Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Madrid, Spain . . .

The city of Madrid will be the first stop in my 3 week journey through Spain and I am excited about what first impressions I will have.

I decided to fly into Madrid rather than going straight to Andalucia because there was something about Madrid that peaked my interest. And on top of that it was only a short distance away from Toledo a city that I have been wanting to visit. In keeping with my travel motto of location, location, location I booked a room in a hotel that is located in an area that is considered part of “Old Madrid”. It is very close to the Prado Museum, Plaza Mayor and other top sightseeing attractions. I only have 4 full days in Madrid so going against the Slow Travel philosophy a bit, I will have to move rather quickly through my “must see” list .

Madrid is described as the “city of a thousand faces” because of its diverse architectural styles. From the Neo-Classical as seen in the Museo del Prado, to Modernism in the Puerta de Europa twin towers. Madrid also has an interesting history that starts with the early 8th century Moorish invasion, moving on to the 11th century Christian conquests and all the years that included a myriad of royal rulers to present day post Franco democracy.

One of the highlights for me will be visiting the Prado Museum famous for its outstanding collection of Spanish painting especially from Velazquez and Goya. There are several plazas in Madrid that will be fun to explore during my stay, like the famous rectangular shaped Plaza Mayor. According to Wikipedia, the plaza was a place where many events were held such as bullfights, soccer games, even public executions. In present day, there are traditional shops and great cafes where one can sit and watch the daily activities of the plaza. I will most likely make my way to this great plaza upon my arrival in Madrid. What better way to start my first day in Madrid Spain than to sit in this interesting plaza. Note: Photograph taken by MaryAnn Sullivan 2001--Index of Art Historical Sites (Thanks for the Link AnnieNC)

Last year, I was so lucky to be in Venice during their annual Festa della Madonna della Salute celebration. It was such an honor and privilege to be a part of something so important to the people of Venice and so I was curious if there were any special celebrations that might be going on in Madrid during my stay. Here’s what I found out:

On November 9, 2008, I discovered that there will be a very special and famous religious annual celebration called the “Virgen de La Almudena”. "The legend goes that in the 8th century there was an image of the Virgen Mary, which the Apostle James had brought to Spain. During the invasion of the Arabs the people of Madrid were afraid that they would destroy this image and they decided to hide it in a niche in a wall. Three hundred years later, King Alfonso VI of Castillo who knew the story about the hidden image asked the people of Madrid to pray in order to find the image. A procession went along the possible places where the image could be and when it passed the wall, this suddenly broke down and the image was found. They called this Virgen of La Almudena, because it had been hidden in a place called Almudin by the Arabs. Since that moment this Virgen was considered the Patron Saint of Madrid.

Madrid celebrates its Patron Saint on November 9th and the activities include a mass at Plaza Mayor followed by a procession that takes the image along Calle Mayor and Arenal until it is returned to the Cathedral of the Almudena."--Sightseeing in Madrid City Guide -- And guess who will be in Madrid on November 9! Lucky me!

Finally, I read that Madrid is a rather lively and vibrant city that pulsates with activity way into the late night hours. In fact, it is well known that dinner for most can be as late as 10:00 pm. Yikes! I’m definitely not a night owl so this will be quite a challenge keeping up with the locals here in Madrid. But I am always up for a challenge and if I want to experience the local flavor of Madrid then this early bird will turn night owl for 4 days during her visit in this very exuberant city. Well, I did say that I wanted to experience something new and different!

I believe that Madrid will fulfill all my high expectations for my first impressions of Spain and I am looking forward to touching ground on November 7! To whet my appetite, I stumbled upon this YouTube video called Mi Madrid. The video provides interesting images and a really cool song. It doesn’t seem like a typical tourist video to me. It feels more like some type of love story with an interesting plot behind it. Anyway, I love it and I find the images real and earthy. And amid all the history, great art, diverse architecture and famous night life, I think this video sort of represents the Madrid I want to experience. A real, emotion filled, passionate love story with a city that is vibrant, colorful and down to earth. I can’t wait!

9 comments:

  1. Lucky is right! I can't believe that two years in a row you'll get to participate in a Virgin Mary celebration - how cool! I looked at the link, and the cathedral is so beautiful, and I like the part about how the Spanish people in the procession will be wearing various regional costumes from all over the country. A photographer's dream!


    I'm excited for you!

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  2. Hi Annie, I know what you mean! I can't believe it myself.:) It's going to be pretty cool to be able to participate in the mass and watch the procession with all the regional costumes.

    Thanks again for your comments. Have a great evening Annie!

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  3. I agree - you are so fortunate to be able to see a patron saint procession. St. Michel is the patron saint of Menton and we were able to see the celebration last year. I loved seeing the participants dressed in regional costumes. I've got some pictures on my blog under Menton in my cloud tag.

    We went to Spain in 1983. At the time, I hated it because in three weeks we saw twice as much as you are going to see. Plus it was our first international trip to a country that did not speak English.

    But after we had returned for a couple of weeks, the 'bad' memories disappeared and it was one of our better trips.

    The Prado is wonderful. You may need to take two days to see everything. In addition to the two artists you mention, we also liked the Bosch collection. They are weird and strange but very facinating. I would also recommend the Museum Thyssen-Bornemisza. It wasn't open when we visited but friends who have visited it loved it.

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  4. Hi Marta, thanks so much for your comments. I do feel fortunate to be in Madrid during this special celebration. And thanks for mentioning the photos in your blog. I will definitely follow your intructions to find them blog under Menton.

    Is that the last time you were in Spain? That reminds me of Maria and her trip in 1981. That would be nice if you can one day return too.

    I had a suspecion that the Prado is big. I have been really trying to absorb and study where everything is located inside the building so I can cover all my must sees . . . I will look up where the Basch collection is as well so I can make sure to see it. Thank you for the recommendation. If I can, I will try to go more than once if I can't cover everything in one day to my satisfaction.

    I also was thinking about (if I have time) to visit the Museum Thysen-Bornemisza. It looks very interesting to me (bit more modern I think which I also love)! Thanks for this recommendation also.

    Thank you so much for taking the time to read my posting and making these wonderful recommendations. If I can I will try to post on my blog after my visits to let you know about my experiences.

    Thanks again and have a great weekend!

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  5. This is such a great post on Madrid (or Madriz, as the Spaniards pronounce it)! You are going to love the city. I didn’t visit the Museo del Prado because we were traveling with a toddler but I’m so looking forward when you blog about your visit and seeing your photographs. One thing that made an impression on me, other than the amazing architecture, was how blue the sky was. You need to report to me if it’s still the bluest of all skies you've ever seen.

    In regards to the late dinner time, don’t worry too much. You’ll see how quickly you adjust to the Spanish rhythm of daily life. Do as the locals and take a siesta so that you can stay up till midnight.

    If you can, go see Picasso's Guernica. It's in the Reina Sofía Museum. It's a powerful work of art and the story behind it is quite interesting.

    You are so lucky to there for the feast of the patron saint of Madrid! Take lots of pictures!

    You are so well prepared for this trip. It's going to be marvelous!

    When you get a chance, check this wonderful flamenco singer named Niña Patori. There are a good number of videos of her in YouTube.

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  6. This is such a great post on Madrid (or Madriz, as the Spaniards pronounce it)! You are going to love the city. I didn’t visit the Museo del Prado because we were traveling with a toddler but I’m so looking forward when you blog about your visit and seeing your photographs. One thing that made an impression on me, other than the amazing architecture, was how blue the sky was. You need to report to me if it’s still the bluest of all skies you've ever seen.

    In regards to the late dinner time, don’t worry too much. You’ll see how quickly you adjust to the Spanish rhythm of daily life. Do as the locals and take a siesta so that you can stay up till midnight.

    If you can, go see Picasso's Guernica. It's in the Reina Sofía Museum. It's a powerful work of art and the story behind it is quite interesting.

    You are so lucky to there for the feast of the patron saint of Madrid! Take lots of pictures!

    You are so well prepared for this trip. It's going to be marvelous!

    When you get a chance, check this wonderful flamenco singer named Niña Patori. There are a good number of videos of her in YouTube.

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  7. Hi Maria, thanks for your comments. Wow, I can't wait to see the blue skies of Madriz (I like the way the Spaniards pronounce it). I will totally blog and report back to you how blue the sky is. Hopefully, I can add photos!

    I'm so glad you commented about the "siesta"! If I'm going to really get into the swing of life in Madrid, I will definitely do as the locals do and take a siesta so I can stay up. I may not be able to drink too much wine/cava though, as that will truly do me in! :)

    Thanks for the recommendation on Picasso's Guernica in the Reina Sofia Museum. I will research it and definitely add it to my "must see list." I like interesting storylines.

    Yes, I do feel very lucky to be in Madrid for the feast of the patron saint. I will definitely take lots of pictures and if I can post some on the road, I will!

    Thanks also for the Flamenco singer recommendation. I will search for her videos on YouTube and try to look for her work on iTunes as well. I now have a growing music base of spainish songs on my iPod, which is great.

    I do feel prepared for this trip, but it is only because of all the wonderful advice and recommendations I have recieved from all of my Slow Travel Pals that makes it so.

    Thanks again for all the additional recommendations. Have a great evening and week Maria! Which reminds me, I need to go check out your countdown clock to Venice! I am so excited for you, Anne and Annie.

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  8. Hi-Ventured here from another blog and began to read this entry about Madrid. I hope you enjoy it! And, you are right - it pulsates at every hour of the day -- lines get blurred between morning and night. I visited my daugher who was studying abroad and very quickly realized why she was always tired. So much to do and see and so little time.

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  9. Hi Menehune, thanks for venturing over and reading my post on Madrid.

    That's great that your daughter had the opportunity to study abroad in Madrid. It must have been a wonderful experience for her. Also great that you had the chance to visit her. I am finding out very quickly just how many things there are to do in Madrid. And I'm going to try my best to do as many of them as I can.

    I don't mind high energy places and can usually go with the flow...on second thought, I think for Madrid I just may have to take a little siesta like Maria mentioned, if I intend to keep up! :)

    Thank you so much for your comments, I have a good feeling that I'm going to really enjoy my time there.

    Have a nice evening!

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It's me Trekcapri (aka Kathy). Thanks so much for visiting and leaving a comment.