A sunday morning on the Paseo del Prado

It was a lovely sunday morning this weekend and I decided I was in the mood for some art that morning. I had wanted to go to the Reina Sofia, but it was closed due to the day of "los reyes", so walked a bit further up the Paseo del Prado to the Thyssen-Bornemissza art gallery - one of the big three in the Madrid's artistic repetoir.



Out of the three galleries this is my personal favourite. It has a vast collection spanning a 700 years time frame up to and including 20th Century art. It also caters to the art lovers of Monet, Van Gogh, Gaugauin and all the major art movements of the 19th Century which the other two galleries do not have. If you have only time in Madrid to visit only one gallery, and are not too specific on what art you are interested in looking at then go to this one - it has the largest variety and you will not be dissapointed in the collection. I didn't do the whole gallery this sunday as I have been to this museum about 3-4 times, but you do need a whole day really or at least most of the afternoon to see the entire collection. I mainly stuck to the first and ground floor where the 19th-20th century art is located.
Here you will find your fauvists, impressionists, romanticists, post-impressionists, expressionists, surrealists, cubists - you name it! Certainly proves to be interesting if you want to learn some art history as the art is catogorised by it's genre, and also provides a good cultural education as well as an aesthetic stimulation.

After my time in the gallery I was feeling oh so pretentious and wanted a coffee to follow suite. Not satisfied with the idea of going to the Starbucks next door, even with its chai soy lattes and its view of the Neptune fountain. I wanted grand, yet antique and flakey. Somewhere with character and history, a truely bohemian place to take my cup of black coffee. Where else better than the famous Café Gijón, ten minutes walking distance situated on the Paseo de Recoletos.



It's a deliciously wonderful old world place, built at the end of the 19th century and has been home and inspiration to the Spanish literati and artistic community in the 20th century; as well as being a historical iconic figure in Madrid cafe life. The place has a decaying grandeur atmosphere to it with its threadbare velvet seats and its chipped gold leaf framed mirrors. It smells musty, and has the ambience of an antique shop. The coffee was nice, but over priced but I supposed it is the price to pay when you are sitting in the seat where the Mata Hari or one of the Spanish literary giants may have sat herself so its excusable. The service is fast, but cold and impersonal - but fast service in Spain is a rarity so think of this as bonus. I guess in hindsight I would probably pay the same in Starbucks for a coffee or just shy of it so maybe not such a bad trade off then. Plus you cant get atmosphere in Starbuck no matter how nice a place it is situated in. I would go back there, and I would recommend going if you are a person who values atmosphere, ambience and history. It's a peaceful place away from the frantic bars of the more familiar Madrid and is a good locale to go to drink a coffee, discuss philosophy with your bohemian friends, write your journal or a novel or read one.

Winter Wonderland stroll down the Paseo del Prado

It is fast approaching Christmas, and I have been living in a black hole of work and fiestas and managed to pretty much forget it. I have been going out a lot but to the houses' of friends and pretty much avoiding the city. I am usually one to try to ignore the fact Christmas is coming but there is one thing I love about it is the tasteful lighting!



Now there is a difference between tasteful lighting and tacky lightning. Anything with a direct reference to Christmas or completely overdone is my idea of tacky, which is one thing that drives me nuts about the UK around this festive time. Britain doesn't do very good Chrismas lighting outside of London.



Germany was nice and most of it felt like you had walked into a Christmas postcard, but Madrid has a more of a magical feel to it. I feel I have walked into a fairy land or a dream. I was on my way home from Atocha when the lights at the roundabout between the station and the Paseo del Prado caught my eye. I saw a bunch of artificial cherry tree with blossoms in the centre, but the blossoms were lights. I was entranced and decided, sod walking home along the boring Ronda de Valencia but to walk up the Paseo del Prado to Plaza Cibeles and take the bus from there.

The lighting was stylish, elegant and beautiful. It gave a wonderful fantasy feel to the city, and was even more special to me for walking down there and I ADORE Madrid by night! The Prado was lit up beautifully and also had some of those luminescent cherry trees! I continued to stroll down on this lovely crisp, cold, refreshing winter's night till I arrived at the Ritz which was lit up so glamourously as usual. I feel the temptation to dress to the nines and just go there to partake of a drink and watch the rich and beautiful. The entrance too spares no expense in lighing decoration.

The Thyssen too is also contending for eyecatching lights with its fairy light garden around the entrance shimmering with silver light.



At Plaza Cibeles where the Paseo de Recoletos and Gran Via meet there are dazzling golden lights hovering above the streets. I highly recommend the Paseo del Prado at night, especially at Christmas.

Gallery Review - Museo del Prado

Madrid is definitely a city to do if you are into art; as it is the home to three amazing galleries: The Prado, The Thyssen-Bornemisza and The Reina Sofia. All three galleries are very different to each other; with the Prado hosting art from the renaissance times up until the early 19th century, the Thyssen is good if you want impressionists and art from the 19th century (but the collection is very varied and contains old and modern art too), and the Reina Sofia is entirely modern art. When people ask me which is the best one to visit its hard to say - it entirely depends on your taste in Art. All three are worth a visit if you can, and are conveniently located within five minutes walking distance of each other.

Out of all three of the museums though, the Prado un-doubtably has the most impressive building. With its neoclassical facade and statues looking out onto a glamorous tree lined boulevard, the Prado is an impressive sight even to pass in your car. Inside it is filled with some wonderful artistic treasures too. The ground floor is mainly Renaissance art - especially Italian. Here you will find Raphael and Botticelli. It also houses Renaissance German and Dutch paintings too so if you are in search for some Durer or Bosch this is the place to look.

Botticelli - The Story of Nastagio degli Onesti

Bosch - Garden of Delights

My personal favourite is the classical sculpture rooms. Filled with treasures of Grecian and Roman art from all over the mediterranean. This is the reason I have been to the Prado a grand number of five times! I have a definite weak spot for Greco-Roman statues so this place was like artistic heaven for me. Most of the statues are in such good condition as well with beautiful detail. Absolutely devine!

On the upper floors you come to later art consisting of Caravaggio, Titian, El Greco, Rubens, Rembrandt etc - you get the idea. As well as a lot of Spanish art like Velázquez and Goya.


Sometimes they also have temporary exhibitions in the central part of the ground and first floors. I was very lucky last summer to catch the Picasso Exhibition there which focused on his reinterpretations of famous paintings including the one featured on the right (originally by Velázquez - Las Meninas).