Tuesday July 24 and we are off to the Prado, the Spanish national museum of art.
On the way to the Prado, we passed the Spanish legislature with traditional porticoed architecture and majestic bronze lions guarding the entrance. The legislature must have been in session, because the courtyard was full of limos, and the building itself was surrounded by groups of policemen and police vans.
The famous Fountain of Neptune in the center of a busy traffic circle near the Prado.
The Prado was originally constructed under Charles III as a building to exhibit the Spanish royal collection of art. The building wasn't completed until the reign of Charles' grandson, Ferdinand VII, who decided to make it the national museum of painting and sculpture. Above is the original main entrance to the Prado.
And here a statue of Deigo Velasquez, perhaps the greatest Spanish painter of all time.
Tim is standing at the base of a statue of Goya.
This is the modern main entrance to the Prado.
Above is Rubens "Three Graces." Charles III considered this painting too erotic and tried to have it burned. He must have been a real stick-in-the-mud despite all that French ancestry. Fortunately the painting was saved.
This was the last painting I got to photograph in the Prado. Just like the Royal Palace, the docents yell "No photos." Damn bossy Spanish docents!
The collection of sculpture in the Prado is also quite extensive and many pieces date to Roman times. Interestingly, stuffy old Charles III or some other prude chiseled the penises off many of the beautiful marble statues of nude males. Of course, this has the effect of immediately drawing your eye to the place where the marble is jaggedly chipped instead of appreciating the overall beauty of a magnificent sculpture. In effect, you wind up involuntarily thinking about what's not there. If the intent was to draw your attention elsewhere, it backfired. Wonder if anyone every clued Charles in to that fact....
Tired and hot after our trek to the Prado, we found a sidewalk cafe near the Fountain of Neptune. Tim is cooling himself in the traditional fashion of a Spanish lady.
Lunch for me was a smoked salmon and cucumber salad with mint dressing, and of course a glass of Spanish vino rosado.
Tim opted for a "tosta" which is a double sized tapa with ham, mozzarella, and spinach. The Spanish version of a double meat Whopper, I suppose.
Back to the hotel for a rest (and work on the blog) and then out to dinner in the Chueca.
Great little sidewalk cafe in the Plaza Chueca. Like the French, the Spanish enjoy spending time in the evenings in sidewalk cafes with chatting with friends over dinner and wine.
Drinks in Madrid come with a bowl of warm, homemade potato chips. Delicious, but not to easy on the waistline.
Anybody know what this is? It was on the table next to the potato chips. We didn't know what it was, so we pressed the buttons. All of them. Our waiter came running back to the table. Apparently this device triggers a vibrating wristwatch on the waiter's arm to alert him that you are summoning him. These Spanish--so high tech!
Our favorite vinoteca in the Chueca.
Quaint streets in the Chueca.
After dinner, we looked for a little bar to enjoy a bedtime cognac.
All the bars and restaurants in the Chueca employ street barkers to entice you into their establishments. A beautiful blonde Spanish woman talked us into trying La Nueva Troje. "Troje" in Spanish means barn or granary. This was not your typical barn. Once inside, we found it was a modern day version of a hookah bar, complete with traditional hookahs.
DISCLAIMER: no hash or pot is available here--what you "smoke" is a commercially prepared charcoal disc impregnated with molasses and an artificial flavor, which supposedly lends a subtle flavor of your choice to your beverage selection.
In the photo, Ismael our bartender is showing Tim how to work the hookah. Despite being very chic with its blue light effects, our verdict on this modern hookah twist is: too trendy, too gimmicky, and if you blink, you will miss it!
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