There is a strange conversation that takes place amongst people when they learn of others who are travelling.
"You certainly aren't going to that, are you? It's so touristy."
I'm never certain how to respond to such a query. Of course, I'm going to see that or do that. I'm a tourist, for f*** sake. What should I do, instead? Wait for a local to stumble across my sad Canadian self and take pity on me with an invitation to guide me to all the local hidden gems? What utter nonsense. I'm a visitor. Hitting the highlights is what I'm afforded. Touristy is my mantra.
Today's tourist agenda had us headed to places of highbrow culture and art. El Museo del Prado and El Museo de la Reina Sofia were both necessary additions to our itinerary. The Prado is the largest art museum in Europe, or so say the Spaniards. If you ask a Frenchman, they will tell you that The Louvre is bigger. Let them fight. I'm fairly certain wars have been waged for less honour. I just want to be dazzled by artistic brilliance.
I will say up front that the collection at the Prado isn't my usual cup of creative tea. I tend to favour paintings that aren't quite so Christian-centred. As The Husband remarked, there are themes of death and destruction that seem to run through much of these great works. That said, I wanted to add the Prado to my list of great art museums.
It is a wonderful place. They gift visitors with a floor plan and some not-to-be-missed highlights. As we wandered the great halls, I played a strange version of great master BINGO. I checked off the important works on my map and spent extra time reading the summaries. As I played, I realized I was learning and developing an appreciation for things I had previously dismissed. I really got into it while watching several groups of schoolchildren who were on field trips. I loved listening to their questions (juvenile Spanish is right there in my wheelhouse) and I enjoyed the animated looks on their faces. One teacher had her students pose in ways that mimicked a certain painting. The kids loved it and so did I. Groups of high-schoolers were filling out questionnaires their teachers had given them. It was like a teenage scavenger hunt through the Spanish masters. By the time we were done, I had checked off more than fifteen paintings on my BINGO card and felt artistically sated.
The collection at La Reina Sofia was very different. This is the home of Picasso's masterpiece Guernica and we made a beeline for it before it was overrun by crowds. The queen's collection also includes many works by Dalí, Miró, Matisse, and Gris. This art is far more my thing. I love imagining the artists in their studios going through their creative processes. It amazes me how talent rises and the journey it takes.
I suppose you could classify our visits to the galleries as touristy. I really don't care. It is what travelling to different places is all about.
Some random thoughts:
- Gallery patrons need to learn some etiquette. View the painting and then move out of the way for others to see. There were times today I felt like a child at a parade behind a family of tall people.
- La Retira park in the museum district was a lovely oasis for our lunch. It is sort of like a small Central Park.
- While I am grateful that the rain has passed, it is unseasonably cold in Madrid. While most of Europe is basking in record heat, Iberia has been really chilly. I am looking forward to the warm up as we head south.
- This city is not easy to navigate. The roads go every which way and there seems to be little logic behind the layout. Thank goodness for Google Maps.
- I had the weirdest experience at the Prado today when these two painting were right next to each other. I am just sharing the descriptions because the docent yelled at me for taking photographs. Check out the names of the paintings.
- What the hell is this doing here?
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| Rubens (My favourite from The Prado) |
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| Guernica |
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| Dalí |
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