As we drift in and out of sleep, in our little rented apartment four stories above the city of Madrid, the low murmur of merriment rises from the street below, where the throng of festive revelry continues, unabated in its collective ebb and flow. Theirs is a familiar noise that would keep me wide awake and irritable at home, tossing and turning in my bedsheets in a state of perturbed unrest. Yet here, in the centre of Spain’s beating heart, with the twinkling Christmas lights and the smell of sugary festive treats wafting in through the window, the chaos below seems soothing somehow. We feel like a couple of intrepid out of towners who managed to snag an elusive invite to an all-exclusive party. The low and soothing hum eventually lolls me into slumber, and I drift in and out of dreamscapes with thoughts of festive wonder.
In the morning I peel back the heavy curtains and step out onto the tiny Juliette balcony to assess the day ahead. On the breathless silence of the cool air, I hear the faint sounds of normality below. I watch, bleary eyed and mesmerised as early morning café workers buzz from bar to table ferrying steaming cups of blackened coffee out to those who need it most. While teams of methodical street sweepers collect discarded debris from the night before with the ease and efficiency of humble worker bees. Though not as frigid as a London winter the air is crisp with a vanished rain and I can see the brilliant blue of the sky peering back at me through the buildings beyond. The day already radiates its promise.
Today is all about food, glorious food- with a little culture thrown in for dessert! On our first day in Madrid, while on the prowl for somewhere lovely to sit and enjoy a leisurely coffee or two, we discovered Brutal Specialty Coffee. This local caffeine pitstop fast became our new favourite café, a calming sanctuary to make our daily plans while sipping on perfectly brewed flat whites. Brutal’s array of tasty toasties topped with simple, yet mouth-watering delicacies are the fuel we crave each day. Each morning begins with a feast as we work our way through our favourites: smoked salmon atop cream cheese with a liberal sprinkling of salty Spanish capers, or the always delectable jamón ibérico – Spain’s equally delicious counterpart to Italy’s formidable prosciutto – sliced so thinly you can see the bed of ruby-red tomato salsa spread so generously below.
With breakfast devoured and lunch plans discussed we forge onwards, bellies full and curiosity roused, towards our first cultural destination for the day. Our ticketed timed entry to Madrid’s elegant Prado Museum is booked for 10am (opening time), and although the pre-booked tickets guarantee entry, they do not, unfortunately, secure a lineless visit. Thankfully the museum is situated within the city’s Golden Triangle (a set of the most representative museums in Madrid: Museo del Prado, Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza and Museo Reina Sofía) and we are happy to while away twenty minutes or so in waiting in the presence of some of the prettiest architecture in the city.
Three superb museums in as many days feels a little too overwhelming for us, and instead we choose to spend the best part of a day marvelling at the exceptional beauty that lies within the Museo del Prado. Although these three museums are equally enticing, and a few hours wandering the treasure filled halls of anyone would be a heavenly treat, the Prado is the logical choice for us – being the only one with tickets still available for opening time. One grows steadily more tiresome of lines the longer the hours pass by.
Brimming with the world’s richest and most comprehensive collection of Spanish paintings, as well as masterpieces of Italian and Flemish art from the 19th century and earlier, the Museo del Prado is one of the most influential art galleries of European art in the world. The elegant Neoclassical building was first constructed in 1785 when Charles III, Ruler of Spain, commissioned the architect Juan de Villanueva to design a natural science museum. The construction of the building was interrupted during the Napoleonic Wars at the turn of the century, and was completed under Ferdinand VII in 1819, opening soon after to the public as the Royal Museum of Painting. In 1868 it became the National Museum of the Prado after the exile of Isabella II, Queen of Spain, who had enlarged the collection with paintings from the royal palaces and the Escorial, the royal residence of the King of Spain, which housed an important collection of paintings by Renaissance and baroque artists.
The multitude of rooms, each one a succession of carefully curated spaces filled with great works adorned in ornately carved golden gilt frames, are a visual feast! We have a little time to wander aimlessly before the swell of art-admirers descend upon the calming space. I seize the quietude to observe the minute details within the works; standing so close that I can almost smell the pigments used to create the vibrant colour palettes. The blaze of fruits captured so vividly in Melendez’s Still Life paintings sing with colours so lavish and alive. Perfectly plump jewel-like fruits in orpiment-yellow, azurite-blue, and malachite-green are ablaze against the artist’s dramatic blackened canvas. The tumbling abundance over wooden tabletops looks as fresh and delectable as the day they were painted, and the ripened stains of pink watermelon play tricks upon my sense of smell, and somehow, I feel hungry once again.
The Prado contains the most complete collections in the world of works by El Greco, Velázquez, and Francisco de Goya, as well as the Spanish masters José de Ribera and Francisco de Zurbarán. The museum has important works by Hiëronymus Bosch, Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Raphael, Tintoretto, Paolo Veronese, Peter Paul Rubens, Rembrandt, Anthony Van Dyck, Nicolas Poussin, Claude Lorrain, and Antoine Watteau, as well as a fine collection of Greco-Roman statuary.
Happy to meander wherever our fancy takes us we eventually enter the understandably crowded space that holds some of Hiëronymus Bosch’s most breathtaking works. The Garden of Earthly Delights is Bosch’s most complex and enigmatic creation. The overall theme of the painting is the fate of humanity, and its panoramic composition is arranged as three superimposed planes, in the panels of the earthly Paradise, the Garden of Earthly Delights and Hell. While sin is the connecting link between the three scenes, the iconography in the Paradise panel requires further analysis by someone much more knowledgeable in religious depiction than I in order to fully appreciate its meaning. And here, in this moment, in front of such an iconic and formidable work of art, I am more than content to simply stand silently admiring its beauty and skillful complexity.
Compelled to follow today’s unofficial theme of food and culture we head off in search of a late lunch. Eager to partake in some of the city’s best tapas we march on our stomachs in the direction of Madrid’s famous food market Mercado de San Miguel. More than 100 years have gone by since the Mercado de San Miguel opened its doors as a wholesale food market, and today, this historical building stands out as one of the world’s best gastronomic markets. Entering the market is a sensory feast with the freshest food sourced from every corner of Spain. Lunchtime is heaving with locals and tourists wishing to indulge in a monumental selection of mouth-watering tapas and local Spanish beers and wine. From the finest Iberian ham and freshest fish and shellfish brought in daily from Galicia, to Mediterranean rice dishes and the most exquisite cheeses from Castile, Asturias and the Basque Country – the Mercado de San Miguel is a cornucopia of Spanish cuisine! Spread out over more than 20 stands, the common denominator here is a commitment to high-quality tapas and pub fare.
Overwhelmed with choice, and that shyness that comes with a foreign language barrier, we wedge ourselves between a gaggle of jovial locals and somehow manage to order two Spanish beers and a steaming hot plate of deep-fried calamari. With our tiny patch of turf declared we nestle in for a spot of people watching, enjoying the spectacle from the comfort of our bar stools. Families jostle for counter space beside sharp suited businessmen, while cool young Spanish youths with tousled jet-black hair and impossibly skinny jeans order more tapas and beer than their slimness would imply. Under the veiled courage of a little alcohol, we muster up enough lilting Spanish to order a round of whatever else looks good.
This evening, as the festivities continue unabated in the streets outside, we will be celebrating the real reason we came to Madrid during the Christmas period: my lovely sister-in-law (Jessica Pratt), a Belcanto Soprano, is performing the leading role in Vincenzo Bellini’s La Sonnambula (The Sleepwalker) at the opulent Teatro Real. What a treat!
In 2003, Jess won the Australian Singing Competition (my husband’s family is from England, however, they moved to Australia in 1990), which brought her to Europe, and she was subsequently invited by composer and conductor Gianluigi Gelmetti to continue her studies at Rome Opera. While in Rome, she also studied under eminent soprano and opera director Renata Scotto at the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, finally moving to Milan in 2006 to complete her studies with American soprano Lella Cuberli. Since that time, Jess has performed countless operas by some of the world’s greatest composers including Vincenzo Bellini, Gioachino Rossini, Gaetano Donizetti, Mozart, and Giacomo Puccini, in some of the world’s most renowned opera houses, such as La Scala in Milan, La Fenice in Venice, the Royal Opera House Covent Garden in London, the Sydney Opera House, Vienna State Opera, and the Metropolitan Opera in New York, to name a few.
The production, and Jess’ outstanding performance (biased, I know, but she is sensational!) are a celebration to remember and the cast, director, conductor, and musicians all receive a rapturous standing ovation as the final curtain falls.
Sadly, our time in Madrid has come to an end. Because it was our first visit here, we were happy to simply meander the streets with our loose agenda as this enabled serendipitous discoveries. That is often the best part of travel – the pleasure of time standing still, at least for a few short days anyway. One of the most advantageous things about travelling somewhere new without a schedule is you aren’t always perpetually in a hurry.
Such an interesting city! Your descriptions and photos are really inspiring me to visit one day soon!
Your new Spanish classes may help us when we finally visit one day!
Oh Rose! What a joy it is to read about your adventures. Your poetic voice lulls me with its dulcet tones along your meanderings. Thank you for sharing not only the wonderful places you visit and inhabit (so that I may one day put them on my travel itinerary), but also your ponderings and reflections. Beautiful soul. Beautiful life. You inspire me to adventure like a mavric on island time. Thank you x
What a lovely compliment! Thank you! I’m so happy you enjoy the blog, and that these jaunts are inspiring thoughts of your own travel too! I think you’ve made my day:)
Rose x
A wonderful invitation to glimpse Madrid with all the senses.
Thank you Rose.
My pleasure Kerry! Madrid is such a vibrant city, full of delicious food and elegant architecture. I’m so happy you enjoyed the tour!
Rose x