More art galleries

We waited in line, in the cold, for 50 minutes to get into the Prado. This despite arriving 20 minutes before the doors opened. The only comfort was that these people behind us waited even longer!

I can’t really complain. For years I’ve been enjoying the art education I would have loved when I was 15, except I appreciate it even more. Goya’s ‘3rd of May’ is the ‘Guernica’ of its time, and that statement probably understates its power. His ‘Naked Maja’ is good but more like a Playboy centrefold from 1800. Lyn was impressed by the twisting movement in Ruben’s numerous paintings of naked chubby women. Neither Lyn, nor I, could really get into all the El Greco paintings or the endless paintings of of saints with lit faces. Velázquez’ ‘Las Meninas’ is the Prado’s iconic picture and you really feel like the artist is testing the limits of art in his day.

After a brief siesta we went to the nearby train station to buy tickets to Segovia for tomorrow. From there we walked to the furthest of the big three galleries, the Thyssen-Bornemisza. No queue! This was busy rather than crowded and so we felt a little less hassled. There were some wonderful Flemish and German paintings and good impressionist and modern collections. Lyn liked some of it but I sympathise with her view that still life paintings are not really worth the space. Her exasperation with anything by Mondrian remains a real joy. 

On the way back we discovered another exhibition space with a big Toulouse Lautrec show. We had the interest but not the energy. Our penultimate stop was a kooky shop with everything from Picasso figurines to Don Quixote chess sets. Tempted, but no. Then Lyn found Don Quixote himself busking on the corner. She wanted to give him a euro for his efforts so in return he insisted she pose next to him - sort of Sancho Panza in a bandana and puffy jacket.