Autumn in Madrid

Hello to you from Madrid, the highest capital city in Europe (in more ways than one probably!)  We were due to spend a month in Madrid and travel to other towns/cities but we had a problem with the apartment(!) and decamped to a nearby hotel from where we can explore much of what Madrid has to offer.  We're not huge city fans so we opted for a week here and move on to Valencia for some sun and r&r tomorrow as, although we're away from home, we're not exactly resting!

You can't come to Madrid and not visit the art galleries.  For me, it was the main event and, for Mick, more an endurance test!  So, with Paseos de Artes (art passes) in hand which give you reduced entry into the 'Golden Triangle' museums/galleries (Museo del Prado, Museo Nacional de Arte Reina Sofia and Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza) we set off on our fine arts pilgrimage. 

Saturday 2 November - Museo del Prado
First up was the Prado - absolutely filled to the gunwales of paintings and sculptures including masterpieces by Goya, El Greco, Titian, Velazquez and, new discoveries for me, Sorolla, Zurbaran and Ribera.  Overall, though, the real master for us was Velazquez.  Our visit really lifted my spirits as I'd not been 100% (OK now though).  :-)) 

The Puerta del Sol is very important to Madrilenos and Spaniards alike.  It is a major meeting point, to include a key site for manifestaciones (protests/demonstrations).  As you may know, the Spaniards are not shy of a protest!  It is also home to the Post Office clock on which all eyes turn for the New Year's Eve countdown and las doce uvas (twelve grapes - 1 grape washed down with wine/bubbles on each strike of midnight to avoid a year of bad luck). Another famous landmark here is the Madrid emblem - the oso (bear) - standing on his hind legs eating from the Madrono tree.

The bear in Puerta del Sol

Sunday 3 November - El Rastro Market, Reina Sofia & La Latina
After a quick visit to El Rastro - a huge, weekly flea market - and a piccie for Mum at Renfe Atocha (Madrid's equivalent of St Pancras station to include a sizeable botanic garden) - we headed off for The Reina Sofia, an 18thC hospital converted into a modern art museum.

The botanical garden at Renfe Atocha station

The Reina Sofia is home to the original of Picasso's infamous Guernica.  For me, this is a visit 6 years overdue - we had booked a trip a couple of weeks before the Icelandic volcano erupted and then life got in the way!  It was worth the wait though - it really is a show stopper.  Also here are works by Dali, Max Ernst and Magritte and another new find for me, Juan Gris. 

By this time we'd built up an appetite and headed for La Latina area, home to numerous tapas bars and restaurants where we sought out a classic Madrileno dish - guiso - a thick soup/stew of red beans and meat - absolutely delicious and washed down with Ribera del Duero (not to be confused with the Galician Ribeiro) - a stunning red, not unlike Rioja from nearby city of Valladolid.  It isn't widely known but watch out for it on wine lists - delicious! We enjoyed the wine so much that, on wandering through the nearby Plaza Mayor we indulged in another glass or two...  it's lovely to see the Spanish out en masse, even at this time of year, arm in arm enjoying their paseo.

Monday 4 November - Buen Retiro, Puerta del Sol & Paseo del Prado
After the cultural overload of the last couple of days we decided to take advantage of the green lungs of the city at Buen Retiro - a 295 acre landscaped park to which Madrilenos decamp to escape the searing summer heat.  Although not exactly searing heat today, Madrid has managed temperatures between 16-20 degrees.

The manicured gardens @ Buen Retiro

We also wandered along the Paseo del Prado - a tree-lined avenue which tracks the three major art museums. En route were several landmarks - fountains, buildings, etc., all too numerous to include here.

Tuesday 5 November - Thyssen, Palacio Real & Cathedral de la Almudena
Skipjack was up with the lark and flew to France to see that "Reward" is prepared for winter.  You may recall we had to ship her to Dunkirk from Frontignan at short notice and this is our first chance to check her winter mooring.  All is well and Skipper will be back tomorrow.   I set off to the Museo Thyssen-/Bornemisza, the last (but by no means least) of the Golden Triangle - and what a treat.  This private collection, acquired over two generations by the Thyssen family - was sold to the Spanish state in 1993.  One can only imagine the price tag on this lot!  Three floors of stunning artwork - Old Masters, studies in Impressionism (lovely), Cubism (challenging), Surrealism (indescribable!), etc.  The collection covers 7 centuries and tops for me were the Impressionists (Sisley, Cezanne, Monet, van Gogh, Renoir, Gaugin, Degas) and a surprise was Edward Munch (of 'Scream' fame) - he has painted some beautiful landscapes.  A few UK artists are featured here: Gainsborough, Hockney, Bacon and a new discovery, Michael Andrews.  I also really loved landscapes by American artist, Charles Burchfield.  A truly enriching experience.

After a quick bite for lunch it was back to the sight-seeing.  Next on the list was the Palacio Real (from the outside) and the Cathedral de la Santa Maria de Almudena - so-called after King Alfonso VI found an image of the Virgin Mary inside the city wall of Madrid.  Almudena stems from the Arabic word for city wall and the name has stuck.  This is where Principe Felipe married Letizia Ortiz and is much-loved by Madrilenos.  Also, a statue of Pope John Paul II celebrates his visit here in 1993 during which he consecrated the Cathedral.

A walk up the Calle Mayor yielded another Madrid gem: the Chocolateria San Gines - a churreria par excellence serving its liquid gold since 1894.  Churros and chocolate is an art form here and has been visited by the famous and well-heeled (myself included!)

Churros & chocolate: perfect after a long day's sight-seeing!

Wednesday 6 November - Gran Via, Buen Retiro & Don Quijote
Mick returned safely but needed to catch up with some much needed sleep as he got on an earlier flight (at 5am) than we'd booked so I caught up with the blog and a bit of reading.  Mick surfaced by noon by which time we'd missed the Maritime Museum but we did fancy a wander down the Grand Via.  It was much like Oxford Street in London and, after a fab menu del dia (many are so dull and always seem to offer hake and a milk pudding) we walked the other side of Buen Retiro as it was such a warm, sunny day.  We enjoyed the many buskers in the park who always add to the feelgood factor of the great parks.  I also had the opportunity to take a lovely snap of the Palacio Cristal (Glass Palace).  

El Palacio Cristal @ Buen Retiro

One more sight on our list and that was the statue at Plaza de Espana to commemorate Cervantes, author of one of Mick's favourite story, Don Quijote.

Mick tilting at windmills

And after a week of walking the streets of Madrid we headed back to the hotel for a much needed beer and, apart from some tapas tonight, that pretty much marks the end of a week in Madrid. We're now experts on the city's excellent Metro system and enjoyed its array of in-carriage entertainment to reflect Madrid's multicultural population - complete with full P.A. systems - they do it in style here!  We also loved the many street entertainers at the Plazas.  We got the hang of the Spanish rules of the road which applies to all aspects of everyday life (commuting, queueing, restaurant service, etc), i.e. first come, first served and take no prisoners - the most hardy of which are the diminutive los mayores (the elderly) but what they lack in height they make up for in number and sheer gusto! 

So that's the latest from us.  We're off to Valencia tomorrow - just in time for one of the busiest weekends in the Valencia calendar - the Motorcycling Grand Prix!  We're not fans so won't be sampling that but it'll be buzzing so watch out for the next instalment of Pintxo & Tapa's Tour de Espana.