In an unusual December long weekend, with practically all the autonomous communities confined, there are few who will be able to travel during these days, and many who are looking for alternative plans. We offer you safe and coronavirus-free options that you can do without going too far from home (or even without leaving it).
Rediscover the museums
Without large crowds and with strict measures of capacity and hygiene, museums have become, after reopening, one of the safe spaces preferred by visitors. Although some centers have decided to delay their major exhibitions, others have opted to go big with important cultural events. This is the case of the exhaustive sample on Mondrian at the Reina Sofía, or the of Kandinsky and the Guggenheim of Bilbao, both opened in recent weeks.
Art lovers can also enjoy the exhibition of German expressionism at the Thyssen Madrid, with selected works from Baron Thyssen’s collection, and also in Madrid, from Invitas, the tour on women in Spanish art at the Museo del PradO.
By pulling the museum’s funds, normally hidden from the public, the main national art gallery has organized its first sample after the closing months with works that can “surprise a contemporary sensibility”, according to the museum’s director, Miguel Falomir.
The works of art hope to attract again an audience to whom they need to survive, not just figuratively, but literally. Curators at the British Museum in London found that without the breathing of the 17,000 visitors who normally visit its rooms, humidity levels have become unbalanced and can affect the conservation of the works.
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Outdoor walks with a Christmas touch
With the holidays just around the corner the Christmas markets of many cities –Now with capacity reduction and control- are presented as the ideal plan to buy decorations and gifts. The Fira de Santa Llúcia, which turns 234 in front of the Cathedral of Barcelona, returns with half the stalls, while the emblematic Christmas Market in the Plaza Mayor in Madrid will combine the Christmas stalls with the opening of the terraces of nearby bars for the first time.
Another inevitable Christmas plan, especially with children, is to see the Christmas lights. Many cities have redoubled efforts to illuminate the streets and that list could not be missing Vigo, which this year has kicked off Christmas “globally”, according to its mayor, with 10 million led lights scattered throughout the city.
Madrid has lit 210 streets in all districts, 30 more than last year. Although this year you will not have the municipal bus to see the lights, the Naviluz, there will be private alternatives. Barcelona has also increased its lighting budget and will illuminate new emblematic areas of the center, such as Plaza Catalunya and Malaga has already launched a large lighting display in the central Calle Larios.
Cities are committed to discovering what is close during the December bridge
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Routes through nature
If we already know something about this virus, it is that the safest activities are those that we can do outdoors. Local tourism is presented as the alternative to the great trips during this bridge, and lhe snow that will fall in many parts of the country offers an added attraction for the entire family.
In Granada, the Picos de Europa or areas of the Pyrenees of Navarra and AragonDepending on the day, going to see and play in the snow is a fun and airy option. The routes through the mountains can also be done without snow. It is also a good time to discover the natural areas that we have nearby and that many times we do not even notice them: the Albufera in Valencia, the Pardo area in Madrid or the Selva de Irati, in Navarra, are some of the many options.
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Theaters and cinemas, safe culture
Artists have not tired of repeating that cultural spaces are safe and the data shows it: so far, there are practically no known outbreaks in cinemas or theaters. In Madrid, there are still premieres of great musicals on Gran Vía, such as Who Killed Sherlock Holmes?, While in the Teatro Circo Price prepares a special Christmas show for the little ones. In addition, the classics do not fail with new adaptations of Macbeth O Seagull.
Tie Point – Going to the Theater is Safe in This Time of a Pandemic – 11/06/20 – Listen Now
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Although COVID has delayed big premieres that were expected for December on the big screen, theaters continue to claim as safe places with films for all tastes. Among the options, family comedies like At war with my grandfather, with Robert de Niro, Spanish romantic dramas, such as The summer we live or original proposals, such as Josep, an animation film about the experiences of Republican exiles after the Civil War.
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Homemade plans
If you prefer not to leave home, the leisure offer is not short. The platform We are cinema, from TVE, has a catalog of the best Spanish cinema in recent years. Champions, by Javier Fesser, Juliet, by Pedro Almodóvar, or The Mathausen Photographer, with Mario Casas, are some of the movies just a click away.
We do not forget the classic board game plans either. In addition to the traditional card games, Parcheesi or chess, in recent times new and original alternatives have emerged to pass the time. The Valencian company Zombi Paella has created fun games in which many will recognize their local traditions, such as La Fallera Calavera or Alakazum.
To play with your friends without having to meet, the website Board Game Arena allows you to play countless games online, from dominoes to new alternatives, such as Saboteur, Hanabi or Carcasonne.
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Enjoy reading
There is no more homemade plan on cold days than to turn to books, either from libraries or bookstores. The Constitution Bridge may be a good time to discover Todostuslibros, the platform launched by Spanish bookstores to find and buy works of all kinds. Among the novelties, this year’s Herralde award, Hundred nights, by Luisgé Martín, a fable with police overtones about love and infidelity.
If you are still in the mood to continue reading about reality, we present you some essays that shed light to understand a difficult year to understand. Some proposals: The ghost map, on how the cholera epidemic that devastated London in 1854 was found to be related to urban organization, or Epidemiocracia, by doctors Javier Padilla and Pedro Gullón, who analyzes the social impact of pandemics such as the coronavirus.
Irene Vallejo, winner of last year’s Critical Eye for Narrative award with the masterful Infinity in a reed, publish now Manifesto for reading, a vindication of the value of reading and the importance of libraries, bookstores and schools to imagine a future a little less dark.
In addition, during these days it will be running in ten Madrid bookstores “Efímera”, a fair in which 30 independent publishers they will visit different establishments to publicize their catalog. There will be a literary passport with which customers can stamp the different works they buy and thus access various rewards.
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