In the morning I tried for 30 minutes to get a ticket for Sunday’s bullfight and got fed up with the online service and went to find someone who could sell me a ticket. I should have taken the trial-and-error experience as a sign that maybe this wasn’t something I wanted to do…but that was not in the cards. And after a trip to Plaza Major and then to the ticket outlet itself, I had my ticket and felt like it was my lucky day. Plus, it was 20Euros less than online. Perfecto.
I was navigating this magnanimous city fairly well. After a long run to the park and back to my room that morning, I had a good sense of where things were, and if I got lost, I had my map.
Wandering through Madrid, I made a few phone calls to those I owed calls to. One being Jose from Barcelona, and low and behold, he just happened to be in Madrid too. Plans were made for Saturday and I was off to see the sites.
I had planned to visit the Thyssen museum and the Reine Sofia that day, and take a break in the afternoon to be lazy in the park.
(My favorite spot in Retiro)The Thyssen had an incredible exhibit on ‘shadows’ or “la sombra”, which I loved. And the permanent collection was nice too, including several Van Gogh’s, Kandinsky’s, and Picasso’s I had never seen. I spent almost 3 hours inside, and once out in the sun I needed a quiet place to write and perhaps a glass of wine. The Palace Hotel was beckoning me so I found a table, ordered a drink and found the quiet time I needed. The day could not have been more gorgeous.
(interior view of the Palace)In wandering Calle Recoletos, I stumbled upon the Department of Communicacion, otherwise known as the Post Office. Keep in mind this looks like a smaller version of the Real Palace, where a prince would live, NOT wear you would go to post a letter. But everything in Spain is amazingly beautiful, so why not the post office too? So I wander in... or at least try. Ten doors later, I found one that allowed you to actually go inside. I wander to the one of the 10 empty desks, and I am told to take a ticket. Keep in mind there is NO ONE, literally NO ONE, in the place. So I take my ticket, and have a seat. In two days, I have learned NOTHING moves quickly in Spain. I have to wait 10 minutes before my number flashes on the screen. And slowly I helped with my purchase, and I am now the proud owner of 20 Spanish Stamps! (Postcards are in the mail!)
(Tell me, does this remind you of a post-office?)Now, time for Reine Sofia. This experience was set in an old hospital, and trust me I got the vibe immediately. Instead of visiting patients you visit paintings, drawings and other pieces. It was all poorly organized, no maps or signs of direction, some rooms were numbered, some were not… chaos, my friends, chaos. (Hopefully the hospitals in Spain are more organized than this!)
But even in chaos, you can find intriguing pieces, and I did. There were several Garcia’s, that I have always enjoyed seeing after spending time in Montevideo. There was a ton of Picasso’s work -- much of it really large panels. There were interesting works by Miro, el Greco and Goya, and a special exhibit by a New Yorker whose name escapes me now. I enjoyed my time, but the scattered layout really zapped my energy, and I was off to Plaza Major for a glass of sangria and to watch the tourists.
(Plaza Major)Plaza Major is always packed in the evenings, and at most times of the day. Mostly tourists, but also artists, musicians and locals come to the large enclosed area to see what is going on inside. I found a table and glass of sangria and did a bit of writing. I guess I was there too long, as I realized I was meeting a friend in an hour and I had NO CLUE how to get to the selected location.
I ran to my hotel, changed quickly and got directions to Plaza Sant Ana. I was told it would take 20 minutes, walking. Yeah, right. These Madrilenos are so slow…
(I made it to the top of the ME hotel in less than 20 minutes...)
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