June 16-18
Madrid ~ European Masterpieces and the New King Felipe VI
Fast Trains
Up early, we take a fast moving electrical train (160-200
miles per hour) to Madrid. John has booked us in a first class train seat. Travel
on this high-speed train feels a bit like air travel except without all the hassle
of body searches, luggage scanners and passport checks. This ticket even provides a special waiting lounge
similar (but no nespresso) to business class airport lounges. On board the
train we have very comfortable seats with great legroom. There is even a movie
to watch (in Spanish) and a hostess gives us a breakfast menu. Thinking I am on
a plane, I assume we will have to pay for this breakfast of French omelet with
sausages, pastry and yogurt. But to my delight this not the case.
Arriving in Madrid is psychologically jarring in many
respects after the other cities we have visited. Madrid is a modern capital with
a population of 3.3 million and 6 million including the greater area. It is the
largest city we have visited and our taxi ride reveals traffic jams similar to
those we experience in Seattle. It takes us 15 minutes to go 2 miles. I find it difficult to transition to this new
city because I am still in love with Sevilla with its quiet and wide streets
devoid of cars and relaxing atmosphere.
Arriving
at the Palace (now owned by Westin
Hotel) we ask about renting bikes and sadly are told that biking is not recommended. I realize we have seen no bikers or bike
lanes on our way here. John is also disappointed to learn that there are no
Spanish music concerts or symphonies scheduled during our visit. Furthermore
the hotel concierge tells us that Spanish music is not attractive to most tourists. Do I hear the Sound of Music being played in
the hotel lobby background? Alas… how lucky we were in Barcelona to have discovered
classical Spanish guitar music quite by accident.
Centro de Arte Reina
Sofia ~ Guernica
Our hotel is situated in the center of the museum
neighborhood and everything we want to see in Madrid. We quickly take off for
what is thought be one of Europe’s most enjoyable modern art museums ~ Reina Sofia. It focuses on 20th century Spanish
artists ~ Picasso, Dali, Miro as well as other art giants. John is especially
excited and can’t wait to get there because since 1981 it has housed Picasso’s Guernica, the single most important
piece of art in Spain.
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| Picasso's Guernica |
This huge canvass has become a timeless and historic classic
representing the horror of war, not just the Spanish civil war (1936-39) where
the democratically elected Second Republic government lost against the fascist
general Francisco Franco, who ruled Spain as a dictator for the next 36 years. I
was astounded to learn that Franco had allowed his friend Adolph Hitler to use
the town of Guernica for bombing practice for the German army. Picasso’s Cubist style, abstract, black and
white images represent universal symbols of the brutality of war (bull, horse,
dove of peace) and are prophetic of the 55 million worldwide who later died in
WWII. I first was amazed by the Guernica in New York shortly after I met John and
learned that John had previously seen it in the late 60’s. Picasso painted it while in Paris. In 1939 he named New York’s Museum of Modern Art
as the home for his work. Only after Franco’s death was it returned to Spain
where it had never been before.
On this day we go to the museum in the morning and take a
break for lunch outside on a placa returning afterwards to the museum for the
rest of the afternoon. We view the Guernica again (and again) and find it both breath
taking and disarming, as mankind still hasn’t stopped having horrific wars. Utilizing
the audio handsets we are guided with very informative information about the museum’s
collection of art. Since I am not an art
major, I enjoy learning more about Surrealism (Dali), Cubism (Picasso), and
Post Modern Goya who was apparently the first painter with a social conscience
who dealt with social reality and showed inner feelings of the people being painted.
On our way back from the museum, I feel a nudge and look
down to find a woman’s hand in my purse. Since I have my 2-sided purse with the
pocket open that has only my notebook and guide the potential robber gets nothing. (the inside
of my purse with my wallet is turned towards my body). This woman is with another
man and they look like typical tourists about our age ~ who would have thought
they would be pick pocketers? As I tell John what has just happened he turns
about quickly to view them dropping his I-pad and sadly mashing the glass on
the front of it. Luckily the I-pad still
functions and after some web-based research we find out that for $250 he can
have the glass replaced. Now he will
have to use my I-pad that is bulkier and not as portable.
Dinner is at Zerain… another
restaurant picked out by John from the web. We have a delicious meal with John
having fish of course, starting with sardines, then cod and finishing with dark
chocolate coulant. On the other hand, trying to eat more fish I have a cod
soufflé, followed by sirloin and finishing with cream carmel and ice cream~ not
exactly a Mediterranean diet. Maybe
tomorrow…
Day 2
Prado Museum
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| Prado Museum |
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| Valazquez |
Our second day in Madrid starts at Starbucks that
fortunately is right in front of our hotel and provides Wi-Fi and great coffee
and cinnamon buns. We go to the Prado
Museum an amazing place with a great collection of more than 3,000 European
masterpieces. Again with our audio guides in hand we start our tour and 3 hours
later have only seen half of Level 1. (there are 3 levels) The permanent collection is not just of
Spanish works (1100-1910) but also Italian (1300-1800), German (1450-1800),
British (1750-1800), Flemish (1430-1700), and French (1600-1800).
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| Velazquez Las Meninas |
I learn about
Spanish masters such as Velazquez who was a portrait painter for the royals. Las Meninas shows a 3-D effect of
parents reflected in the mirror watching their daughter being painted by the
artist.
We see Rubens Baroque style art
with seductive, naked women who clearly have no body image problems and are well-fed
and ample in size.
We see El Greco as well as many others who have painted
Jesus suffering on the cross, or of people adoring baby Jesus, or of the
beautiful Virgin Mary. One of the most
famous Virgin Marys was by Murillo who painted the hit picture, Immaculate Conception; the Virgin is
shown floating on a cloud, radiating youth and purity.
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| Murillo |
John is surprised to find that Mary was only
officially declared a Virgin by the Catholic church in 1854 after a PR campaign
for her virginal ceritification that started in Seville. I have grown tired of all these immaculate
virgins and wonder if this is a propaganda effort to reduce syphilis. We are
ticking off all the masterpieces on our guide cards and realize we are only a
third through the guide. Overdosed we leave the museum for lunch and return
later in the afternoon. Returning home the end of the day I am sure I have
already forgotten 90% of what I have heard on my audio guide. However, I do
dream that night of naked women and death.
We have dinner at El
Salvador, a place recommended by the concierge for its lamb and pork. We start the meal with little sausages, and
then I have lamb while John has baby pig. We think this is the best meal we’ve
had since our anniversary meal.
Leaving the restaurant just before midnight we walk home
(following the map on my I-pad) finding the streets alive with energy. We
notice Spanish flags and flowers are being put up for the King’s coronation in
two days.
Day 3 Plans for the
New King Felipe VI’s Coronation the Next Day
Off to Starbucks for our morning coffee. (too bad this nice hotel doesn’t have nespresso,
which means it gets less stars from us, although they do deliver to your room
one free coffee per day when you call and ask for it). Since arrival at our
hotel we have seen preparations for the coronation of the new monarch ~ King
Felipe VI that will happen the next day. The Congress which is where the
ceremony will occur is just across the street from the hotel.
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| In front of Coronation Place - Congress |
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| Policeman taking picture of policmen |
There are TV
stations and camera people everywhere as well as thousands of police and
military. We have been told there will be 6,400 police to provide security for
this event. Apparently today Congress is being held to pass laws for how the
transition process from the existing King Juan-Carlos to the new monarch will
occur. Our concierge has told us that
people
were surprised to hear 3-4 weeks ago that the current King was abdicating
to let his son become King. Usually this usually happens when the existing King
dies. I mention to the concierge that
since the Pope stepped down for Pope Frances (instead of dying first) this
seems to have changed the rules. We have
heard that the King is stepping down because the scandal that occurred when he
was photographed killing elephants in Africa with his paramour. Although everyone knew he was not faithful this
fact I guess was made too obvious. Others say the old king, aged 76 is stepping down
because of health reasons (hip injuries). He has been Spain’s monarch for 40
years having led Spain out of dictatorship when Franco died in 1975.
Apparently this coronation is going to be low-key with
restrained festivities because of Spain’s worst economic slump in decades. (unemployment is 26%) Apparently guests will
be served tapas and drink Catalan cava rather than have a big dinner and
champagne in order to save money.
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| Questioning Monarchy ? |
While
there appears to be waning support for the monarchy idea, when I watch him on
TV I find him to be very handsome and Kennedy-like. Moreover, the pictures with his beautiful wife
and two children add to this perfect family image. I guess I still am in love
with the monarchy idea (my British genetic influence). I wonder if there will be demonstrations in Madrid and
hope that this king can help Spain manage its economic and regional problems.
Later we see in the gardens some police opening man holes to make sure they are empty (of bombs?) and then closing them with a special sticker to indicate they have been checked. Unfortunately we are not able to get inside the palace but
only to see it from the outside. This is
Europe’s third largest palace, after Versailles and it has 2,800 rooms and tons
of tapestries, frescoes by Tiepolo. The royal family does not live here but
only uses it for ceremonial functions and tourists (to earn money). We are
sorry not to see inside but the events outside are gorgeous. Perhaps this would be a reason to come back
here one day. We do enter the gorgeous cathedral
adjacent to the palace where the royals worship, rather than in their own
palace chapel.
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| Man playing for money at palace |
Museo
Thyssen-Bornemisza
I wasn’t sure I wanted to go to this art museum as I was
rather overdosed with art but John convinces me to check it out. After all if
he can do it, why can’t I? (although I really wanted to do some shopping but
had no shopping buddy) Actually I find
that I enjoy this museum more than the Prado, perhaps because it was smaller (200+
paintings) and is more manageable. Also it spans the period from 17th
to 20th century and I like that there is not so much religious art. It
starts with the Italian Primitives and continues with examples of Renaissance
and Baroque art. Then we progress to
Impressionism, and Expressionism as well as 20th century examples of
Cubism and abstract art. It includes
artists such as Monet, Renoir, Gaugin, Rodin, Matisse, Degas, Van Gogh and
Picasso. Exhausted with walking and art
images we head back to the hotel especially so John can catch up on the World
Cup soccer.
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| Degas |
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| Vincent Gogan |
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| Kandinsky |
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| Salvadore Dahli |
Dinner on our last night is at the Paella restaurant
recommended by the hotel. We of course have Paella with giant red prawns, clams, and
squid.
The entire menu is nothing but different kinds of paella. Afterwards we
walk back to the hotel through crowded streets seeing all the places where
flags have been put up and flowers arranged. There is excitement in the air. We
wonder how we are going to get to the airport in the morning since the entire
area around our hotel is being closed to taxis and cars until 1 pm. I worry about terrorists who might be
protesting the concept of a king and suggest to John that we move to an airport
hotel. John says not to worry because if a bomb goes off the airport will be
closed down and we will get to stay in Madrid another night!
At the airport the next morning we watch the coronation on the television.
