A Marathon 24 Hours

October 1, 2023

Handsome. Regal. Confident. My first impression of Madrid.

Madrid is an easy 1-hour flight from Porto. Of the long list of places I’ve wanted to visit, there were two reasons Madrid was on the list. It’s the home of extraordinary art museums that house many of the works featured in my art history books in college. It’s also the home of Restaurant Botin, founded in 1725, and according to the Guinness Book of Records, the oldest operating restaurant in the world. The building itself dates from the 16th century, serving as “a small inn where muleteers and traders saw the culmination of productive journeys, so agreeably near the Plaza Mayor (Main Square)”, according to the history printed on the Botin menu.

My parents traveled to Spain in 1968 – a time when one dressed their best to fly, and traveling abroad was a rare event. Dad was there on business, and their Spanish hosts took them to Botin. Mom, a wonderful Southern cook, came home with a cookbook that included the recipe for Botin’s gazpacho. It became a summertime favorite, and years later she made sure to include it when she assembled her own hand-written cookbook as a treasured gift for her children and grandchildren. I make the soup regularly whenever good quality tomatoes are in season. I longed to experience the restaurant that she so enjoyed. A $50 round-trip Ryan Air flight convinced me it was time to go.

First Stop, Reina Sofia

The morning flight landed in Madrid at 9:30 AM, giving me plenty of time to visit the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía (Reina Sofia Museum). It’s dedicated primarily to 20th century art, particularly Spanish artists, like Picasso, Miro, and Dali. Picasso’s Guernica is displayed here, and even though I was quite familiar with it, to see the actual work, to stand before it, surpasses any expectations. I felt like I could hear the screaming of the injured horse, the wailing of the mothers, the crash of glass and wooden timbers.

Restaurant Botin. Elegant. Delicious.

The restaurant is large, divided into multiple dining rooms on at least three floors. Everything was polished and sparkling, from the old timber beams in the ceiling to the tiled floors. The waiters were true professionals, businesslike and attentive to every detail. I look forward to dining there again. Note to chocolate lovers: save room and the last sips of your Rioja for the chocolate cake with red berry sauce.

Sleeping Over History

I was in for a surprise when I stepped into my hotel room. Opening the door, the room was dark. The only illumination was a soft glow from…the floor? Yes, the bed was floating on a glass floor, and beneath it rested ruins from the 12th century. It was just inches outside the city wall that surrounded Madrid in those days. Wonder if I would have had to fight the muleteers for a sleeping space back then?

Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum

Friday morning gave me just enough time for a brief trip to the second of Madrid’s three great art museums, (Prado being the third – I’m saving that for a return trip someday) the Thyssen-Bornemisza.

A special exhibition called The Occult featured works from the Thyssen-Bornemisza Collections. It included major artists of the 20th century (a time of unprecedented violence and darkness in Europe) that explored alchemy, astrology, demonology, spiritualism, Theosophy, shamanism, dreams, and premonitions. I’ve always been attracted to paintings by René Magritte, and several of his works in the collection would look quite nice on the bare walls of my apartment. Sadly, they made me check my backpack at the door, so I had nowhere to stash a small painting or two.

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Para português nativo e especialistas, por favor, perdoe quaisquer imprecisões nestes blogs. Sou iniciante, otimista de que, à medida que aprendo, vou melhorar.

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