The Purple Penguin

Today was a holiday in Madrid (Corpus Christi) and the coronation of the new king. We’d seen all the decorations going out all week and the recommendation was to leave the city. But us being tourists we stayed put, got up, headed out, stopped for coffee and went to the Reina Sofia Museum. Which was pretty much empty, except for a few tour groups.

Went straight to Guernica (there may have been a little tiny bit of playing in the glass lift before – perhaps going up to the fourth floor then back down), there was a tour group there, but they soon left and after a bit it was pretty empty. Which is not normal! So we had a good look at that, then started at the first room and worked our way around. Joe was a bit grumpus about more art, but he liked this museum better – all modern art, mainly Spanish. Though most of the first floor was closed off! But we saw everything we could then headed out for lunch.

We had a very large lunch – menu de dia with three courses – then headed up the Paseo de Prado to the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, which is a bit more eclectic. Not as many Spanish artists, but a whole mixture from early religious paintings to more modern works. Joe pretty much skimmed past the religious and early work, but enjoyed the more modern works. I loved all the impressionist works. By the time we’d done three floors we were quite tired and our legs were giving out. So back to the hotel, stopping to get drinks and snacks.

So we celebrated the coronation by totally ignoring it, which Joe says is a very British way of celebrating such things; or at leas the way he celebrates anything royal!