Articket BCN

A few months ago, I visited Barcelona with my Mum. For both of us, this was our first time in the city and we wanted to make the most of it! Going in April, we knew that we weren't going to get the best weather, so we planned to visit all of the tourist attractions that Barcelona had to offer.

When we started to do our research for the trip, I came across the Articket in my Lonely Planet guide (I would highly recommend this book if you've never visited the city, it's a really handy size and is full of information). We were planning on visiting a couple of the attractions on the list, so decided to buy Artickets for both of us. This was easily the best decision that we made.

The whole process of buying an Articket on their website was really simple and we picked them up at the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya ticket office. The pass itself is designed like a passport and then this is stamped in each gallery when you arrive. It makes the whole experience feel exclusive and is a really nice touch.

So what do you actually get for €30 each (apart from a totally Instagrammable passport)? The main benefit of the ticket is saving roughly 45% on the entrance price to 6 galleries around Barcelona. Another great benefit is being able to smugly walk past the long queues of people and getting to spend more time in the galleries themselves. And, of course, there's discovering the art (and history) of a city and, in fact, a whole country.

The Museums Themselves

(A Series of Mini Reviews)

The Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona (CCCB) 

This museum has a programme of different exhibitions, focussing on culture and creativity. The exhibition 'Making Africa: A Continent of Contemporary Design' was the main exhibition on during our visit (and runs until 28th August 2016). It showcases a whole range of work of over 120 African artists and creators and more information can be found here. I knew nothing of the exhibition before we got to the museum, but it was actually one of the highlights of the trip. It was put together brilliantly, and all the spaces were full of works of different mediums. On entering the first room, you could pick up a newspaper, which described, in detail, each individual piece in a variety of languages (which I am very grateful for, as I don't speak a single word of Catalan!). This works so much better at engaging people than most traditional exhibition programmes and cleared away confusing labels. If I do go back to Barcelona (which I hope I do!), I look forward to seeing what the next exhibition will be!

Fundació Antoni Tàpies 

OK. I'll be honest. I hadn't heard of Antoni Tàpies before we visited Barcelona (don't tell my University lecturers!). Whilst the exhibition was interesting, it was a relatively small space upstairs where his works were displayed and so they had chosen to only show some of his early works. Whilst I understand that the works were delicate, unfortunately I learnt little about the artist throughout his career. Downstairs was a selection of works by artists contemporary to Tàpies and did make the visit much more interesting. 

Fundació Joan Miró 

We visited this gallery just a couple of weeks after the exhibition was supplemented by additional paintings to mark the foundation's 40th anniversary. This meant that there was a great range of works from throughout his career. I really enjoyed how the whole of the building was used to display his sculptures, and the roof terrace had some great views over Barcelona.

MACBA 

This gallery makes use of its own collection, but also has many spaces for temporary exhibitions. Unfortunately, we made the mistake of visiting this after a long day of walking around the city in the rain, so definitely didn't make the most of it! I would recommend leaving more time than you think you need for this (don't make the same mistake we did) and checking out each of the individual exhibitions.

Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya 

I'm not quite sure what I was expecting from the national art museum, but I didn't quite anticipate such a great range of art. The collection covers Catalan art of all periods, from Romanesque mural painting to Velázquez to furniture designed by Gaudi. We spent hours wandering around and could have spent a lot longer there. You can also make the most of the area, explore the gardens of Montjuïc and enjoy the view. Regardless of whether or not you buy an Articket, this museum is a must-visit.

Museu Picasso 

Probably the busiest of all the galleries, which is no real surprise, this was the best gallery to utilise the Articket's queue-jumping ability! The gallery showcases works from Picasso's formative years, but also some select works (including prints and ceramics), from later in his career. This is another must-visit when in Barcelona, as the gallery explores the artist's connection to the city.

There really are no negatives to purchasing an Articket when visiting Barcelona. In the past, I have avoided buying tickets for multiple attractions because I thought that I wouldn't enjoy some of them. How wrong I was! This is definitely something that I will look into in other cities. If you know of any others, please let me know!

My Top Tips:

• Go early. Yes, you can use the Articket to skip the queues (which is really useful when you visit in the afternoon), but there is so much to see at some of the galleries that you will want to spend as much time as you can at them. They are also some of the most visited galleries in the world, so they do get busy!
• Plan your week around your visits. You don't want to spend unnecessary time travelling around, so see what else is in the area.
• Make the most of what else Barcelona has to offer and explore the different parts of the city when you travel to them. 
• Find out which museums you can take photos in (but be respectful of other people around you if you do take your camera).
• Use the lockers in each museum. You don't want to carry around a heavy bag, especially in a busy gallery, and most of the galleries have lockers and cloakrooms that you can take advantage of.
• Check the opening times. Some of the galleries are closed on Mondays, so check in advance to make sure you won't be disappointed.
• Take your time. The great thing about the Articket is that you skip the queues and spend more time in the galleries.
• Don't be put off if you haven't heard of an artist. The Articket is perfect for discovering Spanish artists of all periods and I have a few new favourites! 
• Don't be afraid to use the Metro. I don't know why I was uneasy about using public transport, but it actually became a really important thing for our trip. Walking around an unfamiliar city can be interesting, but doing it every single day definitely takes it out of you, and means that you spend less time in the attractions. After some advice from our landlady, we bought a T-10 ticket for the Metro. This was a multi-person ticket (which I don't think we have in the UK), and was only €9.95 for 10 journeys - perfect!

If you have visited Barcelona and have used the Articket, I would love to hear what you thought of the experience.

More information about the Articket BCN can be found at their website.

You can pick up one of the Lonely Planet guides mentioned in this review here.

My First MOOC

I recently completed my Masters degree, and after spending a total of five years at university, I’ve become slightly addicted to learning. As I have found myself with quite a bit of spare time, I decided to try something completely new to me, so I signed up for my first online course, or MOOC. I must admit, I was slightly concerned about it, that it wouldn’t be engaging, that the content wouldn’t be challenging enough, or that it simply wouldn’t be that interesting. It turns out that I was very, very wrong.

Known as MOOCs (massive online open courses), these kind of courses have surged in popularity in recent years, and there are plenty to choose from, with a range of websites offering them. I decided to go with Futurelearn, as the majority of courses are from UK-based universities and institutions. As a history lover (and an Archaeology graduate), I also wanted a course that was relevant to me and that would be at the right level, rather than just an introduction, or too specific. There were plenty to choose from, and I decided to sign up for more than one, mainly because I couldn’t choose between them! 

The first course I ended up completing was the University of Liverpool’s ‘Superpowers of the Ancient World: The Near East’. It was spread across around three hours each week, and in total lasted four weeks, although I tended to spend a little more time each week with all the extra bits of research. 

There were a number of key themes that were discussed over the four weeks, and different civilisations, including the Egyptian, Mitannian and Hittite superpowers. Ideas that were discussed included travel, trade, warfare and diplomacy, and there was a great deal of historic context as well as current discussion of international relations, looking at modern parallels. One of the great things was the use of objects from the university’s Garstang Museum, and the input of experts discussing how the objects were used and what they can tell us about the past.

Each week was split into sections, each taking around 15-20 minutes. These included videos and articles, as well as activities. The course also had quizzes each week, to test your knowledge. For some courses, the activities and quizzes contribute to a final grade, and you have to complete at least 50% of the course to be able to buy a statement of participation. I do think the price (just under £30), is a little high, but when you consider the course is completely free, it is not a bad deal at all!

The course employed a number of different online tools really successfully, such as Google Maps, an interactive timeline, and my personal favourite, the ‘Padlet’ photo wall. This particular exercise involved selecting an image from Burton’s photographs of Tutankhamun’s tomb from the 1922 excavation. It was a really engaging tool, that looked fantastic and was very easy to use, and read other peoples’ contributions at the same time. One of the biggest features of the course was the comment section, and you are encouraged to take part in discussions and post questions to other users, as well as reply to their comments. This was a really useful tool, although it was quite difficult to read all of the comments and be able to fully engage with debates that people were having. Having since used another website that uses forums, however, I do prefer the simplicity of the comments.

Ancient Egypt (and a large dose of Time Team) was what got me interested in Archaeology when I was a child, but unfortunately I didn’t end up studying it at all during my Archaeology degree. This course, therefore, was perfect. 

I really do believe that anyone, as long as they have an interest in archaeology or ancient history, would find the course engaging and be able to learn a great deal. The course is, I believe, being run again in the new year, so make sure to sign up to Futurelearn’s newsletter if you are interested in taking part.

I have, at the time of writing, managed to sign up for five courses on Futurelearn, and I am underway with another Egypt course on Courseara. Another great thing is that the conversation is ongoing, with a really active Facebook group that people still use to post their thoughts on articles and objects in museums around the world. The idea of community is central to these online courses, and is what makes them so great. Having educators that are engaging, who answer your questions and encourage debate is key to this, and was very successfully done by the team on this course. It is safe to say that I am an online course convert, and will be continuing with them for many years to come.

If you have any recommendations for other online courses, or your own experience with them, please feel free to share them!

Jess

Tyntesfield

Recently I visited the National Trust property Tyntesfield, which is in North Somerset and around 7 miles from Bristol. It is built in the Victorian Gothic Revival style, and full of really interesting collections, rooms, furniture, and pieces of art. It was on my list to visit this year, but seeing it in the Sherlock special trailer meant that I had to see it for myself! (And yes, I am counting down the days until that episode in broadcast). 

The central staircase

Originally built in the 1830s as a Georgian mansion, it was extensively remodelled and expanded in the 1860s. It was bought by the Trust fairly recently in 2002, and there are many rooms that are still full of collections from floor to ceiling. One of these is open to the public to understand how the house was when it was taken over, and how expansive the collections are. In many other rooms, the Trust has done a fantastic job of recreating the Victorian splendour of Tyntesfield in its prime.

The billiards table with electronic scoring

There are some fantastic objects and pieces of furniture on display throughout the property, including the late Victorian full-size billiards table, with electronic scoring, and its scoreboard, which both stand in the billiard room. Tyntesfield was, in fact, one of the first houses to have electricity installed.

The private chapel

There are a range of rooms that are open in the house, including the higher status rooms in the front of the house, and other rooms that would have been used by the staff. As we visited in mid-November, the house was being prepped for Christmas and undergoing conservation work, which meant that, unfortunately, some of the rooms were closed. However, there were lots of helpful guides of hand to explain what was happening and how the rooms usually looked. Tyntesfield is also open everyday of the year (except for Christmas Day), so I have plenty of time to go back and explore the rest!

Snippets of the top floor tour

The absolute highlight of my visit was the ‘backstage’ tour, which took you around the areas of the house that were occupied by later generations of the family, including the children’s nursery, the servant’s quarters and other rooms. The volunteer who took us around was extremely knowledgable, and with only seven of us in the group, there was plenty of time to ask questions, and take our time looking around. We couldn’t pre-book this tour online and although it wasn’t advertised at the ticket office, we could book our tickets there. From what I can see on the website, these tours aren’t happening with all of the extra things happening over Christmas, but it’s worth asking, and if not, just try out one of the other activities instead! As one of the most popular National Trust properties in the South West, it is also worth reserving your general house tickets online if you want to get in early on the day. 

Overall, it was a great visit, and I will certainly be heading back very soon. 

More information is available at: http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/tyntesfield

A Birthday in Bath

A couple of weeks ago I celebrated my 24th birthday, and decided to spend the day with my family exploring the World Heritage Site of Bath. I have only visited the city once before, although my parents actually met and lived there for several years. We decided to be proper tourists for the day and visit the Roman Baths and Bath Abbey.

The view from the terrace

The Roman Baths are the best-preserved example of ancient baths and a temple complex in Northern Europe. Completed in AD 75, the Romans had to control the only thermal springs in the UK. Today, the water still flows through the infrastructure from the first century. The site was considered sacred before the Roman conquest, with the Dobunni (the tribe in that area of Britain in the first century AD), believing the springs sacred to the Goddess Sulis, and the Roman temple dedicated to Sulis Minerva. One of the most famous objects from the Baths is the gilded bronze head from the statue of Minerva from the temple, which is now on display close to where it would have stood nearly 2000 years ago.

One of the artefacts housed in the museum

The Baths now have a large museum around them, with many different rooms full of objects discovered from the excavations, telling the history of the Roman Baths. You are mostly led around by a free audio guide, which also has a section for kids, and additional dialogue from the author Bill Bryson. I was surprised by just how much there was to see!

Archaeological remains 

There are many archaeological remains now on view, and one of my favourite areas of the museum was the excavated buildings that can be seen from a raised platform. There is something really amazing about being able to see the walkways and steps that were used by the people visiting the baths and the temple. 

Water flowing through the original Roman structure

Another great thing is that throughout the Baths, you can still see the water flowing through the infrastructure built in the Roman period. One small piece of advice would be to remember a bottle of water, and be prepared for humidity! This comes from the heat of the hot springs, but also the water sprayed onto the remains that are on display.

The Great Bath (with added priest)

The absolute highlight is, of course, being able to walk around the Great Bath, the centrepiece of the bathing complex, and possibly one of the most famous Roman sites in Britain. Today, the steam still rises from the water, and you can walk around the adjacent rooms which have been excavated, and roofed, which give a great sense of the actual dimensions and layout of the complex. A really nice touch was that you can taste the water of the baths at the end of the tour, or in the Pump Room (although don’t be too excited about the taste!).

The overall experience was absolutely fantastic. It took around three hours to fully get around as there was a surprisingly large complex of rooms to explore and collections to see. An adult ticket costs £14, but don’t be put off by the price, it is completely worth it! My only tiny gripe would be, as someone who is not the biggest fan of audio guides just because I like to read things at my own pace, I would have liked more information written around the museum explaining the history of each section of the Baths and the excavated remains. It is somewhere that I have always known about, so it was fantastic to see it in person.

The exterior and interior of Bath Abbey

In the afternoon, we visited Bath Abbey, which is right next door to the Baths. There has been a church on the site for over 1000 years, including a massive Norman cathedral, although it lay in ruins by the 15th century. In 1615, the building was repaired and used as a parish church. It was developed in the 19th century, and the Abbey today is largely thanks to Sir George Gilbert Scott, the leading architect of the Gothic Revival. He transferred the interior of the abbey, the most significant change being replacing the wooden ceiling with the stone fan vaulting that is there today.

The abbey is free to enter, and I would really recommend it. It doesn’t take long to have a look around, and is obviously such an important part of the heritage of the city, so makes for a well-rounded trip to Bath!

It was a great day spent with my family, and Bath is a fantastic city in any weather, so I look forward to visiting sometime soon, hopefully before Christmas to explore the markets and do a bit of shopping!

If you want more information about the Roman Baths, just go to: http://www.romanbaths.co.uk/