Day 11-Day 12 – Albacete

Albacete is a modern city in the Castilla-La Mancha region of southeast-central Spain, known for its industry, commerce, and cultural life. It is a significant regional capital and the largest city in the region. Key attractions include the San Juan Bautista Cathedral and a bustling nightlife, while the surrounding province offers natural beauty and historic villages. The city is also an international center for cutlery production.

Day 11 – I arrived late in the afternoon and the first thing on my list was washing. It was almost three weeks since my clothes had seen a washing machine and I was over trying to wash and dry clothes in hotel rooms. Only had to walk a couple of minutes to the nearest laundromat.

While the washing was doing it’s thing I went for a wander round the nearby streets.

Once again I found some rather elaborate architecture, some statues, a neat fountain and someone to take my photo.

This statue is to acknowledge Spanish filmmaker Jose Luis Cuerda Martinez. He is nationally recognised and considered to be amongst the greatest and most influential Spanish directors of all time.

The statue on the left is a nod to the knifemakers of Albacete.

Day 12 – Two museums, a park and assorted “stuff” . First stop was the knife museum. Some interesting looking pieces in there. There are lots of knife shops in town, all closed today as it’s Sunday. All quality. Would have loved a set of the kitchen knives they had on display.

The Albacete Museum was the second one. Lots of really old stuff, Pheonecian, Roman, Arab/Moorish and a bit of early Christian. The other end of the building housed an art exhibition.

Known as the Museo de la Cuchillería de Albacete or the Municipal Museum of Cutlery of Albacete, this small museum honors the central Spanish province’s rich knifemaking heritage. The province has been renowned for its swords, daggers, penknives, and pocket knives since at least the 15th century

The museum traces the history of knifemaking in Spain, especially Albacete’s folding knives. While the folding knife is an ancient tool (remnants of them have been found in grave sites dating back to the Second Iron Age), the 16th and 17th centuries saw the Spanish folding knife, or penknife, become an almost universal possession among Europe’s wealthy.

In one corner of the park is the Albacete Museum and Gallery. As there was no guide or information in English, Google Translate has been called upon to help out.

This brass lamp was hidden and found almost a millennium later in the Liétor mountain range. Made between the late 9th and the second quarter of the 10th century, its concealment must have occurred after the civil war that ended the caliphate (11th century).

Now for some interesting items from the art exhibition.

Whatever floats your boat I guess.