Madrid, mostly museums

I had planned to spend most of my time in Madrid alternating between museums and other activities, hopefully including working on the blog. But my inability to find a place in Madrid where I could actually upload pictures is part of the reason I'm about a week behind in describing everything. Never fear, the blog is catching up to reality.

Over three days (including the 1/2 day preceding the daytrip to Cercedilla) I visited the Museo del Prado and the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum.

The Prado is basically Spain's national gallery, and has a great many important Spanish paintings, and more than a few important Dutch paintings (courtesy of Spain's long rule over the Low Countries). It also has Hieronymus Bosch's Garden of Earthly Delights, and some very nice Roman-era sculpture. I don't normally photograph in museums, but I liked this guy:



You can see all of the Prado in 4-6 hours -- I spread this over two days.

The Thyssen Museum is the repository for what was once a private collection, amassed by a German-Hungarian business/noble family. (The Thyssen name is well-known in Europe as a major industrial concern. This is an outgrowth of the family business, which was originally steel.) The collection presented here includes separate sections for the Baron's and Baroness' collections, and it is a real gem of a collection. All of the works are in amazingly well-kept condition, and, unlike the Prado and other large public museums, was remarkably uncrowded. If you are an art lover in Madrid, you should not miss this collection.

The Thyssen is also a 4-6 hour affair, again spread over two days.

Since I was unable to blog effectively in Madrid, I of course chose to walk.

The Palacio Real (Royal Palace)

Street Scene

A day in the park.


While staying in Madrid, I also day-tripped to Toledo. (No, NOT the one in Ohio!)