Somewhere in the Middle

Museo del Prado & Toledo

Walking through the Prado Museum was a bit overwhelming not just in the amount of art work or its series of endless interconnected rooms, but in the breadth of beauty. It was impossible for me to appreciate & understand the collection of masterpieces I witnessed that day. But I also didn't want to walk away without seeing the Prado's treasures. So I went into the museum shop and purchased a gallery guide that focused on two dozen works.

Seeing works by Francisco de Goya and Diego Velazquez was a real eye opener. I especially enjoyed Goya's Black Paintings. These dark expressive pieces drew me in. These Spanish artists have peaked my interest. I really want to learn more about their art work and Spain's history.

After the Prado we walked to El Retiro Park but it was raining too hard so we decided to go to a swanky little ice cream shop and relax.

Our last day in Spain was spent in beautiful Toledo and luckily it didn't rain once while we were there. Toledo is known as the "city of three cultures" since Christians, Arabs, and Jews lived together for centuries. This rich history provides a unique range of architecture. I can't begin to describe how charming this city is. S & I both agreed that Toledo deserved a 1-2 overnight visit. After experiencing Madrid's fast pace for 3 days, strolling through Toledo was a welcoming change.

While walking to one of the synagogues, we found a look out area that was just breath-taking! I took several photos but I just couldn't capture the beauty before my eyes. After about 12 shots I gave up. I suppose there are just some things in life that you must experience and capturing the true essence on film is almost impossible.

Now that we've visited Madrid I can mark it off of my "Must See European Cities" list. Madrid is definitely an amazing city... full of life and a culture that I crave. Yet there was so much of this city I didn't experience. Even though I've marked Madrid off one list I think I need to add it to my other list... "European Cities I Must Revisit".

The Spanish Way

By our second day in Madrid we'd already adjusted to the Spaniards lifestyle... going to bed late, eating late at night, and sleeping in. I could definitely get used to this.

My plan for the day was to make it to 3 sites: The Royal Palace, Thyssen Museum, and the Museo del Traje. I thought we'd get ready when Lil' C woke up and get an early start. No problem except that all three of us slept in. Normally, Lil' C is our natural alarm clock waking up around 6:45-7:00am except when we're in Spain. hhaha

Despite the rain and high winds, we walked to the Royal Palace which was just a 10-12 minute walk from our hotel. The Royal Palace was magnificent! We leisurely toured several rooms without feeling rushed or shoved to the next room like cattle. Going off season definitely has its perks.

I enjoyed studying each room and visualizing what it must have been like to dine at the dining table that sat 140 guest or watching elaborate gowns trail up the stairs during an important event, or dance in the ballroom under the soft glow of the palace's grand rock crystal chandeliers. The styles of each room differed depending on the time period it was designed or which king lived in the castle. Interesting how even in the 17th century, people wanted their homes to be in vogue. Funny how little some things change.

After lunch at Plaza Major, I realized we only had enough time for one museum. So off we went to catch the metro to Museo del Traje. We arrived around 4ish and the museum was empty. We had it all to ourselves. Pure joy! It was fascinating to see the history of fashion evolve and the influence Paris had on Spanish fashion. The museum mainly concentrated on woman's fashion but they did have a few beautiful bullfighting costumes. At the end of the exhibit they had a tent with a runway, loud music, bright lights and images of models at a fashion show flashing on the wall. Along both sides of the tent, there were headless mannequins wearing different clothes and S & I started walking down the runway pretending we were models! hahah It was funny! We tried to get Lil' C to walk with us but all he could do was laugh! I would have loved to take some photos of the dresses I saw but the museum had a "no photos" policy due to the sensitivity of the materials. But I was able to snag a photo in the woman's bathroom of some photographs.

We left Museo del Traje right before they closed and grabbed Lil' C some pizza on the way back to our hotel. Eating pizza was the only food he requested while in Madrid. At the hotel, I packed his coloring book and markers and we left to find a great tapas restaurant, La Trucha, which was recommended my a fellow blogger. Thanks Tara! The tapas were mouth watering and the Sangria was so perfect! I'm wishing I had a pitcher right beside me about now....

Madrid

Years ago, my sister & I took a train from Paris to Barcelona. Since we mainly traveled at night I don't remember much of Spain's landscape. But flying into Madrid was completely different... Beautiful mountains and hills. Everything had this warm glow to it. Georgous.

As our driver weaved in and out of traffic I could just feel Madrid's energy. The streets were jammed with cars and people. At one point, S and I exchanged looks and we just knew we were going to love this city. Madrid is a vibrant city & full of life. You can see it everywhere especially at night. I was amazed to see so many people of all ages from babies to couples in their 80's out walking, shopping, and eating at 10pm and much much later!

After we checked into our hotel, we ate dinner at a great German place that was highly recommended by one of S's collagues that is from Madrid. I know call us crazy... eating German food on our first night in Spain. But we were starving and Lil' C wasn't feeling well. He just caught a cold and wasn't completely his usually happy self but he was a trooper.

The following day we headed to the Reina Sofia Museum. This museum has a wonderful collection of art by Picasso, Joan Miro, and Salvador Dali to name a few. Picasso's Guernica was much more impressive than I originally imagined. The piece is so large it's overwhelming. You can just feel the artist's passion and emotion. I can't begin to imagine how an artist can visualize and bring something that big to life. Amazing.  Before going into the gallery to see the actual piece we walked through a section displaying the sketches Picasso created in preparation for the final piece. Sharing this art experience with Lil' C was very interesting. Some of the paintings and sketches peaked his curiousity. He wanted to know why the images were so sad & why some of the figures had pointy tongues. Not a very easy thing to explain in simple terms. But I'm happy he showed interest. While we walked around the different rooms I enjoyed asking him questions about what he liked about a particular art piece. I also tried to get him to imagine what he saw in the painting.

After spending a few hours at the museum we stopped by the Museo de Jamon for lunch. This little neighborhood shop is very popular with the locals. They serve delicious serrano ham & manchego cheese sandwiches. Unfortunately, Lil' C didn't think the sandwiches were so great. He's normally a great eater but during this trip finding food he enjoyed was a huge challenge.

After eating lunch, we stopped by the Chocolateria San Gines for some popular churros and melted chocolate. The chocolate was so rich it was like pudding.

The rest of the evening was spent walking around Puerta del Sol and the area near the Palace. We took in the incredible architecture and impressive ironwork that can be found throughout Madrid. The city's street signs are so pretty; each one unique in its own way.

While walking we discovered a playground near the Palace that Lil' C enjoyed until it started raining. The day ended with S going back to the room with Lil' C while I went out shopping. The shops didn't close until 10:00pm!

Our first day in Madrid flew by so quickly that I almost felt we didn't see much. There was so much I wanted to see today. S says I'm an on the go traveler and he's right you won't find me at a cafe relaxing for hours when I could be at a museum or seeing another important city site. I need to learn how to accept the fact that I can't see everything I want in just a few days especially now that we have Lil' C traveling with us.

More tomorrow on our Madrid trip...

Back Home

Just got back from Spain. It was an amazing five days. Lots to tell but I need to get some sleep so I'll leave you with a few photos from our trip.

We definitely felt the Christmas spirit coming alive in Madrid!

Paella Day

Today we leave for Madrid. I'm excited!

Excited to explore this beautiful city, see Picasso's Guernica, tour el Museo de Traje, visit Toledo and enjoy traditional Tapas & Paella! And most of all I'm excited about being in a country where I can speak, read, and understand the language!

Hope everyone has a fabulous Thanksgiving!!