PICK OF THE WEEK: Andorra (Pyrenees)
Main places:
Andorra la Vella, Escaldes-Engordany, San Julia de Loria, La Massana, Ordino, Encamp, Canillo, Pas de la Casa
PICK OF THE WEEK: Monday, 15th October – Sunday, 21st October, 2018
BALLET
Monday, 15th October at 20.15h at the Cinemes Illa Carlemany, Escaldes-Engordany. Mayerling by the Royal Ballet direct from the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London. Dangerous desires, family secrets and political intrigues twist through every moment of the daring choreography in Kenneth MacMillan’s ballet inspired by true events.
The Story: Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria-Hungary is emotionally unstable and haunted by his obsession with death. He is forced to marry Princess Stephanie. Soon afterwards his former lover Marie Larisch introduces him to a new mistress, Mary Vetsera, a young woman who shares his morbid fascination.At the hunting lodge Mayerling, Rudolf and Mary form a suicide pact. They make love before Rudolf shoots first Mary and then himself. The royal family desperately covers up the tragedy.
Mayerling is based on the true story of the deaths of Crown Prince Rudolf and his teenage mistress Mary Vetsera in 1889. This dark and intense ballet was created for The Royal Ballet in 1978 and is regarded by many as among Kenneth MacMillan’s finest works. Orchestrated and arranged by John Lanchbery, the music of Franz Liszt sweeps the story to its intense conclusion, and sumptuous designs by Nicholas Georgiadis bring to life the formal, oppressive world of the Austro-Hungarian court.
The large-scale crowd and court scenes show the whole Company off at its dramatic finest. But it is MacMillan’s choreography for Rudolf, one of the most technically and emotionally demanding roles in the repertory for male dancers, that makes this ballet so iconic. Rudolf’s emotional decline is charted through daring and visceral pas de deux with his mother, his wife and Mary Vetsera – choreography that pushes classical ballet to its limits
Conductor: Koen Kessels, Crown Prince Rudolf: Steven McRae, Baroness Mary Vetsera: Sarah Lamb, Countess Marie Larisch: Laura Morera, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Concert Master: Vasko Vassilev
THEATRE
Thursday, 18th October at 20:15h at the Cinemes Illa Carlemany, Escaldes-Engordany. Direct from the Comédie-Française, in French. Lucrèce Borgia by Victor Hugo. The Story: Criminal, adulterous, incestuous, Lucrece Borgia wants to tear herself away from the evil that is her condition, to be recognized and loved by Gennaro, the child she had with her brother. At a ball in Venice, Gennaro courted a beautiful masked woman before discovering with horror the face of Lucrece, his mother, whom he abhors. Stung by the affront of Gennaro’s friends who insult her, and suspected of adultery by her husband, Lucrece triggers a heart breaking vengeance …
Rarely does a dramatic work go so far in depicting maternal love. Lucrece is a moral monster but also a loving mother. Victor Hugo wrote Lucrece Borgia to show the pearl that lies at the bottom of every monster.
CINEMA
Jornades de cinema espanyol/ Season of Spanish Cinema. Free at Cinemes Illa Carlemany, Escaldes-Engordany. All at 20h. PROGRAMME: Tuesday, 16 Oct: La ardilla roja. 23 Oct: Requisitos para ser una persona normal. 6 Nov: La caja 507. 15 Nov: Felices 140. 20 Nov: Lista de espera.
Monday 15th – Thursday, 18th October at 19:30h at the Cinemes Illa Carlemany, Escaldes-Engordany. First Man. Directed by Damien Chazelle, Starring: Ryan Gosling, Claire Foy, Jason Clarke. The Story: A look at the life of the astronaut, Neil Armstrong, and the legendary space mission that led him to become the first man to walk on the Moon on July 20, 1969.
NOTE FOR YOUR DIARY: Wednesday, 24th at 21.30h at La Llacuna, Andorra la Vella. Award winning Lady Bird in the CineClub Cycle.
CHILDREN
Wednesday, 17th October at 18h at the public library in the Sports Complex, Encamp. Storytime: El aguadel ganso silvestre with Mercé Fernández. (The Water of the Wild Goose – in Catalan for children aged 6 and over.) The Story: This is a popular Chinese tale that tells the story of a farmer who, long ago, lived with his daughter Marina at the foot of a mountain. Both cultivated a small seed, but in a year of drought, crops were endangered. One day, the Navy discovered on the top of the mountain a clean and glittering lake: the water of the Wild Goose. Water that could be the salvation of the people.
Saturday, 20th October at 10:30h at the Historical Archive, Escaldes-Engordany. (Avinguda Carlemany, 30, Escaldes-Engordany. Phone: +376 802 255or [email protected]) Saturdays of Secrets – A Trip into history (3€ in Catalan – Children are recommended to bring a bottle of water, sunglasses and comfortable shoes. ) An entertaining way for young detectives to discover history.
Do you want to take part in the creation of the parish of Escaldes-Engordany? We invite you to an extraordinary village meeting on October 20th. We will walk around to discover the emblematic places in the parish. Together we will make history!
Saturday, 20th October at 11.30h in the public library, Sports Complex, Encamp. Storytime: Phantom Manor in English aimed at children aged 3 – 7 and run by Kids & Us. On this occasion, the story tells us how Jane and Bunny are going to live in a huge mansion, but what they do not know is that there is also a ghost in the house with a big problem; it doesn’t know how to scare people. Can you help us solve the problem?
Saturday, 20th October at 10h at the Communal building, Portal de la Vall, Andorra la Vella. Free. Limited places. Registration at [email protected] or by calling 742 630.
Micology Workshop (Mushrooms – in Catalan.) A workshop aimed at children and adolescents aged 8 to 16, which will consist of identifying various species of mushrooms. Come and learn some basic rules to identify the mushrooms found in nature, not only with the description of morphology, colours, and characteristics such as smell, but also with a study of microscopic structures looking through a magnifying glass.
The workshop will be led by Manel Niell from CENMA.
See also below for a children’s workshop in the textile and glass exhibition.
GASTRONOMY
Until Wednesday, 31st October at La Massana restaurants. 11th Gastronomic Days ‘La Massana Fogons’ (some of the menus are absolutely delicious CA) This year thirteen restaurants are participating in offering typical autumn dishes. This is a good opportunity to learn about high-mountain cuisine, which combines the most traditional recipes with the creative touch of each cook.
The main feature is that the protagonists use autumn products: mushrooms, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, figs, apples, pomegranates, truffles … In the pamphlet that includes all the menus – pick one up from your local tourist office – all these autumn foods have been marked. This is one way to present the wealth and variety of vegetables and fruits found at this time of year.The abundance of mushrooms to be found in the woods, turns this into one of the star elements of the menus, with such proposals as mushrooms stuffed with green allioli and cream of vines with hazelnuts.
The participating restaurants are: Borda Eular, La Torrada, Molí dels Fanals, Émo Hotel Palomé, Abba Xalet Suites Hotel, Hort de Casa, Angelo, Cal Silvino, Hostal Palanques, Borda Secreta, Borda de l’Avi, Borda Raubert and Chalet Hotel Montané. Menu prices vary between 24 and 35 euros and all include a first and a second course, with several options, plus a dessert.
OTHER
XII Textile and Glass workshops
Saturday 20th and Sunday, 21st October at the Passeig del Valira, Espai Caldea, Escaldes-Engordany.(Places limited. Registration for the various workshops necessary. Tel: 890 853or [email protected]) XII Textile and Glass workshops, Escaldes-Engordany.
SATURDAY: 1) Registration 20€ From 9h – 12:30h and from 15h – 18:30h Contemporary-style workshop, by the artist, Pierre Fouché. Travel to the world of design and the most contemporary creation of punta al coixí, a sort of lace work created originally in the 16th century using a cushion as the worktable. 2) Monographic registration: 10€. 9:30h – 12:30h Monograph The art of painting wool, by Linda Prema. The art of painting wool, an introduction to the technique of felt making and the exploration of its possibilities with colour. From 16h – 18h Registration: 3€. Activity for children from 6 years old by Linda Prema. Starting with felt as a base, they will make a small sponge that surrounds a bar of soap.
In Coprínceps Square: From 12:30h – 13:30h and from 18h – 19h
Plot in the street by Marutxi Beaumont. Making a giant tapestry dedicated to water where everyone can attend and experience, accompanied musically by Landry Riba and Sílvia Garcia.
SUNDAY: From 9.30h – 13h: Meeting with the lace makers. Performance by the Esbart Santa Anna folkdance group. In the Prat del Roure Room 8th Competition of Contemporary Lace making to the theme, “The murmur of water” followed by distribution of prizes. 11h At el Prat del Roure (outside) La Madeja, by the artist Irene de la Paz. Combine balance on cable and the art of knitting: a delicate proposal about the acceptance of mess as part of us, in which we are shown that life has many threads to be interwoven.
Culturally yours,
Clare.
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Look for about the author of the blog Clare Allcard
See also Andorra travel guide
See also Pyrenees travel guide
See also France travel guide
See also Spain travel guide
