Summer Dreams I: Madrid

One of the delights of life as a part of the international expat community of the faculty and families at AISC is the sharing of the discoveries and serendipities—and occasional trials—of wide ranging travel experiences, plus the excitement of planning those adventures that’s nearly half the fun. Of course, the vast expanse of the entire months of June and July (well, almost) provides a clean, bright canvas just waiting for our brush! Of our friends, one couple was off to explore Turkey and another to relax in a tiny village in southern Greece, while others headed to Hong Kong and to the Maldives for diving, and still others visited home and family in Equador and Mexico.

Sarah and I were excited to return to Madrid since we had been infatuated with the city on our first visit for Sarah’s AMIS conference back in November where we swooned over the legendary Bear and Strawberry. Would our second date lead to a deeper love for the colorful and evocative barrios of La Latina and Las Letras and el Retiro—not to mention the Verdejo and churros and tapas—or would we notice too many blemishes, too few new charms, since we might be anticipating our next assignation, the sultry Barcelona, with the near-mythical Tuscany to follow . . .

For this trip, we used Airbnb to arrange our lodgings and we were delighted. Our flat was a bit tight but sparkling clean and in an ideal location in the Centro—the heart of the old city—with a Carrefour grocery on the corner, plus an electronics shop that saved our bacon—er, our jamon—when it turned out I had brought the wrong type electrical socket adaptors! (The AirBnb’s gracious owner pointed us to the shop when I called him in a panic.) And what could be better than to be about a five minute stroll to both our favorites, Plaza Mayor and Plaza Santa Ana . . . Not to mention the Mercado San Miguel and La Latina . . .

While we of course indulged ourselves with more—okay, a lot more—Verdejo and tapas and the best EV ER freshly fried camarones, as well as our new favorite, Madrilenean style pan con tomate or tomato toast (yes, it’s different in Barcelona), we made sure this time to explore the golden triangle of Madrid’s art museums, the Prado, the Thyssen-Bornemisza, and the Reina Sofia. We decided to take in one each day, arriving about opening time to hopefully minimize the crowds. Oh, well, so much for that! Again, we booked online and avoided some of the queues just as we had at the Louvre in Abu Dhabi. At the Prado, we were approached by a charming lady about our age who offered to give us a guided tour for 50 Euros . . . sure! Well worth it, we got to enjoy an excellent sampling of the museum’s important works in a historical and artistic context. The numerous iconic works by Francisco Goya, the single most extensively represented artist, as well as by Hieronymus Bosch, El Greco, Peter Paul Rubens, Titian, and Diego Velázquez, were some of the highlights of the collection. But, alas, no photos allowed.

The next two days took us through the smaller, private family collection of the Thyssen-Bornemisza and the architecturally stunning Reina Sofia. The former houses an impressive if a bit limited range from Dürer and Caravaggio through Sargent, Monet, Van Gogh, and Gauguin, to Mondrian, Klee, and Hopper. The Reina-Sofia is the now permanent home for Picasso’s powerful anti-war painting, Guernica, which Sarah and I saw decades ago when it was on traveling display at MOMA in Manhattan . . . Just before it was infamously vandalized by another “artist.” Again, no photos allowed.

Of course, as with nearly all our travels, we ran into someone we knew—in this case, Kari, a young woman just completing a course in Madrid and who had sung with the Indianapolis Childrens’ Choir under Sarah’s direction for several years! We met for brunch and then walked down together to explore the magnificent Parque del Buen Retiro, the jewel setting off Madrid’s crown as the greenest city in Europe. As we strolled into the immense park, we approached a group enjoying a picnic under the trees. Of course I held up my camera and gave my usual multilingual greeting, “Photo?” Of course! With little grasp of each others’ language, we shared a brief bonding over a glass (okay a plastic tumbler, even better, right?) of wine, a bit of pan, and a few toasts to “Viva Espana.” And OMG who would believe it, a mussel in picante oil served up on . . . a potato chip. Seriously, this treat has become our latest secret indulgence.

Overall, we walked and walked every day—12km one day—and only caught a cab once. And just to make sure we hadn’t forgotten how to indulge ourselves, we bought nearly a half suitcase of luscious nougats at Torrons Vicens (yet somehow they pilfered themselves from our luggage between the U.S. and Chennai—I sure hope someone got a good tummy ache!) plus, we did manage to find the Taller Puntera leather shop and, well, you know . . .

Anyway, it seemed pretty clear that Sarah and I readily confirmed our growing love for all things Madrilenean . . . But how would our next dance with that charmer, Barcelona, compare? Guess it’s time to catch the fast AVE train from Madrid to Barcelona . . . And set the stage for another story, right?