02.14.07

A long weekend in Madrid

Posted in Art, Travel at 12:37 pm by rachel

Madrid is just a quick 1.5-hour flight from Paris, but it feels like a far-off place. From the moment we exited the metro station, we were surrounded by sunlight and color.

We enjoyed the late-night schedule, eating tapas and walking around the city from 10pm on. That didn’t mean we missed out on mornings, however: we just couldn’t pass up the churros dipped in thick hot chocolate and delicious coffee.

The highlight of our tour was the Reina Sofia modern art museum, famously housing Picasso’s Guernica, which is presented in the context of the Spanish Civil War. Also of note were many other masters of modernism and new realism, with a focus on Spanish artists with which francophiles like myself should become more familiar. We also particularly enjoyed the Chuck Close exhibition, which was a retrospective of his portrait art from the 1970s to today (last year MoMA had an exhibition of his self-portraits).

Despite the high elevation and resulting chilly winter weather, the Spanish sun lit each day, amplifying the rich colors of the city. We probably had more ham than was good for us, and the prices for shoes and clothing were irresistable. In all, we were captivated by this cheerful city and look forward to discovering more of Spain in the future.

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