Spanish Art, Tapas, and more Rain!

It's a good thing we planned indoor activities for today. It's a bad thing we had to walk outside to all of those indoor activities.

Pat had to work for most of the day so today was slated for the big art museums in Madrid: Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, and the massive Prado Museum. We were warned ahead of time that most museums were closed on Mondays, so when we arrived at the Reina Sofia and discovered it was closed on Tuesdays, we were kinda disappointed. Erinn and I found the first dry place for a coffee and yes...it was a Starbucks. But we got our bearings, and set out in search of some souvenirs instead. We each found an umbrella, or "paragua" which turned out to be quite useful.

After meeting Pat for lunch at Vips (Beeps), we headed to the Thyssen (TEE-sun) museum of art. This is a private collection of art that ranges from the primitive religious paintings from medieval times to contemporary pop art of recent years. Some of the highlights were Dali, Picasso, Van Gogh, Mondrian, Rothko, and Degas. It was an amazing collection with a huge range of artists!

After zipping through the Thyssen, Erinn and I headed to the daunting Prado while Pat headed back to work. We knew that there would be so much to see at this museum of mostly royal-commissioned work that we would have to choose the must-sees and enjoy what we see in between. The highlights were Valazquez's Las Meninas, Bosch's Garden of Delights, and Goya's Third of May, 1808. Other A-listers included Murillo, El Greco, Titian, Rubens, Fra Angelico, and Durer. What a throw-back to Art History 101!!!

By the time we purchased our souvinirs and made our way back to Pat's place via the metro, our feet were aching, but it was time for TAPAS! (Above is one of the many sculptural fountains in the streets and parks of Madrid)

Tonight, we tried some of the best Spanish Tapas in town: Tortilla Espanola (egg, potato, and onion), Calameres Fritos (squid fried in olive oil with lemon), Patatas Bravas (roasted potatoes with spicy red sauce), Gambas (shrimp) on toast with a tasty cream sauce, Jamon (cured Spanish ham) on toast with olive oil, and Croquetas (fried jamon and cheese). For the most part, all of the above were tasty...although I'm not sure Erinn would agree...

We had lots of fun just goofing around before retiring early for the evening...

On the docket for tomorrow: a day-trip to Toledo, the ancient capital of Spain and home of El Greco. Stay tuned for more from the soggy episodes of Wisconinsites in Spain!!

-Katy