El arte
Trip Start
Jun 30, 2009
1
8
9
Trip End
Jul 08, 2009
Madrid,
Madrid,
Spain and Canary Islands
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Anyway, I got a coffee and headed down to Museo del Prado via the Banco de España metro stop - the museum is only a short walk away, and within a few minutes I had my ticket and was inside the museum. I entered the museum from the side, which was a bit confusing when I looked at the map, but I managed to figure it out after I dropped my bag in a locker (as ordered by the security guard). I followed my guidebook's advice and tried to stick with the Spanish masters rather than seeing everything the museum has to offer - it would otherwise be completely overwhelming. The map booklet makes it easy to find both the artists and specific masterpieces (though I couldn't find a Rembrandt I was looking for). I hit up the Goyas, Velásquezs, Murillos, and Boscos, and after a few hours, was starving. I had a salad and Coca Cola Light at the cafe and then set out to my next destination, the Museo Thyssen-Bornemiszma.
The Thyssen-Bornemiszma museum displays the collection of a former power couple on three levels and in two separate collections. The Carmen collection is organized separately and it is recommended that you view it separately. I did that, but you end up in a strange place in the museum after doing so, and its not clear what you are supposed to do next. I found myself suddenly outside the Carmen collection without realizing it, and not sure how to proceed. In any event, I enjoyed the Carmen collection (which is mostly 16th to 19th century, with lots of Flemish, Spanish and French), but found the rest of the second floor's collection to be somewhat dry (the 15th century Italian religious art didn't really do it for me). The first floor's collection of contemporary art is fantastic - I wish it were bigger. There's Miró, Picasso, Gris, even a Lichtenstein, O'Keefe, and Rothko or two.
The day was nearly over by now, but I had to check out Chueca. The streets get narrow and windy as you walk northwest from the Banco de España, and the shops get trendier. Of course this also is where the gay bars and cafes are, and if I were a more bold solo traveler, you'd perhaps find me there at night. I got lost in the maze of it all (and I wasn't the only one - I overheard a cute young man asking some older ladies where the Metro was in Spanish) but followed the flow of people and eventually found the plaza where the Metro station is.
