CombatCritic's TravelValue™: museum

CombatCritic™ ... World traveler - 42 countries and counting; Military Leader - Four combat operations; Amateur chef; Published author and producer - over 4 million visitors on seven platforms! Yelp "Black" Elite '14/'15/ '16/ '17/ '18/ '19 / '20/ '21/ '22 / '23 / '24; TripAdvisor ¨Local Guide¨, Zomato "VERIFIED CONNOISSEUR"; Booking.com "GENIUS"; and Foursquare "INSIDER". On the Front Lines in the Battle Against Mediocrity - Follow Me To TravelValue™ ... That's A Freakin' Order!

Showing posts with label museum. Show all posts

Tuesday, September 27, 2022

Bilbao, Spain: I Got Guggenheimed And Was Not A Happy Camper

Guggenheim

Abandoibarra Etorb., 2

48009 Bilbao, Bizkaia, Spain

Phone: +34944359080

Website: Guggenheim-Bilbao

Prices: €€€€

A massive, beautiful building next to the river with hardly any art, very disappointing!

A gargantuan hall on the ground floor is dedicated to just a few massive cement 'art' structures that lead you on a long maze-like walk inside only to find nothing at the end. What a waste of space.

Half of the museum was closed and the other half had very few objects of art on the walls, unless the white walls are considered art of course. The sole highlight was a huge Andy Warhol with dozens of Warhol's iconic Marilyn Monroe image, each with various colorings integrated into a continuous whole across the entire piece.

Otherwise, it was a lot of walking and big letdown, do not waste your money.

CombatCritic Gives Museo Guggenheim Bilbao 3 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Three Bombs Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: "Situation Normal, All Fucked Up"

Bilbao, Spain: A Dearth Of Bellas Artes Or Artists ... Mehhhhhh!

Museum of Fine Arts of Bilbao

Museo Plaza, 2

48009 Bilbao Spain

Phone: +34944396060

Website:

Prices: €€€€

A bit better than my Guggenheim experience, I was also disappointed here.

A dearth of well known art or artists, some El Greco, a few Degas and Gauguin pieces, and a very nice Mary Cassatt, but not a single Renoir, Monet, Lautrec, Van Gogh, or Manet in sight. I love the impressionists and neo-impressionists as well as Rembrandt and a few others, so I was quite bored.

The map they gave me had little information and was totally useless, so I had to explore on my own and it is possible that I missed some rooms or artworks. I hope so.

Not a big museum, it will take an hour or two at most, even if you like the collection they have on-hand.

CombatCritic Gives Museo Bellas Artes de Bilbao 5 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Five Bombs Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: "Continue Mission"

Friday, April 12, 2019

London, England: Shockingly Unprofessional Staff And A Complete Waste Of Time And Money

Madame Tussaud’s
Marylebone Road
London NW1 5LR, United Kingdom
Regent's Park
Website: madametussauds.com
Prices: $$$$

We paid very good money to be insulted by staff, then have management tell me "I've known him for 15 years, he wouldn't do that!" when I complained about the jerk's behavior. When customers pay the kind of money we paid, we should be treated with dignity and respect. Madame Tussaud's apparently thinks their poop does not stink and that people will continue to pay exorbitant prices to see the same wax figures that have been there for years, so normal customs and courtesies simply do not apply to them.

For the extremely high prices they charge, the very few wax figures on display and massive crowds pushing and shoving to have their photo taken with their favorite celebrity mannequin, hardly made it worth the price of admission. On top of that, they try to charge extra other attractions, leading you, quite literally, down the primrose path only to find that the attraction is not included in the price of admission.

I went to Madame Tussaud's (London) back in the mid-90s and was not impressed then, so I am certainly not now. The creep that insulted me upon arrival left a bad taste in my mouth and his manager was just as bad, so maybe my perception of the place was a bit jaded. Well, all I can say is tough titties and KISS MY BLOODY ARSE MADAME TUSSAUD"S!

CombatCritic Gives Madame Tussaud's 1 Bomb Out Of 10 And A Spot On My "WALL OF SHAME" ... More Bombs Are Better!

One Bomb Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: "Fucked Up Beyond All Repair"

Tuesday, January 2, 2018

Birgu, Malta: Fort San Angelo And "The Holy Land to Malta: In The Footsteps of the Order of St John"

The Holy Land to Malta: In The Footsteps of the Order of St John

Fort San Angelo
Xatt l-Assedju l-Kbir 1565,
Birgu Waterfront, Il-Birgu, Malta

Telephone: +356 2540-1800

Facebook Page
Website: HeritageMalta.org/Fort-St-Angelo
Normal Prices: €€€€

What an outstanding experience! The volunteer reenactors were realistic and superb and in such a uniquely appropriate environment such as Fort San Angelo, it was even more impressive.

Our Guide

Our (3PM Sunday) guide was extremely knowledgable and the actors not only credible, but knowledgable. The highlight of the event was the closing siege where many muskets were fired and the final battle dramatically took place. My eardrums will never be the same.

I learned so much about the Order of St John's and the history of Malta during our stay, but especially during the 90+ minute tour of medieval life and death at Fort St Angelo. I look forward to learning much more and possibly becoming involved myself at some point if practical.

The fort itself is nothing special on the inside, having been renovated using some fairly modern techniques and materials. However, the outside of the fort and views of Valletta across the harbor from the fort were in-fact quite spectacular.

Entrance was free the day we were there, but prices are normally a bit high (€5 - €8), in my opinion, for just the fort itself. It was the reenactment that was the highlight of the visit.

CombatCritic Gives From Fort San Angelo and "The Holy Land to Malta: In The Footsteps of the Order of St John" 9 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Nine Bombs Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: "U.S. Marine Response To A Verbal Greeting Or As An Expression Of Enthusiasm"

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Summer Hours
April 1 - September 30
Monday - Sunday: 09.00 – 18.00
Last admission: 17.30

Winter Hours
October 1 - March 31
Monday - Sunday: 09.00 – 17.00
Last admission at 16.30

Closed on 24, 25 & 31 December, 1 January & Good Friday

Tickets
Adults (18 – 59): €8.00
Youths (12 – 17), Senior Citizens (60+), and Students: €5.00
Children (6 – 11): €3.00
Infants (1 – 5): Free

Title: Birgu, Malta: Fort San Angelo And "The Holy Land to Malta: In The Footsteps of the Order of St John"

Key Words: Birgu, Malta, Fort San Angelo, Holy Land, Order of St John, saint, John, fort, San Angelo, Angelo, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, museum, event, review, TripAdvisor, Google, Facebook

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