|
|
  |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
This trip to
Bishop Auckland
was led by Isabelle Kent, and
was devoted to the Golden Age of Spanish art. Isabelle had reviewed the
project's new galleries when they first opened. This had led to friendly
communication between her and the project's founders, which explains our
friendly reception and comprehensive access. Monday 30th March As instructed I had booked a seat on the 10.03 train from King’s Cross arriving at Darlington at 12.30, which then went on to Aberdeen. I sat next to, and had good conversation with, a woman in the food business. Julie met our group, and Isabelle, off the train and our coach took us to the Park Head Hotel to check in. After a brief settle in 
the coach took us to the
Bishops Palace, where a
beverage and biscuits was followed by an introductory lecture given by Isabelle
on the Spanish Golden Age. Then a curator took us on a tour
of the Palace, starting with the chapel (see below right), converted from the
original banqueting hall, and taking in the state rooms and the private
apartments. The centrepiece being the collection of Zurbarán's canvases of
Jacob and his Twelve Sons, which have hung in the long dining room (see
right) for 250 years and the purchase of which began the whole recent
restoration and re-emergence of the palace. The couple responsible, through
their connection with Isabelle, were on hand to give us insights into the
process.This was followed by a welcome reception with prosecco and nibbles and a dinner together in the Palace dinning room. This was somewhat spoiled for yours truly by my pre-ordered veggie option (a sophisto pie made with veggies grown in the palace gardens) being taken by a non-vegetarian. A mozzarella and tomato ciabatta was hastily knocked up as a substitute. |
|
|
|
|
||
|
Tuesday
31st March Breakfast was weirdly croissant-free, so I succumbed to the temptation of the cooked breakfast - veggie sausages, hash browns and baked beans. After last night I felt I was owed. For our second day in Bishop Auckland we were coached to the Spanish Gallery. Here Isabelle gave a second lecture, on the artists hailing from Seville and that city's importance. After a coffee break, our group divided in two, for either a private visit to the Spanish Gallery with Isabelle, or some free 
time to visit the Faith Museum. I did the latter first, finding the Museum a
quirky treat. Some nice stained glass, including the pile pictured (right)
excavated from somewhere famous that I've now forgotten. Buying a book in the palace gift shop I got chatting to two staff
members about eating abroad, which got us onto vegetarianism and as I mentioned
my experience of last night they said 'oh was that you?!' They'd heard about it
and both also apologised. The group reunited for a lunch in the tapas restaurant next door to the museum. The hummus, patatas bravas, cooked veggies and paella all went down well, but we couldn't eat it all. Our half group was then taken through the Spanish Art museum, with its somewhat eccentric arrangement and collection, but lots of good stuff. The last two rooms, containing the oldest art, were my favourites but we were running late so got rushed out. Aftertime enough for a good rest back in our hotel rooms we met up at 6.00 for Isabelle's final lecture, on Spanish art's influence and reception in Britain, followed by our final group meal in the hotel restaurant. It was fine, with mozza/tom bruschetti, rigatoni in a tomato suace and something they called tiramisu, but which was more like raspberry panna cotta with layers of sponge cake. Wednesday 1st April The bizarre lack of croissants at the hotel breakfast is matched by a lack of fresh fruit and plain yoghurt, although there is a gluten-free toaster. I mentioned the lack of croissants to a fellow traveller this morning and she pointed out that this was the North of England, so none of your soft southern breakfast pastries here, and that I was well north of the Croissant Line. After checkout, and amongst a flurry of eye test/Dominic Cummings jokes, we travelled by coach to Barnard Castle, to visit the Bowes Museum (above right). The top floor houses the art rooms, which are full of good, if not great, stuff, displayed floor to ceiling. usually four rows high. Lots of school of... pictures and copies, but an entertaining collection. Also entertaining is the 18th-century Silver Swan automaton (right)., which does it’s thing, for 30 seconds, at pre-announced times. We were also treated to the opening of the highlight large 15th-century Flemish altarpiece, by the Master of the View of St Gudule (below). We had independent lunches at the museum restaurant – mine was carrot and coriander soup and a round of triangular Wensleydale cheese and chutney sarnies - before being coached to Darlington Station for the 14:26 return train to Kings Cross. |
|
|
