Feeling Metropolitan in Madrid
It has been a whirlwind few weeks. I really can’t complain about having the opportunity to travel and spend time with family and friends, but I’m definitely exhausted! I got back from Morocco (I had a fabulous time! Details to come.), and my family traveled all the way from Texas to spend time with me in Seville during my brother and sister’s Spring Break! I split my time between hanging out with them and going to my classes, and then we all took a day trip to Gibraltar last Thursday before they left on Friday morning. Then yesterday (Saturday), I took a day trip with a friend to the nearby pueblo of Ronda, which was also completely amazing.
But now I’m trying to get back to the real world and catch up on homework. (I have several prácticas for both my Anthropology and Geography classes that need to get done.) But, I also really need to get caught up with this blog! I’ve visited some amazing places and have pictures and information to share!
So, starting with my trip from a few weekends ago: Madrid! I spent the weekend in Spain’s capital city with four of my friends, and it was a very fun time. Because my last class of the week ends on Thursday morning at 11AM, I decided I wanted to spend some extra time in Madrid, so I actually left on my own Thursday afternoon and my friends joined me the next day once they got done with their classes.
After my class Thursday morning, I went home and grabbed my suitcase and headed to the Sevilla Santa Justa train station. I took the AVE (high speed!! Up to 310 km/h!) train to Madrid, which takes about two hours. When I arrived in Madrid, I checked in at La Posada de Huertas, an international youth hostel. One of my main priorities in Madrid was to visit the “Golden Triangle” of art museums: the Museo Nacional del Prado, the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, and the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia. I got started right away, and spent the afternoon and early evening exploring the fabulous collections. I managed to see all of the major works I wanted to, and because I have a Spanish university student ID, my admission was free at most of the museums!
It was so incredible being able to see such famous, beautiful works of art up close. I had studied many of the works in art classes and Spanish classes in high school and college, so having the chance to view them in real life was a treat. It was so surreal; most of the time it didn’t fully sink in that I was looking at the ACTUAL work of art. Sometimes it still felt like I was looking at a copy or a photo!
I had done my research online, so I already knew which “highlights” I really had to check off the list. These museums are way too big to take your time and look at every single work of art, so I think a plan was necessary for the sake of time. Someday I’d love to be able to return and enjoy the collections to the fullest extent, but considering I only had a few hours, I saw everything I wanted to see and more. Part of the amazing thing is that these museums have such impressive, enormous collections, so I think you’d have to dedicate an entire day to even come close to looking at everything. Photography wasn’t allowed in the museums, but I’ve included some images of the works I got to see that I’ve found online.
At the Prado, I was most excited to get to see The Garden of Earthly Delights by Hieronymus Bosch, Las Meninas by Diego Velázquez, Saturn Devouring His Son by Francisco Goya, Charles IV of Spain and His Family by Francisco Goya, and The Third of May 1808 by Francisco Goya. The Prado, which began construction in 1785, has one of the largest museum collections in the world, with over 9,000 paintings, 5,000 drawings, 2,000 prints, 1,000 coins and medals, and 2,000 decorative objects. Because it has such an extensive collection, only about 1/7th of the collection can ever be displayed at one time. I really enjoyed the Prado because the building itself is very beautiful, and every room had a “theme” or “tone” communicated through the lighting and décor that accompanied the artwork displayed in that space.
Here were some other works at the Prado that I really enjoyed:
After the Prado, I walked up the Paseo del Prado to the Thyssen-Bornemisza. This collection is a great “companion” to the Prado, as the Prado houses primarily Spanish artwork, while the Thyssen-Bornemisza has more foreign artists, as well as more modern/20th century pieces. I didn’t have as many pieces I “had to see” in this museum, so I marked ones on the map that looked interesting, and just sort of worked my way through the spaces. I also employed the strategy of “follow the crowds.” I figured if a huge group of people were crowded around a painting, it was probably worth checking out! This museum is organized in chronological order, so it was great to be able to observe how artistic styles changed over time. You were also allowed to stand really close to the paintings (at least, closer than in most museums I had visited in the past), as many paintings were enclosed in glass.
Here were some works I enjoyed at the Thyssen-Bornemisza: (Actually, now that I look back, I made notes of quite a few! For me, this was a fun experience because I saw a lot of pieces that I really enjoyed but I hadn’t seen before visiting the museum. This enabled me to get the real “first-viewing” experience, without any preexisting assumptions based on what I had seen in textbooks.)
After the Thyssen-Bornemisza, I walked back down the Paseo del Prado to the Reina Sofia. The Reina Sofia houses contemporary, 20th century art. It has excellent collections of work by Picasso and Dalí. The “crown jewel” of the museum, and the painting I was most excited to see, is Picasso’s Guernica. This was another work I had studied in various Spanish and art courses, and seeing it in real life didn’t disappoint. The painting is HUGE, and takes up an entire room. The museum has excellent information included in handouts about the painting, as well as a series of photographs on display that show photographs of the work in-progress. Very cool!
Some other works I enjoyed at the Reina Sofia (I was reminded of how strange/fascinating Dalí’s works are!):
After visiting three museums in a row, I was exhausted. I decided to reward myself by visiting the Chocolatería San Ginés, a very famous chocolate/churros restaurant. I don’t know if I’ve written here about chocolate con churros yet, but in Spain, churros are a bit different from the cinnamon-sugar type we have in the US. Here, the churros are sticks of fried dough that you dip in a very thick hot chocolate/chocolate syrup sauce! It’s very delicious and very filling. A friend had recommended San Ginés to me, and it definitely lived up to my expectations!
After a long day of solo travel and looking at many breathtaking works of art, I called it a night. The next day, I got up early and tried to see a few more buildings and monuments before I went to meet my friends so we could all check in at the hostel. I started with the Parque del Buen Retiro, then worked my way over to the Paseo del Prado. I had a map and information I had found online about some of the various buildings and structures, so it was fun to explore! And since I started in the early morning, it was nice and quiet.
The Parque del Buen Retiro was initially created as a royal park in the 17th century, as a “retreat” for the royal family. In 1868, it was opened to the public. Some areas of the park have a formal, French style, but other areas are more natural. The park is home to the Alfonso XII Monument, the Palacio de Cristal, and the Fuente del Angel Caído.
Along the Paseo del Prado, I walked by all of the museums I had seen the previous day, and also was able to see the Fuente de Neptuno, the Iglesia San Jerónimo el Real, and the Monumento a los Caídos por España (the “Obelisco,” Spain’s “Tomb of the Unknown Soldier”). I continued walking up the the Plaza de Cibeles, which has several grand buildings, including the Ayuntamiento, the Banco de España, and the Palacio de Linares, in addition to the Fuente de las Cibeles. I also walked over to see the Puerta de Alcala and the Biblioteca Nacional de España, also home of the Archaeological Museum.
I then continued west, walking up the Gran Via, one of Madrid’s most famous streets. This area really showcases the 20th century architecture that’s present throughout Madrid. (That’s one thing I noticed; the buildings in Madrid seem newer than most of the buildings in Seville. In Madrid, the majority of the buildings seemed to be from the 18th-20th century, while Seville seems to have an “older” feel, at least in the centro area.) Along the Gran Via, I saw the Edificio Metrópolis and the Edificio Grassy.
I still had some time, so I stopped by a few of the main plazas in the city center. In the Plaza de Santa Ana, I saw a statue of Federico García Lorca, one of my favorite playwrights, as well as the Teatro Español. In the Puerta del Sol, I saw the Casa de Correos, and the Origen de las Cerreteras Radiales (the starting point of all major highways in Spain). There are also statues of El Oso and El Madroño, the symbol of Madrid (a bear, symbolizing the fertile soil of Madrid, and a tree, symbolic of the aristocracy). I even stopped my the Casa Museo de Ratón Pérez, which is a small museum dedicated to Ratoncito Pérez, a popular figure in Spanish and Hispanic American cultures, who is kind of like the Tooth Fairy! Finally, I went to Plaza Mayor and saw the Casa de la Panadería and the Mercado de San Miguel, as well as the Monasterio de las Desclazas Reales.
Sorry I’m not going into a ton of detail about all of these buildings and places I’m mentioning. Most of the places I stopped by are architecturally significant, but I don’t have too much to say about them other than, “They look really pretty!” haha.
After meeting up with my friends at our hostel and getting them all checked in, we went and had coffee, and then continued exploring the city. We actually revisited several places that I had already seen that morning, but it was fun to see some of the same places with the sun shining and more people out-and-about. We also went to some places I hadn’t seen yet, including stopping by the Ritz hotel (where we joked about making reservations for their 80€ brunch; don’t worry, drinks are included!) We went to the Parque del Retiro and laughed about the cartoony trees. We explored the Gran Via area a bit more, got lost trying to find a good place to eat lunch, and then eventually made our way over to the west side of downtown to see some sights I hadn’t checked out yet. The first place was the Temple of Debod, an ancient Egyptian temple which was moved to Madrid in 1972 as a gift from the Egyptian government after Spain provided financial assistance to help save the temples of Abu Simbel. This is one of the few examples of ancient Egyptian architecture which can be visited outside of Egypt. After visiting the temple, we went over to see the Plaza de España, the Plaza de Oriente, the Teatro Real, the Catedral de Nuestra Señora la Almudena, and finally (wait for it…) the Palacio Real (the Royal Palace)!! It was a great way to end my first full day in Madrid.
The next day, we got up bright and early and took a day trip to Toledo! Toledo is about an hour away from Madrid by bus, and is a very popular side trip for people who travel to Madrid. We took the Metro to the Bus Station, and then we were on our way!
Toledo definitely has a unique personality. It’s very hilly, with lots of great overlooks and bridges. It was also a “city of three cultures” and its Jewish heritage is still very present in monuments and museums today. Toledo is also known for marzipan (yum!), sword making and metal work, and Don Quixote (Toledo is in the region of La Mancha, where much of the story of Don Quixote takes place. I believe you can even go visit some of the windmills that he supposedly attacked in part of the novel). We had a fun day! It was rainy at first, but the weather improved and we had a great time exploring the winding streets and figuring our way around. We also had lunch at a delicious Middle Eastern restaurant called Alqahira (we stumbled upon it on TripAdvisor), and made an obligatory stop at San Tomé, a marzipan shop and bakery.
When we got back from Toledo, we had some free sangria and paella at our hostel, and then got ready to go out for a bit. I wanted to get up early the next day to continue sightseeing, so I didn’t stay out long, but I was out long enough to meet some Spaniards who thought I was Dutch! That’s not the only time recently that someone has mistaken me for being of a nationality other than American. I’ve also had people ask if I was British, and I even had a shopkeeper say, “I can’t tell by your accent; are you French or Swiss?” So that’s pretty funny. In Madrid, one of the girls in the group that thought I was Dutch turned out to be fluent in English. But here’s the cool thing: she spoke English with a perfect Cockney accent! I talked with her for a bit, and she said she was born and raised in Spain, had never studied or lived abroad, but she had some friends from London and she practiced speaking English with them. It was very impressive. I’ve tried to pick up the very particular “Andalusian” Spanish accent that is spoken around here in Seville, but it’s very difficult. So hats off to her for mastering such a specific regional dialect!
On our final day in Madrid, I got up early and did a bit more solo sightseeing. The rest of the girls my little group weren’t interested in going inside the Royal Palace, but I was! So I got up early and made my way to the Palace so I could get in line.
The Royal Palace has over 2,000 very ornately and luxuriously-decorated rooms. 50 of the rooms are open for public viewing. Construction started in 1738, and took 26 years to complete. But it took 100 years for all of the rooms to be decorated! The palace was the official residence of the Spanish monarchy until 1931, when King Alfonso XIII went into exile after the Republicans won the election and demanded he step down. Today, the Spanish Royal Family lives in the Zarzuela Palace, just outside Madrid. The Royal Palace is still used for official ceremonies and receptions.
Here are some pictures I took of the exterior of the Palace, as well as some pictures I found online of the interior (since no photography was allowed inside):
In addition to seeing the Palace on our last day in Madrid, I stopped by some other monuments and places of interest. I headed pretty far north, passed by the Plaza de España and the Plaza del Callao to go see the Arco de la Victoria/Arco del Triunfo, built by dictator Franco in 1956. Nearby is the Mirador del Faro, which unfortunately closed in 2005 and is no longer open to visitors as a lookout point. I also went to the Real Basilica de San Francisco el Grande and the Glorieta de Puerta de Toledo. At the Atocha Railway Station, I visited the Monument to the Victims of March 11th. On March 11th, 2004, terrorists placed bombs in several trains at the station, which killed 192 people. The monument is underground, accessible inside the train station, and is a large, open blue-colored room with a cylindrical skylight jutting out above the ground to the street. Inside the cylinder are messages from people all over the world after the tragedy, asking for peace and offering condolences. It’s a very simple, understated monument, but I liked it a lot. Before we left on the train, my friends and I also went to the El Rastro Flea Market that takes place every Sunday. I also stopped by a cute coffee shop I had read about online called Alma Café.
I really enjoyed Madrid, and I was able to see everything I wanted to see and do everything I wanted to. It’s a beautiful city with lots of culture and history. However, visiting there definitely reminded me of why I love Seville. I had considered studying abroad in Madrid, but now I’m glad I chose Seville instead. Madrid is just so BIG. (It’s the third largest city in the EU!) It’s a capital city, so it’s very urban, very crowded, and very busy. (At least that’s how it seemed in my few days there.) It’s also way more tourist-oriented, which is a good thing and a bad thing. Good thing: lots of signage in English, and people always compliment you when you’re able to say more than “Hola”. Bad thing: people are really pushy when they try to get you to take their flyer or go into their bar or visit their store or take a free sample or buy this or whatever. (I think I must’ve said “No, gracias.” at least a hundred times!) There were also more piropos. Piropos are basically catcalls. Like in the US, women who receive catcalls/piropos in Spain react in different ways. They ignore them, or perhaps say something back, whatever their preference. I personally prefer the “ignore” route, though the feminist part of me wants to yell and teach rude people some respect. I had’t really experienced the whole “piropo” thing until going to Madrid. Receiving piropos wasn’t specific to me, and I don’t even think it was because I’m American. I think it was just because I’m a woman. (I noticed them a lot more when I was walking alone.) I never felt unsafe, but having men comment about you and even propose to you/ask you out as you walk by is pretty uncomfortable, so I’m glad Seville is different in that aspect.
Anyways, it was an absolutely amazing trip! Madrid met my expectations and even went beyond my expectations at some points. It’s a big city with a lot to explore, and I would highly recommend it.
Upcoming posts: Weekend in Morocco, Hanging out with my family(!) and visiting Gibraltar, and day trip to Ronda! Trying to get caught up!! ¡Besos!
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