Feb 19-21 - Madrid

Feb 19 – 21 Madrid

Got to Madrid about 10:30 am Sunday and took the metro to our hotel near the Puerto del Sol where we were informed the museums would all, but one, be closed the next day. Because we were leaving a day early, it was time to move! We grabbed an Abuela Smith apple off the hotel registration counter, picked up a map of the city and metro and headed out to “do” a couple of museums. First stop was the Royal Palace, supposedly the third greatest royal palace after Paris’ Versaille and the Schonbrunn in Vienna. Heck, we saw the other two almost 40 years ago, might as well add this one to the collection. It certainly was worth it. Broad grand royal staircase from the entry hall up to fantastic royal antiques, the current throne room and magnificent dining halls with room for close to 200 to sit at the same table. Built mainly in the 18th century, it is still in use today, King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia, though, live a bit farther out in the country and only come here for special occasions. Built by a Spanish King of French descent with an Italian wife, it is a sumptuous feast for the eyes – lots of Baroque decorations, and an impressive arsenal of chainmail, horse (and dog) and knight armor, all inlaid with gold and brass threads pounded into the steel for decoration. Over 2000 rooms, we saw about 20. We can’t possible describe them, so Wikipedia if you are interested in what they look like!

After walking our toes off at the palace, we had lunch at the Mercado San Miguel, strolling among the hundreds of Madridlenos doing the same thing. Each booth at the market offered different tapas such as olives plates, cod plates, beef plates, shrimp, oysters … you get the picture. One booth sold fresh made potato chips, cooked in olive oil with plenty of salt. We retied our shoes to make room for salt and activity swollen toes and headed to the Prado a mile or so away. This is one of the most impressive art museums we have been in, a collection of more than 3000 canvases with whole rooms devoted to different artists ranging from Spanish favorites (El Greco, Velazquez, Goya, Miro) and medieval specialists, to the Italian Renaissance, northern favorites, others like Titan and Rubens. Much of the art had a religious focus, since that is what was popular at the time most of these great painters were working and the protestant catholic battles were beginning to boil. When we came out of both places, the lines stretched for blocks. Late Sunday afternoon was free; we paid and saw fewer crowds.

Tried to then cram all the meals we had planned into that first night. We visited three or four different restaurants, one drink and tapa each until we settled on a full racion of chorizo at Casa Labra Taberna. This was the birthplace of the Spanish Socialist Party in 1879; it still exists and the walls are full of photographs and newsprints for years back. Then it was off to Chocolateria San Gines for hot chocolate (like hot chocolate pudding in a cup) and churros. The churros were extruded into a 3 foot deep vat of boiling oil in a long 30 foot coil which, once cooked, got cut into 12 inch pieces. We each got a plate of churros and a cup of hot chocolate to dip them in. Stumbled off to bed.

Up early the next morning for pastries at Salon La Mallorquilla, one of the best pasty shops we’ve ever seen, coffee from Starbucks (Spain does pastry well but we know how to make coffee with chocolate - Mark needed hismmocha), then off to the one museum open on Monday - Reina Sofia collection of modern (19th and 20th century) art. We saw everything they had, but our real reason to visit was to see Picasso’s Guernica. In 1937, Picasso was in France to paint a light and lively large painting for the Spanish pavilion at the Paris world fair. A civil war was raging in Spain between the legally elected democratic government (who sent Picasso north) and some traditionalist right wing forces under Franco. Franco was friends with Hitler and Mussolini; he asked for their support and gave them the opportunity to try out Hitler’s new air force. The town of Guernica, Basque capitol, on market day was the target of the world’s first carpet bombing of civilian areas. First the planes took out the bridges so escape was impossible. Then the bombing and strafing obliterated everyone; it was market day and full of refugees who were trying to avoid the battles in their own areas. Picasso’s canvas is in black, grey and white, not free and fancy, and is a symbolic masterpiece of the destructive capability of war. Bombs are falling, horses screaming, a sad bull (symbol of Spain) looks on, mother’s hold dead babies, dead warriors with broken swords, prideof Spain, lie trampled. It depicts a true nightmare and is weirdly similar to what Quadaffi is doing now in Libya and what S. Hussein did to the Kurds in Iraq. Somber scene at the museum with hundreds of Spaniards funneling through the room to see it, I think it has become a real statement and summary against the inhumanity of wars of all kinds. It only came back to Spainafter Franco's death. Again, Wikipedia would give you more information.

After the last museum, it was another hit on Starbucks and back to the Mercado de San Miguel for lunch. Many glasses of Sangira, sweet Vermouth, and wine later, with tapas to match, we headed back to the hotel for the later afternoon nap and to pack.

Mark has come to the conclusion the sultry low voice of Spanish women is not inherited or planned. He thinks it is just the end result of a pack a day for 20 years (if you are 35 plus). We are somewhat amazed to see that about 60-70 percent of the population on the streets is carrying a lit cigarette.

Figure the last night in Spain should be a tapas Crawl. A tapas bar in Spain does not equal a topless bar in the US. First up, La Casa de Abuella where we had gambas al ajillo (small shrimp cooked in olive oil, what else, and garlic) as well as sangria and a tuna tapa. There were 4-5 of the same name restaurant…hopefully, we hit the right one. Next we hit Casa Toni where we dined on the local rioja wine, as well as berenjena (deep fried eggplant slices with honey) and champinones steamed (mushrooms). Toni was fun, and had a bar full of bull-fighting pictures and memorabilia. Thank god we escaped before Kathie ordered the snowball size of lamb intestines wrapped like Mexican Christmas ornaments on wooden sticks to be deep fried. Even the grandson of a sheepherder (Mark) could not appreciate that. Ended the evening with an Argentina ice cream tropical surprise at Giangrossi Helano Artesanal at the end of another amazing tapas bar street with will need to be explored on another visit, because we are tap - ed out and leave early tomorrow.

Thoughts of Spain and Madrid? We think Spain is lovely, the people warm, friendly and kind-hearted. We were constantly being stopped on the street and offered help with a map or directions. The people we met were eager to chat about our lives, their lives, what we thought about their country, politics, and any other topic that came to the fore. The waiter who gave us his copy of Don Quixote, even though we couldn't read Spanish, says it all. He wanted us to have something of his to share with others in the states. Wow. Madrid, though a very large city, we found to be intimate and warm - lovely pedestrian streets. Cordoba was historic and a wonderful "small town" to explore. Sevilla was beautiful, full of light and the potential for spring flowers (a return trip may be mandatory). In all our time, we walked the small backstreets streets and big plazas late at night, early in the morning, and in the middle of crowds of locals. Only once were we mildly concerned or uncomfortable about being followed or stalked, and that was likely our imagination. We were told repeatedly to watch our bags, keep our hands in our pockets (so no one else would), and be aware of gypsy scams

Up quite early with an easy hike (1 km) to the Metro to the airport and a flight that was less than 1/3 full. First time that has happened in years. Guess that is why our flight tomorrow was cancelled. Back in the USA! Greasy hamburgers, yuck. Diet starts tomorrow.

Adios till the next trip