Dispatch: Prisoner of History

Picasso - Guernica

We managed to acclimate pretty well. After a long and well deserved sleep inside our tiny, jewel box of a hotel room, Violet and I had breakfast in the hotel restaurant before trekking into the rain. Prosciutto and other cured meats to die for, fruit as sweet and vivid as either of us has ever had, coffee with hot milk, fresh orange juice and a vast assortment of Spanish pastries, it was easy to overlook the scrambled eggs and sausage. We lingered and marveled for more than an hour, reluctant to go forth into the rain.

At the turn of the 20^th Century Madrid, which sits 616-meters above sea level encompassed about 10-square miles. As a result of unfettered growth this sprawling metropolis of 3.3 million people had grown to cover more than 400-square miles by the beginning of the 21^st Century. Located in the geographic center of the Iberian Peninsula, Spain’s capitol city is the headquarters of its own ancient, defensive wall, historical Madrid has had to adapt in order to survive. With massive traffic jams and crowded, narrow streets Madrid is headquarters for government and financial institutions as well as the Spanish Royal Family.



Plaza Mayor



I know all of this because this morning, Violet and I jumped on the on-and-off double deck bus tour that has become so popular throughout the world’s tourist destinations. Braving cold, scattered showers throughout the day, we received a thumbnail tour and experienced some of Madrid’s awesome destinations. The Plaza Mayor

We stopped off at the Plaza Mayor in the center of historical Madrid. Popular with locals and tourists alike the Plaza has hosted bullfights, coronations, festivals and executions. This week the Plaza is focused upon coin collectors, Christmas ornament vendors, caricaturists and its ability to shoehorn more humanity into a 90 X 120 meter rectangle than anyplace we have previously visited.



Miro - House With Palm Tree



The Reina Sofia Museum contains a permanent collection of Spanish modern art and traces its history from the breakthrough realism of Francisco Goya through the Dada, Cubism and Surrealistic movements championed by 20^th Century masters Picasso, Dali, Miro, and Gris. The converted 18^th Century hospital has soaring galleries, and houses priceless sculptures, photographs and paintings culminating with Picasso’s stunning masterpiece Guernica. As impressive in its way as was the Prado, we lucked out and visited on free ticket day.

Dali - The Great Masturbator

We understand that Madrid never sleeps, that the best that the city has to offer isn’t even available until after midnight, but by 7:00 p.m. we are as exhausted as we are exhilarated. We ducked into another Tapas’ restaurant, shared a bottle of local Red and ambled back to our gorgeous little hotel amid the Christmas lights, teeming humanity and brisk air. By 8:30 p.m. we were both dead to the world.

Why then, am I wide awake, staring at my computer screen and typing a blog at 3:30 a.m.? I have no idea, but touch me for I am golden.