Madrid Part III

The gems of Madrid are undisputedly its museums and we were lucky to be able to visit the 2 big ones - Centro del Arte Reina Sofia and the Museo del Prado. 

The Reina Sofia is well-known for Picasso's Guernica but it didnt speak to me as I felt detached from the Spanish civil war. However, the Dali exhibition was well worth every cent. Luckily I already bought tickets online cos the queues were horrendous!

The Prado had many Goya paintings and other Spanish artists throughout the centuries... It is to Madrid what the Louvre is to Paris. It wasnt my favorite. 

But the one painting worth seeing is the Garden of Earthly Delights by Bosch.

To this day, no one can accurately give a full and complete analysis of this painting depicting heaven, hell and our world.

This is the amazing Caixa Forum which is hard to miss as you are walking towards the Museo del Prado. A modern art gallery with a garden on a wall! 

However, if you only have time for ONE museum in Madrid, let it be the smaller Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza which to me, is one of the BEST museums in the world. 

The reason for this is its size which is very accessible being smaller than most museums and the fact that this museum is essentially a private art collection. Hence many major artists from the different art movements are represented. We saw Chagall, Renoir, Gauguin, Monet, Van Gogh, Degas, Manet, even Lichtenstein... it's an amazing amazing museum. I highly recommend it if you ever go to Madrid.

And as the sun continued to smile over Madrid, we packed our bags and headed back to grey Paris, our hearts heavy but well-fed with art, food and the sun. 

Madrid part II

Sunday was for little Charlotte who has grown up so much since the last time I saw her in Singapore.

And she had her sweet little friends Nolwenn and Alba... They are the cutest girls I ever met!

And our friends prepared a feast for us!

But merely a few hours after polishing off all these, we headed to Mercado San Miguel where we ate the biggest olives we ever saw.

These got us all excited as we eat olives almost everyday back home and have yet to come across such big juicy ones.

Our favorites were the ones stuffed with spanish ham, anchovies and tuna. Together with Spanish beer, our stomachs were happy and prepped for dinner.

Padron peppers are THE thing to eat when in Spain.. Juicy and fried with a sprinkling of sea salt, they are amazing.

Madrid part I

Between the church & our friend's house, we did not have much time to explore Madrid. And we couldn't stay longer as F had another work trip. Nevertheless, we contented ourselves with museums & feasting on spanish tapas.

The Palacio Real and a beautiful sunset on our first day.

Charming old doors

Forgotten alleys were aplenty... Madrid was quieter and less rowdy than Barcelona.

The 17th century Plaza de la Villa was my favorite square in Madrid. Small and intimate, we came back to it a few times during our walk back to the hotel.

Plaza Mayor, the main square of Madrid but it lacked the charm and authenticity of the smaller squares.

Madrid

Today we are going to Madrid for the first Communion of my husband's god-daughter.

A very short trip but enough to go see Dali at the museum and overdose on tapas!

As authentic as it gets. 

I miss the south of Spain!

Barcelona Part 4: Open spaces

4. OPEN SPACES

The Mediterranean sea beckons with its cool temperatures & shimmering colors.

The harbour of Barcelona, though busy & industrial, still retains a certain charm thanks to those skies & palm trees.

Park Guëll, Gaudi's contribution to the Barcelona public.

Again, the colors just made me smile..

My last view of the city wth the sea in the distance..

All the outfits i wore over the week!

Goodbye my dear Barcelona... I hope I can see you again very soon, once is definitely not enough xx

Barcelona Part 3 : Architecture

Another amazing Gaudi piece of art: the Casa Mila or La Pedrera, also a UNESCO site.

To be honest, I found the entrance fees for the attractions a bit expensive in Barcelona; nothing was below 15 euros. In Paris, a museum ticket rarely sets you back more than 10 euros. But each time, I paid & came out feeling it was totally worth it.

View from the atrium.

The wavy roof of Casa Mila... WOW. No words could describe it. The Spanish have really a treasure in their hands.

The staircase which looked like a painting.

And who could forget the beautiful cathedral in the old town of Barcelona.

The interior was breathtakingly haunting..

And the view from the rooftop.. Amazing!

How I love those skies... x

Barcelona Part 2 : Gaudi's architecture

3. ARCHITECTURE

No one can visit Barcelona & not be moved by Gaudi's creations.. In fact, the soul of this city comes from the famed Spanish architect. I read so many books on him & to see his works in real life is amazing.

The first... La Sagrada Familia.. the famous incomplete masterpiece of Gaudi which has been under construction since 1882 & is a UNESCO site. He died while building it. Despite the hordes of tourists & children, it was still a wonder to see this church.

The interior had been completed based on Gaudi's models; I call it the forest of faith... the spires were made to ressemble trees & branches.

How beautiful... i stayed hours inside, just admiring the curves, the colors, the richness of Gaudi's imagination which was unparalleled.

The amazing ceiling.

Another famous masterpiece: Casa Batllo. Behind its skeletal exterior lies another world.

The ceiling of the main room where the family who hired Gaudi lived. The surprising thing about Casa Batllo is a lack of straight lines in the buidling.

Curves of blue & green took centrestage in the stairwell inspired by the underwater world.

Even the railings were designed to make you feel you were underwater!

And the famous roof with the back of a dragon.

Gaudi used colored mosaic tiles to create a magical world on the roof... it was just amazing to look at... imagine living here at the height of the Industrial Revolution... what a beautiful escape from reality!