Our Favorite Museum

Video from the mountains

Video set in and around old Hudson Valley Mansion

Video around and in the Mansion

Video creating a Sinatra like atmosphere

Flamengo at Corral de la Morerea

After much anxiety over coordinating a COVID test for our flight home it was resolved today. Beside the problem of scheduling the test because of our late arrival time in Madrid upon our return from Valencia, we were faced with the confusion about what kind of test we should get: a PCR test an Antigen test or both. Everyone appears to agree an Antigen test is sufficient if it is taken within 24 hours of departure.

 

The hotel is coordinating someone to come to the hotel to do the test after we return to Madrid by train. The timing difficulty is that almost all the testing sites close early on Sat (about 3pm) meaning if you have a night flight back on Sunday night you are screwed unless you can find the exceptional testing site that is open after 3pm. The fall back is to arrive very early for the flight and pay through the nose to take a test at the airport. I definitely would want to know if I have covid before I checked out of the hotel with all our luggage, schlepped to the airport and then was told I have Covid and can't board the plane. It would be horrible to try to figure out where we would go and what we would do in the turmoil of an airport. Travel in the time of Covid is stressful. There will be a movie about it sometime, I just don’t know if will be a comedy or a tragedy.

 

On to the good news. The Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum better known as The Thyssen for obvious reasons, is exceptional. There are 3 museums located very close to each other in Madrid, The Thyssen is the newest and the one we saved for last. We spent hours in the Museum. The Museum is purpose built to house the stupendous collection. Its range of art is huge. The art was collected by several generations of Thyssen’s. The Baron who finalized the transfer of the collection to Spain had married Miss Spain, I guess when you have collected all of the art money can buy, why not add Miss Spain to the collection? I assume Miss Spain was the key to the collection locating in Madrid. I do fear reading about the source of the Baron’s money and art. One day I will, hopefully it won’t spoil the memory of our visit. I know I have read that all great fortunes come from crime, but this one might be especially egregious. 

We walked for hours down the spacious corridors and galleries. They had a temporary very large exhibit of American paintings. We enjoyed every minute of our time in the museum. Everything is extremely well presented and documented.

The highlight for us however was not a painting. It was a video exhibition. We have never heard of Ragnar Kjartansson an Icelandic performance artist. They had 4 different rooms set up with his video art. Two of the rooms had multiple large screens playing coordinated visual stories. The music in all 4 exhibits was wonderful, varying from Bjork to the Blues. All of the videos were elegiac, contemplative, and engrossing. We loved them. Here is a YouTube link if you are interested in exploring his work: Video Link. Reminder however, at the museum the experience is immersive you are surrounded by ultra-high quality video and audio on multiple huge screens. I hope the artist has a show in Los Angeles.

We returned to our hotel: The Principal Madrid. Jaimie suggested it as it is close to the Museums and located next to the thriving gay area of Madrid – Chueca. The night life is amazing, people are out at all hours in the many public squares  lingering over drinks and talking. The weather is unusually warm and I assume no one wants to be in an apartment when they could be outside with their friends. It is amazing to be in a city that is not car centric like Los Angeles. I assume most people live in apartments not in houses, at least in the central city.

We then went to a Flamenco dinner and show at a restaurant called: Corral de la Morerea. I was extremely skeptical about the evening. I pictured in my mind busloads of tourists unloading into a huge restaurant, being served crappy food and watching a mediocre performance by people who couldn’t make it at Madrid Disneyland (if there is a Madrid Disneyland). It was anything but that. Everyone said it was the best Flamenco in Madrid. I have nothing to judge it against, but I will agree. The performers, stomped, clapped, spun around, sang, played guitar, and tried to one up each other as though they were doing a mating ritual. It was a great performance. The women were not young, but they exuded sexuality, the male dancer was a peacock trying to be the most macho person in Madrid (I have my doubts about that). At any rate we were more than satisfied. We enjoyed meeting a young couple from Florida sitting next to us at the table. Once we knew they were from Florida we were reluctant  engage with them - thinking it would lead to a hostile political discussion. Turns out they were way cool and progressive.

We returned to the hotel for cocktails on the balcony and a call to check in with Barbara. It was very windy, but unlike Los Angeles it was a warm wind, that made sitting outside a joy. Madrid has definitely charmed us.