“You’re going to Colombia? Why are you going to Colombia? Colombia is very dangerous, you’ll be kidnapped. What’s in Colombia? Don’t forget to get me some drugs”! This is what I was met with when I told friends we were going to Colombia. And I must say, I did check the State Dept. travel warning site, just to be sure! But as I told myself, the good old US of A is as dangerous a place as just about anywhere! Continue reading “Viva Colombia!!”
Say New York and what comes to mind? For me it’s a few things. Broadway, shopping, museums, people, uptown, downtown, and….. FOOD!!
See that hot pastrami sandwich. That’s just half of the sandwich. We arrived in New York and the first thing we did was ask where the nearest deli was. New York is synonymous with the word deli. Even though we’re all eating healthier now, there’s nothing better that a hot pastrami on fresh rye, some good half sours and slaw and for Roy a Cel-Ray or Dr. Brown’s cream soda.
What else did we do and love about Madrid?
The Museums
We don’t traditionally visit museums but Madrid has some very impressive ones. We visited two; no, not the Prado. The Reina Sofia and the Thyssen Bornemisza.
The Reina Sofia – The Reina Sofia was founded as a hospital in the 16th century. Going through several modifications it was declared a national monument in 1977 and a permanent collection was inaugurated by King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia in 1992. Since then it has increased in size and collection.
We went to the Reina Sofia for one thing, to see Guernica by Picasso. Some argue it’s his most celebrated and controversial work of art. It’s part of the permanent collection at Reina Sofia and occupies it’s own room. It’s 11 ft. tall by 25 ft. wide. The story is that Picasso was commissioned by the Spanish Republican government to paint a mural for the Paris Exhibition in 1937. His original idea was deserted when the Germans bombed an innocent town by the name of Guernica. Guernica shows the tragedies of war in the suffering of people, animals and buildings. It’s black, blue and grey in color and it is best seen with an audio headset so that you get some idea of what you’re looking at.
When Franco came into power the painting was sent to the United States to raise support for funds for Spanish refugees. Picasso refused a request that Guernica be returned to Spain until the Spanish people enjoyed their country as a republic.
When it returned, it was sent to the Prado at Picasso’s request. It was moved to the Reina Sofia from the Prado in 1992 along with other preparatory works that hang in the room. The move was controversial because of Picasso’s request that it be hung in the Prado.
Opened in 1992, the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum completes what’s called the “Golden Triangle of Art”. On six floors are over 1,000 paintings ranging from the 13th century to the present. Each floor represents a period. It’s overwhelming and you can spend days there. We spent a few hours.
The Finale
Posters advertising upcoming concerts are plastered all over walls on the streets. One that caught our eye was advertising Queen – Bohemian Rapshody. We weren’t sure what it was going to be but for our last night, it sounded like the right thing to do, being rock n’ rollers and all. We got to the theatre on time, the tickets said 8PM but I guess in Spain that doesn’t mean that’s when the show starts. We were worried we were going to be the only people in the theatre but people started strolling in and by 9 it was pretty full and the show began. Four singers, 3 guys and 1 female opera singer backed by a 40 piece symphony orchestra. It blew us away. They were beyond fantanstic. They’re interpretations of Queen and the staging was phenomonal and it was a great way to end our stay in Madrid.
But, not without dinner at midnight. Sitting outside at a little Italian retaurant we devoured a pizza. By the way, at midnight the restaurant was packed!
We loved Madrid. We loved walking through the streets, always alive and vibrant, so I’ll end with some street scenes and a little street art.
So, that’s how we spent our summer vacation. We’re in the planning stages for the next trip but there’s lots going on between now and then.
So stay tuned and see you at the bar….
Madrid. The third largest city in Europe after London and Berlin. A city of 3.3 million people. It has one of the best and cleanest metro systems in the world. World class museums, restaurants, fashion and despite a 25% unemployment rate, a joie de vivre that’s hard to resist. I love a new city and never knowing what to expect from it. Will we be happy or disappointed? We were happy, very happy and here’s why.
Just got back from Spain. The recipe for this trip – a little culture, a little fun and a lot of food and wine. So much so that when I got on the scale it was up 5 lbs. but worth every bit!
We split the trip -4 days on the Costa Brava and 3 days in Madrid. It turned out to be a good mix. Continue reading “Spain…The Costa Brava and Madrid”
There’s something magical about getting on a ferry and leaving the mainland for an island. We’ve done it all over the world and it never loses it’s appeal. Last week we hopped the ferry in Wood’s Hole, MA for Martha’s Vineyard with our pals J and M.
Martha’s Vineyard has a vibe. It’s a little bohemian, it’s a little sophisticated, it’s home to a number of celebs and it has hosted some Presidents. You can stay in the action packed towns of Edgartown, Oak Bluffs and Vineyard Haven, or you can go for the more quiet appeal of West Tisbury, Menemsha or Chilmark. We opted for West Tisbury. Continue reading “Martha’s Vineyard”
That’s how many names are on the Wall of the Vietnam War Memorial. Did we save the best for last? You tell me. First up, after waiting in line for three hours Roy and Marty scored four tickets to the Premium Exhibit at The Holocaust Museum. So Linda and I had breakfast at the hotel and headed over to meet them. But, getting there wasn’t easy because all streets around the Museum were closed due to the impending Rolling Thunder parade. We finally made it and decided that first up would be a walk to see some of Washington’s iconic sites: The Washington Monument, The Lincoln Memorial, The Korean War Memorial and The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall. Continue reading “58,000…”
That’s the approximate number of tombstones at Arlington National Cemetery. Our 2nd day of touring ended there but I’m getting ahead of myself. I’ll tell you how it started – with breakfast! Continue reading “260,000…..”
This slogan was on the back of t-shirts worn by veterans of WWII and the Korean War from Dayton, Ohio who were sitting front and center at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery. This is just a slice of what we just experienced in Washington, DC over Memorial Day weekend. Continue reading “If you can read this, thank a Teacher….If you can read this in English thank a Veteran”
Two at the bar is going on the road this weekend – Washington, DC, our nation’s capital.
There will be lots of museums and even more restaurants starting with Ben’s Chili Bowl as soon as we land.
So stay tuned and
see you at the bar….
