Madrid, Friday May 26th – Monday May 29th
Decided to visit some contemporary art and so went for a walk to the Museo Municiplal de Arts Contemporaneous. Walked into the more modern part of the city filled with American fast food joints, giant video billboards and tall buildings.
The beginning of La Grande Via
Walked down the street La Grande Via, very grand filled with crowded sidewalks and lots of cars buzzing by. Sunny hot day so made a pass through Plaza de Espana with a giant fountain topped by a statue of Cervantes on horseback with trusty Sanco by his side.
Fountain Honoring Cervantes
Lots of benches to sit and watch the people go by.
People watching at the fountain.
After I pass by a cafe with a seat available outside so I decided to have lunch – unfashionably early, before walking the rest of the way. As usual it wait and wait to get someone to see you and then after you wait and wait fro the privilege to pay. And, NO ONE ever says thank you. I begin every request with”porfavor” and end every action with “gracias.” In madrid that makes you a sucker. After almost 40 years in Boston where we take pride in our rudeness I feel like a piker in Madrid. We are positively gracious in Boston in comparison.
I arrived at the museum a few minutes after 2 only to learn that the hours are 10-2 and reopening at 5:30. Siesta is alive and well at this museum. I admired the building and used the facility and made my way back to Plaza Mayor.
Saturday
Went for an early walk to try and find breakfast only to find that i had come to the end of my Data limit and was cut off from the world. That means Maps! I made a detour through a market building admiring the fish and meat. Whole lamb carcasses really bring home the realization that you are eating something that was once alive. There is something to be said for vegetarianism. Fortunately everything I buy at home is cut up and packaged so I can ignore my sympathy for the animal. Finally found an open cafe. It was after 9:00 and god help you if you want to sit outside before that hour. In fact, Things don’t really commence till around 10:00. This is a problem for me because I’m just about always up by 5:30-6 no matter what time I go to bed. Hopped on the subway once fully caffeinated and popped up in Plaza del Sol where there is the trusty Vodaphone store and because this is the center of the city the requisite Apple Store. Only they and the fast foood and Sefora can pay the rents in these kind of places. I bought 3.5 more gigs of data and ventured back into the city.
I finally stumbled upon a major walking/shopping street which has more shoe shops than anyone could ever, EVER peruse. Wish I could be more appreciative but I did start noticing that shoes are a big thing here. Eat your hearts out girls back home. I started walking around around 6 and the street was mobbed. From a distance it looked like it was wall to wall or rather shoeshop to shoeshop people. In the thick of it it was crowded but passable.
Nice foreground and background composition.
But the women were rationally undressed and the men were just along for the purpose of holding the bags or paying for the drinks at the cafes. Saw a fair number of gay couples, hand in hand, something you don’t see too much of back home unless you are in P-town or may on occasion in Cambridge or Somerville.
Traffic circle
Loved the people watching and window shopping and walked all the way up to a major roundabout with the requisite large fountain in the middle. The best walk of my time in Madrid so far.
Sculpture at the roundabout.
Sunday
Last day in Madrid leaving for Córdoba tomorrow at 9:45. Tried to find breakfast but if you wasn’t something before 9-10, especially on Sunday, and want it outside good luck. I returned to my path last night and finally found a seat outside facing one of the roundabouts/fountain. After reading the paper I asked three times for a check only to remain invisible. I finally got up went inside and paid. There must be a rule that you cannot as a waiter do anything on a return trip. You have to studiously ignore someone waving , pleading for a bill and after they do acknowledge you and your request, forget about fulfilling it. There is much to be said for the institution of tipping we have in the states.
I walked to the contemporary museum that had taught me about siestas the day before and found a flea market being set up in the Giant courtyard. I went in to see the art. Almost all the art was forgettable or worse tho I must say the spaces and the hanging were of very high quality.. Both shows were seen an forgotten in about 15 minutes. I went out to explore the flea market that was mostly woman’s clothing but I did manage to find two used but fun Hawaiian shirts – two for 25 euros. I walked back to a restaurant I passed along the way and had a late brunch and they managed to seat me, feed me and take my money without contempt. There were a lot of American voices. They also had free wifi so I could download and read the Sunday globe.
Bachelorette party in the plaza.
Sunday evening I went back on the same walk but managed to snag a great table in a little pizza in what appears to be a very cool part of the city. I got a text from mother via tom that indicated the wifi was fixed and we could possibly FaceTime. I decided to try using the cellular option and it worked perfectly. So here I was drinking beer in a lovely cafe and talking with my brother and mother AND seeing their faces at the same time. No delays and no bumps in the connection.
I gave them both a of the a pan of my scene and enjoyed my beer and cigarette as I talked.
I young woman covered in tattoos motioned to ask if she could share my table and I was happy to comply and before my conversation with home was over her boyfriend also covered in tattoos joined us. I assumed they were locals but as soon as I hung up I heard German and realized they were tourists. They were Swiss and he was a tattoo artist – surprise! And she ran a shop.
Imre and Salome
They, of course, were very curious about Trump and so the conversation was mostly about politics and the economy. Not what I would have expected. We talked for an hour and I was sorry when they took of to meet someone.
Plaza Del sole my last evening in Madrid.
Walked more than 27,000 steps my last day in Madrid. Slept well that evening.
View out my room just steps from the Plaza Mayor.
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