Following my trip to Eastern Europe, I flew to Madrid for a few days. I stayed at the Radisson Blue near Madrid Prado at Calle Moratin 52 and found myself looking out over a lovely little square with 3 outdoor cafes, and a block from the park that runs down much of the city to the Pardo.
In the Plaza de la plateria de Martinez, where the Radisson
Blu hotel is located, the restaurant next door to the hotel has an interesting
menu. Here is the roasted artichoke dish, with Iberian ham and sliced almonds.
The wine list featured a grape I’m not familiar with, Godello, and it was
really nice – – more flavorful than a Verdejo, almost Chardonnay in taste.
I started my time exploring Madrid today by signing on for
one of those hop–on bus tours. Forever after, I will think of them as a tour of
the treetops. I’d love to tell you what it was I saw on this tour, but the
commentary was scarce, overpowered by flamenco music playing between the 16
stops And so although it was a nice day to drive around Madrid, I’m not sure I
would recommend this approach.
I hopped off the hop-on bus at a certain point, because I
was beginning to be really bored by this experience. I found myself at a really
interesting plaza, just down the street from the Four Seasons hotel. A very
busy section of Madrid! I went into the lobby of the Four Seasons hotel, and I
have decided that next time I visit Madrid, I would like to reserve a room in
the lobby. It is really beautiful.
Soccer in Madrid! Wherever I walked on Sept 18, soccer was
in the air. Souvenir shops full of jerseys, groups of fans sitting in cafes and
talking intensely. In the evening at the 80,000 seat stadium Santiago Bernabeu,
team Real Madrid played Stuttgart. Real Madrid won 3 to 1. I wasn’t there,
sadly, because I would have enjoyed seeing the huge retractable roof in motion.
Maybe next visit.
Madrid; city of fountains! No matter where you walk, it
seems, you will come across a fountain of one kind or another. I spotted these
fountains on my walk over to the archaeological museum.
The entrance to the archaeological museum does not even
begin to give you a sense of how huge this institution is. Located on the ritzy
Calle de Serrano, it has a storied history. Angels guard its treasures.
Interesting note: entrance is FREE if you are over 65. And anyone, regardless
of age, can use the café at the left of the entrance. Reasonable prices, lovely
setting. And time for a cold drink after a long walk here!
Wonderful exhibits at the Archaeological Museum, dating from
Roman times through empires more modern.
I loved the mosaics, and also the royal sedan chairs and other carriages!
Madrid’s fashionable shopping street is Calle Serrano, and
it’s great to walk and browse. They had
spiced it up with some painted cows… interesting!
Time for lunch at a lovely outdoor café in a small plaza off
Calle de Hermosilla…
Closer to my hotel, a few hours stroll took me to several
interesting plazas and side streets… architectural detail is interesting, and a
lot of creativity to enjoy!
Madrid is a city that delights art lovers. I’m not much for art museums, frankly, but if
you are in Madrid, it’s good to spend some time in both the Thyssen-Bornemisza
and the Prado. The Thyssen is on one of the city’s main boulevards, not far
from the Prado. It is part of the “Golden
Triangle of Art” which includes the Prado and also the Reina Sofia national
galleries (I did not visit the Reina Sofia… maybe next trip….)
Per Wikipedia, the Thyssen collection was started in the
1920s as a private collection by baron Thyssen-Bornemisza, and at that
time, there was a movement of European paintings to the US during this period. He reversed this movement as one of the elder
Baron's sources was the collections of American millionaires coping with the
Great Depression and inheritance taxes. In this way he acquired precious old
master paintings which are among the exhibits here. His son expanded the collection with many
newer works by Van Gogh, Monet, Renoir, Cezanne, Gauguin, Hopper and more.
For more info: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thyssen-Bornemisza_Museum
You’ll recognize some of these works:
Paul Gauguin, 1872, Mata Mua
Triptych with the Virgin and Child; 1300-1310,
by Anonimo Veneciano
Of course a visit to the famous Prado museum! The lines to enter are long, and crowds
everywhere. Frankly, I did a quick
walk-through and will spend more time on a later visit/trip when I am not
museumed-out….
And so, Pippi’s European sojourn ends today, September 21,
as she leaves Madrid for her brief flight to Zurich and then onward to San
Francisco. She will be jet lagged for a day or two.
