and surrounding plains. If you walk to the bank all along the Duero River, you´ll see a path with poplars, there Antonio Machado wrote his poems about Soria and love, who was her lovly wife Leonor. At the end of the path there is an old monastery named San Saturio.

If there´s one thing I really like about Soria is that there is a very colourful environment. North of Soria, there you can visit the ruins of Numantia. To the northwest you can see Sierra of Urbion, with pines and a lake, called Laguna Negra. Antonio Machado inspired one of his legends in that place. In Soria pace of life is abundant, but people are a bit distant but very kind.

http://www.iberiarural.es/lugares/soria/laguna-negra-de-soria.htm

DESCRIPTION OF LEÓN

León is a city located in the North of Spain, it is the capital of the province of León in the region of Castille and León.
This is a city with not very much population and there you can live there very well, because it is not a big city. There you can get rid of the problems like pollution and the traffic noise.
León has got two rivers, the Bernesga river that goes to the West and the Torio river that goes to the East. You can take a walk by the riverside full of gardens and pedestrian areas.
The most important monuments to see are The Cathedral which was built in the 13th century, San Marcos,then a Monastery now a hotel, the Roman and the Medieval walls.
The most important museum is The Musac , the museum of the contemporanean art, where you can enjoy magnificent pictures and different statues of great value.
There is also a famous area called 'Barrio Humedo' full of bars where people can enjoy the evening and their free time.
So,come to Leon, you won't regret.

Aranda de Duero

Aranda de Duero is a city in the province of Burgos, Spain. It is situated between Madrid and Burgos, making it an accesible junction by which visitors can travel both north and south.

There are many sights to see in the area, and one can highlight important buildings like "The Berdugo Palace": a renaissance mansion situated in the centre of the city.

Furthermore it is important to visit religious buildings in the region, such as the Ccurch of Santa Maria as it was built in a Gothic style.

The Virgin of the Vineyards Sanctuary is found on a small hill to the north of the city where there is a park of the same name. Here there is an image of the Vigin of the Vineyards, the patron saint of the city.

As for as culture is concerned in Aranda de Duero, one can also find museums, for example there is one on the Railway, which informs us of its history and importance within the city.

The Pottery Museum is situated in the neighbourhood of Santo Domingo and has a wide collection of traditional pottery from Castile and Leon.

Music is particulary highlighted in the "Sonorama" in Aranda de Duero.
It is a festival of independent music organised by the cultural association of Troya, which is celebrated in the city around the middle of August.

Of course, there are many romeriasm and fairs that are celebrated in Aranda. The first of these is called Cañonazo and the followind Sunday they celebrate the day of the Virgin on the Vineyards. A tradition of Aranda is that of the bulls, where a great race takes place, creating huge crowds of noise all around.

Fodd in Aranda is typically roasted lamb chops, fried sausages (=chorizo)and, of course, the famous black pudding (=morzilla) of Burgos. As previously metioned, the renowned wine of Aranda plays a large part to complete the wide range of food.
For dessert, the most popular are the empiñonados, the yolks and the torts (torta) of Aranda.

Perhaps one of the most well known restaurants in Aranda is called " The Shepherd" El Pastor. I love to go there at least once a year with my family whenever I get the chance.

As yoiu can see,it is evident that Aranda has much to offer both tourists and local people and I would warmly recommend a visit there to people of all ages and backgrounds.

Cristina Juan

MODALES

OBLIGACIÓN O NECESIDAD:

Must
Have got,had to

Need to/needn't

PERMISO:

Can, could
May
Allowed to
Let

RECOMENDACIONES,SUGERENCIAS
Y CONSEJOS:

Should
Ought to
Could

HABILIDAD O CAPACIDAD:

Can En el pasado: Was, were able to, managed.
Know En negativo (ausencia de habilidad o capacidad):
Can´t Couldn´t, wasn´t, weren´t able to
Interrogativo y afirmativo:
Could (was able to)

POSIBILIDAD, INCERTIDUMBRE:

Might, may
Could+inf (no en negativo)
+participio pasado (no tenemos certeza absoluta de que sucedió)
+have+been+ing (acciones pasadas que se desarrollan en el momento del pasado en el que hablamos)

PROHIBICIÓN

Musn´t
Aren´t allowed
Can´t
It is forbidden to
Couldn´t
Weren´t allowed to

AUSENCIA DE OBLIGACIÓN DE NECESIDAD:

Hasn´t go to
Needn´t
Doesn´t have to
Isn´t necessary to
Didn´t have to and didn´t need to ( para algo que no fue necesario en el pasado)

DEDUCCIÓN:

Must + inf (seguro o casi seguro)
Can´t + inf (probable en negativo)
Must/can´t be +ing (seguro o casi seguro en el momento de hablar)
Must have + participio pasado (conclusión probable de pasado)
Can´t have+ participio pasado (conclusión probable/seguro o casi seguro del pasado)