Madrid and London
Apr 29th, 2014, 04:42 AM
#101
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Thanks to all.
lateday, I was there on Easter and left Easter Monday (more about that later).
Trophy and ann, I didn't even <i>know</i> about Sorolla until DH and I saw "Mending the Sail" at an exhibit in Venice not too many years ago. His dappled sunlight through an arbor had us in awe.
ps-If you google 'mending the sail sorolla' images of it will come up. It is a large work. Stunning.
lateday, I was there on Easter and left Easter Monday (more about that later).
Trophy and ann, I didn't even <i>know</i> about Sorolla until DH and I saw "Mending the Sail" at an exhibit in Venice not too many years ago. His dappled sunlight through an arbor had us in awe.
ps-If you google 'mending the sail sorolla' images of it will come up. It is a large work. Stunning.
Apr 29th, 2014, 09:58 AM
#102
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Tips from Day 2:
13. If you buy the Art Pass for the 3 galleries in Madrid online, you must go to the Prado first to trade in your paperwork for a ticket.
14. Get to venues as early as possible—you’ll beat the crowds most of the time.
15. Try not to rush the servers. They are so busy. And don’t try to befriend them unless invited—many times they don’t have the time and only know your language well enough to read the menu.
13. If you buy the Art Pass for the 3 galleries in Madrid online, you must go to the Prado first to trade in your paperwork for a ticket.
14. Get to venues as early as possible—you’ll beat the crowds most of the time.
15. Try not to rush the servers. They are so busy. And don’t try to befriend them unless invited—many times they don’t have the time and only know your language well enough to read the menu.
Apr 29th, 2014, 10:16 AM
#103
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Day Two
Friday 28 April 2014
Low 80s!
Meals:
Breakfast buffet in hotel is €18 per day. Horrible I know but it’s so darned convenient to eat and then be able to brush teeth (and other things) quickly. The breakfast room is the nicest I’ve encountered so far. In addition to the regular cast of characters, there is a little gluten-free table; bowls of precut veggies for omelettes (and the option to get scrambled or fried eggs); at least 6 different cereal options, and various milks and juices. I had a glass of carrot/apple/pear/ginger juice. Cool, huh. I also had fried eggs with Iberian ham, a small chocolate croissant and a slice of watermelon. All yums. The buffet was kept scrupulously tidy and filled no matter what time one got there. A Nespresso machine was a first for me. One inserts the little pods (you only get colored water if you don’t put in the pod…) and Bob remains your uncle. Warmed whole milk or skimmed optional. Lovely breakfast.
Lunch: Thyssen Café (missed the name) for small water, €2,50; Rioja €4,50; Turkey/pesto/arugula sandwich on American-looking whole wheat bread €3,75. Adequate.
Dinner: Suquet con arroz inflado (rice soup was really beefy with popped rice as a garnish), €4,95--meh;
Nugget de codomiz (quail and bacon nuggets) with a plum sauce €8,60—very good
Rioja, €3,00
By the way, I forgot to mention that the bill for last night’s dinner was presented in a sardine can made for that purpose (wind-proof!). I also forgot to say that there was a charge for wi-fi but one had a certain amount of free time. A PC was in one of the public rooms of the hotel and was rarely in use. The hotel breakfast room is on floor -0, FYI.
The Thyssen-Bornemisza has a special Cezanne exhibit. I’m there shortly after opening time and buy special ticket. I am told I must have the Art Pass ticket itself. Not wanting to walk to Prado and back, I “ate” the price and just bought another general ticket. See hints.
There were only about 20 people in line for Cezanne so that went fast. I don’t know huge amounts about this artist but enjoyed the collection. DH and I saw his atelier in Aix where we found out that it was left “as is” for some years after his death. Two men rescued it from a wrecking ball (or re-developer) so it remains the way Cezanne left it. One can see some of the props he used. The line was twice as long when I left about ½ hour later.
The permanent collection is pretty spectacular and surveys the so-called Italian Primitives of the 12th century through Early Avant-garde. Apricot walls and wooden floors made walking this museum a breeze for the feet. It took me about one hour for each of the 3 floors without an audio. I simply looked at every piece (except in the older stuff) and jotted down the names of artists whose works appealed the most. FYI, there are a couple of Sargent’s!
Although I am not a huge fan of abstract art, I found myself drawn (pun!) to some pieces and often they were by Kandinsky. I took a lunch break between floors at the gallery café. Very modern, a bit loud and with outside seating. Not the fastest service for anyone—a couple of tables were flagging down wait staff.
A little note about eating alone as it has been discussed on other threads. I used the slow service as time to write notes and number my photos so don’t mind it. Having books on the Kindle in my purse is a good backup as well. I read 3 books on this trip plus started a 4th. All on one Kindle.
Since yesterday’s bus ride didn’t go as far as I’d hoped, I walked back to the area (on Plaza Cánovas del Castillo) and get the correct HO-HO bus with the intention of walking about the Plaza Real.
Anyone try to keep cyclamen plants? We passed an area where they were growing in abundance in the median. I note that the Grand Via metro area has a nice pedestrian zone with many cafés. We swing by Royal Palace and there’s a loooong line. And, all of the major plazas were mobbed so I just stayed on the bus for the full circuit (an hour?) and returned to the hotel.
Note to OtherCelebi, I passed the Museo Jamon on both bus trips and thought of you. Never got back to it though.
I saw every kind of clothes you could think of. Lots of ankle-high boots, tights under dresses or layers of tops.
Back at the hotel the free computer was available, so I used it and then I realized that the Estado Puro resto is attached by a nearby inner door to the hotel so got another good <i>caffe con leche, con mucho leche</i>.
I walked a bit and the sidewalks were absolutely mobbed. Not only that, the street in front of the hotel was closed and the media was there. I passed a guy in a tux with a horn and a woman in black with a black mantilla. This all led me to change clothes for the evening, grab another dinner at Puro and head out to the flamenco area.
The cab I take to Corral de las Morerías can get me only to the end of Calle Morerías. You ask why? It is Good Friday and there will be a procession. No, a <b>Procession</b>--all of the main streets are getting blocked off.
I’m an hour++ early but count myself lucky as it’s very near cathedral and good views and an outdoor café to occupy. I stroll a bit and take some photos and then park myself and read over a glass of shiraz. Meet a nice couple from Ohio (I hear English and say hello) and that makes the time pass.
There were many birds expecting food and I laugh at grandpere and his little grandchild as they toss potato chips. Will the birds get fat on such a diet I wonder. No one yells at grandpere though he clearly knows, by furtive glances about, not to feed the birds. However, there was a grand baby to entertain.
Corral de las Morerías lets me in at 8:30 and I indeed have the last seat in a very back corner but stage is raised enough that I don’t worry about seeing. Because it will be a show with live music, I’m just as happy to be in the back. A post separates me from what seems to be the family and guest table. My reservation includes a “free” glass of wine (“red or wine Senora?").
The performances were very good and also quite interesting. There are 3 guitarists and 3 singers who provided the background music. All middle-aged men. 3 flamenco dancers (2 male, one female--all young and too thin) and a 4th 50ish woman who danced a bit but sang more.
The dancers did solos and trios and the older woman did a kind of singing that was almost a screaming chant. Although the singing of the 3 men wasn’t as extreme, there were times I thought of the calls to worship one hears as they accompanied the other dancers. Very interesting and I have in my notes to read more about the origins of flamenco dancing.
The dancers all hold the room’s attention totally. If you know how to tap dance, you must appreciate the fast pace of the footwork. The movements are sensuous and the dancers all seemed to be in their own world. How odd in a city with such a religious past that this dance came about. Tango in Argentina also perhaps? Or did the dancing come first?
A second night that I’m awake after 9 and it’s a miracle. Cabs are called for the people leaving and once again, I am dropped as close to the hotel as possible. The Procession is almost over and the streets very crowded and closed yet in front of the hotel. I can see there are several floats and many people following along at what is the end of things. I watch for a while and slowly get to the end of things and am able to cross that final street.
At 10:30, I’m ordering yet another glass of wine on the terrace at Puro and a lemon cake (“pastel”). It is some where between cake-like and torte-like but very yummy and with a raspberry sauce and a crumb bottom. As waiter is delivering it, the wind starts to blow away a <i>cuenta</i> (bill) on his tray. My right hand immediately strikes out to smack it down. Only another miracle (and the good reflexes of the waiter) keep the tray from flipping over.
A super day!
Friday 28 April 2014
Low 80s!
Meals:
Breakfast buffet in hotel is €18 per day. Horrible I know but it’s so darned convenient to eat and then be able to brush teeth (and other things) quickly. The breakfast room is the nicest I’ve encountered so far. In addition to the regular cast of characters, there is a little gluten-free table; bowls of precut veggies for omelettes (and the option to get scrambled or fried eggs); at least 6 different cereal options, and various milks and juices. I had a glass of carrot/apple/pear/ginger juice. Cool, huh. I also had fried eggs with Iberian ham, a small chocolate croissant and a slice of watermelon. All yums. The buffet was kept scrupulously tidy and filled no matter what time one got there. A Nespresso machine was a first for me. One inserts the little pods (you only get colored water if you don’t put in the pod…) and Bob remains your uncle. Warmed whole milk or skimmed optional. Lovely breakfast.
Lunch: Thyssen Café (missed the name) for small water, €2,50; Rioja €4,50; Turkey/pesto/arugula sandwich on American-looking whole wheat bread €3,75. Adequate.
Dinner: Suquet con arroz inflado (rice soup was really beefy with popped rice as a garnish), €4,95--meh;
Nugget de codomiz (quail and bacon nuggets) with a plum sauce €8,60—very good
Rioja, €3,00
By the way, I forgot to mention that the bill for last night’s dinner was presented in a sardine can made for that purpose (wind-proof!). I also forgot to say that there was a charge for wi-fi but one had a certain amount of free time. A PC was in one of the public rooms of the hotel and was rarely in use. The hotel breakfast room is on floor -0, FYI.
The Thyssen-Bornemisza has a special Cezanne exhibit. I’m there shortly after opening time and buy special ticket. I am told I must have the Art Pass ticket itself. Not wanting to walk to Prado and back, I “ate” the price and just bought another general ticket. See hints.
There were only about 20 people in line for Cezanne so that went fast. I don’t know huge amounts about this artist but enjoyed the collection. DH and I saw his atelier in Aix where we found out that it was left “as is” for some years after his death. Two men rescued it from a wrecking ball (or re-developer) so it remains the way Cezanne left it. One can see some of the props he used. The line was twice as long when I left about ½ hour later.
The permanent collection is pretty spectacular and surveys the so-called Italian Primitives of the 12th century through Early Avant-garde. Apricot walls and wooden floors made walking this museum a breeze for the feet. It took me about one hour for each of the 3 floors without an audio. I simply looked at every piece (except in the older stuff) and jotted down the names of artists whose works appealed the most. FYI, there are a couple of Sargent’s!
Although I am not a huge fan of abstract art, I found myself drawn (pun!) to some pieces and often they were by Kandinsky. I took a lunch break between floors at the gallery café. Very modern, a bit loud and with outside seating. Not the fastest service for anyone—a couple of tables were flagging down wait staff.
A little note about eating alone as it has been discussed on other threads. I used the slow service as time to write notes and number my photos so don’t mind it. Having books on the Kindle in my purse is a good backup as well. I read 3 books on this trip plus started a 4th. All on one Kindle.
Since yesterday’s bus ride didn’t go as far as I’d hoped, I walked back to the area (on Plaza Cánovas del Castillo) and get the correct HO-HO bus with the intention of walking about the Plaza Real.
Anyone try to keep cyclamen plants? We passed an area where they were growing in abundance in the median. I note that the Grand Via metro area has a nice pedestrian zone with many cafés. We swing by Royal Palace and there’s a loooong line. And, all of the major plazas were mobbed so I just stayed on the bus for the full circuit (an hour?) and returned to the hotel.
Note to OtherCelebi, I passed the Museo Jamon on both bus trips and thought of you. Never got back to it though.
I saw every kind of clothes you could think of. Lots of ankle-high boots, tights under dresses or layers of tops.
Back at the hotel the free computer was available, so I used it and then I realized that the Estado Puro resto is attached by a nearby inner door to the hotel so got another good <i>caffe con leche, con mucho leche</i>.
I walked a bit and the sidewalks were absolutely mobbed. Not only that, the street in front of the hotel was closed and the media was there. I passed a guy in a tux with a horn and a woman in black with a black mantilla. This all led me to change clothes for the evening, grab another dinner at Puro and head out to the flamenco area.
The cab I take to Corral de las Morerías can get me only to the end of Calle Morerías. You ask why? It is Good Friday and there will be a procession. No, a <b>Procession</b>--all of the main streets are getting blocked off.
I’m an hour++ early but count myself lucky as it’s very near cathedral and good views and an outdoor café to occupy. I stroll a bit and take some photos and then park myself and read over a glass of shiraz. Meet a nice couple from Ohio (I hear English and say hello) and that makes the time pass.
There were many birds expecting food and I laugh at grandpere and his little grandchild as they toss potato chips. Will the birds get fat on such a diet I wonder. No one yells at grandpere though he clearly knows, by furtive glances about, not to feed the birds. However, there was a grand baby to entertain.
Corral de las Morerías lets me in at 8:30 and I indeed have the last seat in a very back corner but stage is raised enough that I don’t worry about seeing. Because it will be a show with live music, I’m just as happy to be in the back. A post separates me from what seems to be the family and guest table. My reservation includes a “free” glass of wine (“red or wine Senora?").
The performances were very good and also quite interesting. There are 3 guitarists and 3 singers who provided the background music. All middle-aged men. 3 flamenco dancers (2 male, one female--all young and too thin) and a 4th 50ish woman who danced a bit but sang more.
The dancers did solos and trios and the older woman did a kind of singing that was almost a screaming chant. Although the singing of the 3 men wasn’t as extreme, there were times I thought of the calls to worship one hears as they accompanied the other dancers. Very interesting and I have in my notes to read more about the origins of flamenco dancing.
The dancers all hold the room’s attention totally. If you know how to tap dance, you must appreciate the fast pace of the footwork. The movements are sensuous and the dancers all seemed to be in their own world. How odd in a city with such a religious past that this dance came about. Tango in Argentina also perhaps? Or did the dancing come first?
A second night that I’m awake after 9 and it’s a miracle. Cabs are called for the people leaving and once again, I am dropped as close to the hotel as possible. The Procession is almost over and the streets very crowded and closed yet in front of the hotel. I can see there are several floats and many people following along at what is the end of things. I watch for a while and slowly get to the end of things and am able to cross that final street.
At 10:30, I’m ordering yet another glass of wine on the terrace at Puro and a lemon cake (“pastel”). It is some where between cake-like and torte-like but very yummy and with a raspberry sauce and a crumb bottom. As waiter is delivering it, the wind starts to blow away a <i>cuenta</i> (bill) on his tray. My right hand immediately strikes out to smack it down. Only another miracle (and the good reflexes of the waiter) keep the tray from flipping over.
A super day!
Apr 30th, 2014, 04:38 AM
#109
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Thanks Toucan2. Here are hints from Day 3:
16. See number 6.
17. The Reina Sofia’s permanent collection is on the 2nd and 4th floors. “Guernica” is on 2nd floor in room 206. Lonely Planet says room 6 so don’t get confused.
16. See number 6.
17. The Reina Sofia’s permanent collection is on the 2nd and 4th floors. “Guernica” is on 2nd floor in room 206. Lonely Planet says room 6 so don’t get confused.
Apr 30th, 2014, 04:47 AM
#110
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Day 3
Saturday 19 April 2014
80s again
Breakfast: There are 3 chocolate croissants left and the waitress is “delighted” even at this late time to get me scrambled eggs with parmesan cheese and flavored pepper (a tad underdone but good.) OJ and watermelon.
Lunch: “El Brilliante” Ciabatto bread with grilled pork loin, €12, Rioja ? Pork great but needed mayo!
Dinner: Estado Puro. Fish and chips, €11,90—yummy with a foamy malted white vinegar sauce.
Fried artichokes with honey and soya sauce €7,35—a dusky taste but the honey soy sauce was perfect.
Rioja, €3,00
Because of the holidays, Simòn had mentioned at check-in that breakfast would go until noon. Good thing as I slept until 11. I made a mad dash to the breakfast room.
As I look over my papers and realize that my Arte Pass ticket is for Sunday. What has happened to my reading skills? Since it’s so late, I decided to just go to Reina Sofia and “eat” another ticket.
At Caixa Forum along the way, I take photos of the interesting wall covered with flowers. yestravel had mentioned they enjoyed this venue inside as well so I thought I’d run in. Long lines put me off so onward.
The Reina Sofia is huge and the layout not as friendly as Thyssen-Bornemisza for me. However, it is an amazing survey of modern art and how the wars of the 19th century and the dictator Franco affected it.
“Guernica” room is mobbed with a tour but it was easy to just wait out the group and get a turn at a close up of this huge work. Note to self: read about Spanish history under Franco.
Per Wiki: “Guernica is a painting by Pablo Picasso. It was created in response to the bombing of Guernica, a Basque Country village in northern Spain, by German and Italian warplanes at the behest of the Spanish Nationalist forces on 26 April 1937 during the Spanish Civil War.”
In my photos to come, you will see a painting of Dali’s that might surprise you. It was interesting to read more about Miro (a friend of Calder, FYI) and his continued questioning about the nature of art. He suggested that he was “anti-painting”—painting symbols of reality was the only way to do art. A valid statement? Who knows?
There are several sidewalk cafés in the Reina Sofia area so I stop at “El Brilliante” and get lunch and a rest. The wait person gives me an English menu but I must show him my choice on the Spanish one.
Back to room to sort papers and check location of Real Fabrica de Tapices. According to book, it has closed for the day so I decide to walk a bit.
I pass Palace Hotel (Mrs. Santamonica suggests getting a drink under it’s Tiffany dome, FYI) and it has a crowd around several cars. People have cameras in the air. Someone famous here I guess.
As I walk, I pass la Trucha that I have noted as a place to go for tapas but it won’t open until 8:30. I stumble onto Plaza de Santa Ana (google to see the nice buildings here) and love it. The “big” plazas were so crowded I was put off by them, but this one is much more quiet. Cafés all around, a little play area and more gorgeous buildings including Teatro Espanol. A sit at Il Pezzo di Guiseppe for vino tinto (say “beano teento” please) for 2,60.
I strolled and ended up on another recommended area, Calle de las Huertas. There are many cool looking bars and a tango place that calls out. End up back at the ATM of day 1 so load up on euros and head back to Estado Puro to continue down their tapas list.
It’s not terribly late, but I’m pooped enough to call it a day.
PS-I brought the wrong bag of adaptors for my camera and the Kindle. Hotel loaned me 2. Even though my travel nebulizer has plain prongs, it needed a transformer so I went without it for 10 days. A very good sign.
Saturday 19 April 2014
80s again
Breakfast: There are 3 chocolate croissants left and the waitress is “delighted” even at this late time to get me scrambled eggs with parmesan cheese and flavored pepper (a tad underdone but good.) OJ and watermelon.
Lunch: “El Brilliante” Ciabatto bread with grilled pork loin, €12, Rioja ? Pork great but needed mayo!
Dinner: Estado Puro. Fish and chips, €11,90—yummy with a foamy malted white vinegar sauce.
Fried artichokes with honey and soya sauce €7,35—a dusky taste but the honey soy sauce was perfect.
Rioja, €3,00
Because of the holidays, Simòn had mentioned at check-in that breakfast would go until noon. Good thing as I slept until 11. I made a mad dash to the breakfast room.
As I look over my papers and realize that my Arte Pass ticket is for Sunday. What has happened to my reading skills? Since it’s so late, I decided to just go to Reina Sofia and “eat” another ticket.
At Caixa Forum along the way, I take photos of the interesting wall covered with flowers. yestravel had mentioned they enjoyed this venue inside as well so I thought I’d run in. Long lines put me off so onward.
The Reina Sofia is huge and the layout not as friendly as Thyssen-Bornemisza for me. However, it is an amazing survey of modern art and how the wars of the 19th century and the dictator Franco affected it.
“Guernica” room is mobbed with a tour but it was easy to just wait out the group and get a turn at a close up of this huge work. Note to self: read about Spanish history under Franco.
Per Wiki: “Guernica is a painting by Pablo Picasso. It was created in response to the bombing of Guernica, a Basque Country village in northern Spain, by German and Italian warplanes at the behest of the Spanish Nationalist forces on 26 April 1937 during the Spanish Civil War.”
In my photos to come, you will see a painting of Dali’s that might surprise you. It was interesting to read more about Miro (a friend of Calder, FYI) and his continued questioning about the nature of art. He suggested that he was “anti-painting”—painting symbols of reality was the only way to do art. A valid statement? Who knows?
There are several sidewalk cafés in the Reina Sofia area so I stop at “El Brilliante” and get lunch and a rest. The wait person gives me an English menu but I must show him my choice on the Spanish one.
Back to room to sort papers and check location of Real Fabrica de Tapices. According to book, it has closed for the day so I decide to walk a bit.
I pass Palace Hotel (Mrs. Santamonica suggests getting a drink under it’s Tiffany dome, FYI) and it has a crowd around several cars. People have cameras in the air. Someone famous here I guess.
As I walk, I pass la Trucha that I have noted as a place to go for tapas but it won’t open until 8:30. I stumble onto Plaza de Santa Ana (google to see the nice buildings here) and love it. The “big” plazas were so crowded I was put off by them, but this one is much more quiet. Cafés all around, a little play area and more gorgeous buildings including Teatro Espanol. A sit at Il Pezzo di Guiseppe for vino tinto (say “beano teento” please) for 2,60.
I strolled and ended up on another recommended area, Calle de las Huertas. There are many cool looking bars and a tango place that calls out. End up back at the ATM of day 1 so load up on euros and head back to Estado Puro to continue down their tapas list.
It’s not terribly late, but I’m pooped enough to call it a day.
PS-I brought the wrong bag of adaptors for my camera and the Kindle. Hotel loaned me 2. Even though my travel nebulizer has plain prongs, it needed a transformer so I went without it for 10 days. A very good sign.
Apr 30th, 2014, 05:34 AM
#112
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Hi again TDudette,
"Note to self: read about Spanish history under Franco."
Suggested reading: GHOSTS OF SPAIN, Travels Through Spain and Its Silent Past by Giles Tremlett. This book presents an excellent overview of the Spanish Civil War and its legacy of guilt and incrimination which lasted for decades.Even until today according to some accounts. Recall that while other dictators of the 1930s (Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin) eventually faded from the scene, Franco and regime survived on until the '70s.
Really enjoying your museum visits, description of delightful meals, and strolls though colorful neighborhoods. The Spaniards love to dine late, don't they? Please continue...
"Note to self: read about Spanish history under Franco."
Suggested reading: GHOSTS OF SPAIN, Travels Through Spain and Its Silent Past by Giles Tremlett. This book presents an excellent overview of the Spanish Civil War and its legacy of guilt and incrimination which lasted for decades.Even until today according to some accounts. Recall that while other dictators of the 1930s (Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin) eventually faded from the scene, Franco and regime survived on until the '70s.
Really enjoying your museum visits, description of delightful meals, and strolls though colorful neighborhoods. The Spaniards love to dine late, don't they? Please continue...
Apr 30th, 2014, 11:40 AM
#114
<< A sit at Il Pezzo di Guiseppe for vino tinto (say “beano teento” please) for 2,60.>>
TD - those Bs and Vs always catch me out, and i've no idea how the spanish digestive system copes with those late dinners. thank goodness for tapas bars, i say.
TD - those Bs and Vs always catch me out, and i've no idea how the spanish digestive system copes with those late dinners. thank goodness for tapas bars, i say.
May 1st, 2014, 06:06 AM
#115
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annhig, after trying to learn a little Italian, Catalone and Spanish for travel, I'm totally confused and can no longer spell English.
Here are day 4 hints:
18. If you need an elevator in the Prado, use the Geronimo entrance after you purchase your ticket at the Goya entrance, walk out,from ticket area, take a right and another right once you get to the edge of the original Prado building. Good café, shops, and a sit down resto (I didn’t try).
19. There are several places to rent audio guides in the Prado. If main one in Geronimo addition is busy, walk toward the red wall and see another shop on your left.
20. If you have forgotten your alarm clock, and must get up early, ask the front desk, or use their auto wake up system. Test it the day before you actually need the wake up call.
Here are day 4 hints:
18. If you need an elevator in the Prado, use the Geronimo entrance after you purchase your ticket at the Goya entrance, walk out,from ticket area, take a right and another right once you get to the edge of the original Prado building. Good café, shops, and a sit down resto (I didn’t try).
19. There are several places to rent audio guides in the Prado. If main one in Geronimo addition is busy, walk toward the red wall and see another shop on your left.
20. If you have forgotten your alarm clock, and must get up early, ask the front desk, or use their auto wake up system. Test it the day before you actually need the wake up call.
May 1st, 2014, 06:19 AM
#116
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Day 4
Sunday, 20 April 2014
Cooler and overcast
Meals:
Breakfast: Peach juice; a cute little sweet ham and cheese sandwich (about 1.5 inches cubed—the bread in ¼” stacks); choc. croissant and water melon. That nepresso coffee is gooood.
Lunch: Prado café—cappuccino, water and choc macaron--can't find receipt.
Dinner: Estado Puro—XXIst Century Tortilla €4,55 consists of what would be in a potato frittato but pureed potatoes and foamed eggs. Not a bad taste but, really?
Sliders for €10,50 are 3 (they wouldn’t give me just 2) great little burgers with arugula, aioli mustard, minced onion and red peppers. Delish.
Shiraz, €3,00
I went directly to the Prado this a.m. and they directed me to the new wing (see hints) so I could use the lift. Light and airy are words that describe the Geronimo addition.
What to say about the Prado? The size of some of the works is formidable. At <i>least</i> 12 feet square. It is a miracle that they have survived undamaged, some since the 1100s, in non-climate-controlled palaces/churches.
Looking at the plan (the free one), I see Sorolla listed and I’d already mentally planned to visit the Goyas and El Bosco (“Garden of Earthly Delights”) while I was fresh so I do then strolled the main corridor on the 2nd floor, mouth agape at the huge works and some ornate tables with legs of carved lions and mosaic tops.
The Goyas didn’t grab me but stuff by Velazquez did. And I got very stuck on Bosch. As you’d expect, there were always crowds around “Garden…” and the piece is, as they used to say, a real trip.
First, it was created in the 1500s. Second, it’s over 12 feet wide and 7 feet high when opened (it’s a triptych). Third, the word ‘trip’ comes up when one attempts to describe what El Bosco painted. Please google it if you aren't familiar with it.
At this point, it’s almost noon so I decide to beat the tour groups and grab a bite. Café is nice and offers sandwiches and snacks. After I’m refreshed, I go ahead and rent an audio in one of the smaller shops I’d passed. A group just beats me to the clerk but her colleague sees the expression on my face and helps me separately.
Back to Bosch to hear more about his very strange vision and to study his other works in the room. There is a shadow box of unusual insects and plants, the label of which suggests it might have been something people of Bosch’s age would own. Indeed, some of his characters could have originated from seeing such oddities. An LSD trip is not out of the question either….
Audio in hand, I start at the beginning again and go room by room. I only stop at works that call out but it still takes 2+ more hours to look and listen. An incredible shade of blue in Patinir’s “Crossing the Styx” calls out. I am reminded that the early artists ground (or had it done) their colors from minerals and plants in those days. The source of this blue, an azurite (I think) geode, sits beneath the painting.
At 4ish, my feet and stamina are done. Back to hotel to check emails and do a final sort of papers and photos.
Back to Estado Puro for a caffee, I realize I’m hungry so have my last supper in Madrid at 5. There is no one in the resto inside, and it’s a tad cool on the terrace, so I eat at the bar. Although I tasted 2 or 3 tapas each day, I barely ate half of what was on the menus.
Back to room to pack and read.
Sunday, 20 April 2014
Cooler and overcast
Meals:
Breakfast: Peach juice; a cute little sweet ham and cheese sandwich (about 1.5 inches cubed—the bread in ¼” stacks); choc. croissant and water melon. That nepresso coffee is gooood.
Lunch: Prado café—cappuccino, water and choc macaron--can't find receipt.
Dinner: Estado Puro—XXIst Century Tortilla €4,55 consists of what would be in a potato frittato but pureed potatoes and foamed eggs. Not a bad taste but, really?
Sliders for €10,50 are 3 (they wouldn’t give me just 2) great little burgers with arugula, aioli mustard, minced onion and red peppers. Delish.
Shiraz, €3,00
I went directly to the Prado this a.m. and they directed me to the new wing (see hints) so I could use the lift. Light and airy are words that describe the Geronimo addition.
What to say about the Prado? The size of some of the works is formidable. At <i>least</i> 12 feet square. It is a miracle that they have survived undamaged, some since the 1100s, in non-climate-controlled palaces/churches.
Looking at the plan (the free one), I see Sorolla listed and I’d already mentally planned to visit the Goyas and El Bosco (“Garden of Earthly Delights”) while I was fresh so I do then strolled the main corridor on the 2nd floor, mouth agape at the huge works and some ornate tables with legs of carved lions and mosaic tops.
The Goyas didn’t grab me but stuff by Velazquez did. And I got very stuck on Bosch. As you’d expect, there were always crowds around “Garden…” and the piece is, as they used to say, a real trip.
First, it was created in the 1500s. Second, it’s over 12 feet wide and 7 feet high when opened (it’s a triptych). Third, the word ‘trip’ comes up when one attempts to describe what El Bosco painted. Please google it if you aren't familiar with it.
At this point, it’s almost noon so I decide to beat the tour groups and grab a bite. Café is nice and offers sandwiches and snacks. After I’m refreshed, I go ahead and rent an audio in one of the smaller shops I’d passed. A group just beats me to the clerk but her colleague sees the expression on my face and helps me separately.
Back to Bosch to hear more about his very strange vision and to study his other works in the room. There is a shadow box of unusual insects and plants, the label of which suggests it might have been something people of Bosch’s age would own. Indeed, some of his characters could have originated from seeing such oddities. An LSD trip is not out of the question either….
Audio in hand, I start at the beginning again and go room by room. I only stop at works that call out but it still takes 2+ more hours to look and listen. An incredible shade of blue in Patinir’s “Crossing the Styx” calls out. I am reminded that the early artists ground (or had it done) their colors from minerals and plants in those days. The source of this blue, an azurite (I think) geode, sits beneath the painting.
At 4ish, my feet and stamina are done. Back to hotel to check emails and do a final sort of papers and photos.
Back to Estado Puro for a caffee, I realize I’m hungry so have my last supper in Madrid at 5. There is no one in the resto inside, and it’s a tad cool on the terrace, so I eat at the bar. Although I tasted 2 or 3 tapas each day, I barely ate half of what was on the menus.
Back to room to pack and read.
May 1st, 2014, 06:51 AM
#117
TD - you have exceeded my museum/gallery endurance record by about 100%. 2-3 hours is my limit, anywhere. After that, I just have to get out an give my brain [and my feet] a rest, and get some fresh air. In Madrid, this consisted of a lunch round the corner from the Prado and then a walk in the Retiro gardens, which were pretty good even in February.
I do remember the Velasquez though.
I do remember the Velasquez though.
May 1st, 2014, 07:21 AM
#118
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<How odd in a city with such a religious past that this dance came about> - <Very interesting and I have in my notes to read more about the origins of flamenco dancing>.
Flamenco comes from the South of Spain/Andalucía where devotion and fiesta goes very much hand in hand. Just think of the spectacular almost 24/7 Holy Week celebrations in Sevilla. The flamenco inspired mourning song saeta is in the very core of the celebrations: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfEzAtJlln8
"Flamenco music and dance" - writes Michelle Heffner Hayes in her excellent "Flamenco. Conflicting Histories of the Dance" - "emerged in nineteenth-century Andalucía, a fusion of cultural influences from the two major migrations of the Roma, an 800-year Moorish occupation, an entrenched Jewish Sephardic tradition, and the regional forms of the Spanish South". http://books.google.no/books/about/F...YC&redir_esc=y
A little about flamenco history: http://www.andalucia.com/flamenco/history.htm
Here's the famous Spanish film-director Carlos Saura's movie "Flamenco" from 1995. An excellent intro to the art: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2H-j7VXEXzE
Olga Pericet danced your night in the Corral de la Morería, in the midst of the old Moorish Madrid. Here at the prestigious festival in Jerez in 2011: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqzOTKsjC-M
Flamenco comes from the South of Spain/Andalucía where devotion and fiesta goes very much hand in hand. Just think of the spectacular almost 24/7 Holy Week celebrations in Sevilla. The flamenco inspired mourning song saeta is in the very core of the celebrations: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfEzAtJlln8
"Flamenco music and dance" - writes Michelle Heffner Hayes in her excellent "Flamenco. Conflicting Histories of the Dance" - "emerged in nineteenth-century Andalucía, a fusion of cultural influences from the two major migrations of the Roma, an 800-year Moorish occupation, an entrenched Jewish Sephardic tradition, and the regional forms of the Spanish South". http://books.google.no/books/about/F...YC&redir_esc=y
A little about flamenco history: http://www.andalucia.com/flamenco/history.htm
Here's the famous Spanish film-director Carlos Saura's movie "Flamenco" from 1995. An excellent intro to the art: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2H-j7VXEXzE
Olga Pericet danced your night in the Corral de la Morería, in the midst of the old Moorish Madrid. Here at the prestigious festival in Jerez in 2011: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqzOTKsjC-M
May 1st, 2014, 11:58 AM
#119
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Thanks, ann. I dare say I would remember more if I'd not tried to see so much at one time. Another excuse for a return, eh?
Lots to look at/read, kimhe and I will, thanks. Yes, I saw Ms. Pericet! It would be good to return to that area of Madrid for leisurely exploration.
Lots to look at/read, kimhe and I will, thanks. Yes, I saw Ms. Pericet! It would be good to return to that area of Madrid for leisurely exploration.
