Yesterday I arrived in Madrid but not after a great last night in Zaragoza at Paco´s opening.  His exhibition was accompanied with a spoken word/ music performance with Fernando on the keyboards and another friend on clarinet.  After the performance, we were up to the terrace for champagne and then off to one of the local pubs for a beer (and a check on the US vs. Spain football- really soccer- match… US won.  I was not very popular with some of the group for a moment).  We capped off the night with an excellent calamari sandwich and a tearful goodbye to the amazing people I met.  We all have promised to keep in touch… Silvia and Fernando will be in Vilnus, Lithuania soon- where my great grandfather immigrated from- and I´m excited to see pictures.  Many of the group have “holiday” coming up.  Before Silvia and Fernando head north, they are joined with Paco and Olga to the Venice Biennial- something I wish I could have afforded to go but now I know it is rather cheap to get there from Spain, perhaps I will make it to the 2011 show. 

The next morning, Sergio saw me off to the bus station promising to be in touch soon.  It was four hours to Madrid and I arrived to be picked up by Karla´s friend, Charles- husband to her dearest friend, Veronique.  I am staying with the most charming family who relocated here from Barcelona last year.  They have two wonderful boys- Pablo, 8 and Hugo, 4.  I met Hugo first and even though the boys speak virtually no English, Hugo and I bonded over popping bubble wrap.  Pablo came home later from school feeling a bit sick but today has perked up to call me a banana. 

I have had a wonderful first day here in Madrid.  Last night I was too tired to explore but today I hit the ground running and headed for a computer center.  It seems Veronique´s computer did the same thing mine did and fried yesterday morning.  She showed me a place where I could work however as opposed to Zaragoza, is a bit expensive.  Luckily, Charles brought his computer home tonight which I´m lucky to be attached to now.  At the computer center, I met Camilo from Columbia who was happy to practice his English.  We went for a coffee across the street where I find out he is an engineer working in France but has travelled virtually all over the world.  It was pretty interesting to hear about his travels and comparisons about people´s attitudes towards life.  Pretty cool…

After that, I was off the Prado!  My only goal today was to see this entire museum.  It took over 5 hours but I did it.  I again was completely amazed with what I was seeing and had to check myself from time to time and remind myself that I´m not leafing through a book but seeing these legendary works of art first hand in person.  It really astounds me that I am this lucky.  I literally began the day with one of the Albrecht Durer self portraits I studied in art school.  Durer is an artist we lovingly nicknamed in art school as a “hot dead guy”.  He is.  If you don´t know his work, there is some motivation for you.  But seriously, here is the laundry list of artists I saw extensively today: VELAZQUEZ!!!! (did someone say Las Meninas?),  Caravaggio (which makes up for the rooms being closed when I was at the Uffizi in Florence a billion years ago), Botticelli, Raphael, Titian, Rembrandt, Van Eyck, Bosch, Van der Weyden, el Greco, GOYA… yup I saw the 3rd of May, Fra Angelico, Rubens, Tintoretto….  I knew better than to take my camera out and even giggled a little when A guard came running after another American trying to photograph the Fra Angelico “Annunciation. “  Yeah, I know better…

I was ready to head to the special exhibition of Joaquin Sorolla but I didn´t realize I had to buy a special ticket for it.  I contemplated it for a moment and then decided to bag it for the day.  One thing I am devastated over is that I missed a Pre-Raphealite exhibition by only a few weeks where “Flaming June” was the star of the show.  For those of you who don´t know… I love the Pre-Raphealites and in fact my research of them- primarily Ophelia symbolism was included in my Master´s thesis.  “Flaming June” is such an exquisite painting that is normally in Puerto Rico so it is sad for me that she was just this close.  One day though….

I left the museum needing to de-thaw since I am not used to air conditioning anymore.  I was freezing and didn´t bother to bring my wrap today because I didn´t think I would need it.  I laid on the lawn of the Prado listening to a guy playing Spanish guitar.  It was so relaxing to sit in the sun and just begin to absorb what I just saw.  I probably laid there for more than a hour and then decided to explore the neighborhood.  Oh, I didn´t mention… I am staying right smack dab in the middle of all the museums here in Madrid.  It is not a stretch for me at all to try to find anything.  In fact, the only trouble I had today was how to get to the fifth floor of the this building where I am living.  It is the top floor and I ride a beautiful glass elevator to the top.  The elevator runs on a key and the fifth floor is not marked.  I got a bit confused and had to call Vero to explain what to do.  So silly.

Once I had enough of the lawn, I strolled further into the botanical gardens and walked.  There was a museum in there where I saw two photography exhibits.  In fact, there is a collective group of exhibits here in Madrid called PhotoEspana that span over a number of venues.  I saw Larry Sultan & Mike Mandel as well as Sara Ramo.  I will try to check out Annie Lebowitz this weekend since she is right around the corner and perhaps some of the others.  I then just wandered until I cam on this interesting building with a wall (4 or 5 stories) entirely made of plants.  I had no idea what it was but the building looked interesting so I walked in.  Turns out it is a bank that sponsors exhibitions that have a social or cultural context.  I saw a show on Islamic art that contained ceramic, calligraphy, iron work, and jewelry.  Having a jewelry background, the filigree work just blows my mind.  I will admit that I can be compulsive in my work and if I am interested, I can obsess over things but i understand the amount of patience filigree contains and the exmples here were just ridiculously fine.  I can´t even tell you.  I then saw a conceptual show on Cambodia´s economics and consumption that consisted of photography, video and rice.  It seemed slightly on the Sally Struthers side but interesting nonetheless.

So with that I manuevered my way home, rode the glass elevator and reported in with Vero only to anticipate tomorrow´s visit with the Renier Sophia.  I am crossing all my fingers and toes that I see some Miguel Barcelo but Vero assures me I will certainly see some Tapies (I missed the Tapies Foundation in Barcelona).  I might have to take a drool cup.