51 days since selling up. David Jones recording
I am sitting in an air conditioned room at the Hotel don Carlos in Caceres in the Extremadura region of Spain. The city is famous as the home of the conquistadors and where all the treasures of Mayan gold went. It is a long way from Madrid 250 miles and 7 days ago. So I need to catch you up on the last packed week of touring Spain. Madrid is positioned in the centre of Spain and become the Capital thanks to Felipe II who moved the centre of government here in 1561.
Yes we had four days in Madrid and it rained and at times was cold. So my view of Madrid is a soggy one!
Madrid is pretty. Some lovely squares, fountains, the usual things, but I’m afraid it didn’t do much for me. They have lovely art museums the Prado and the Centro de Arte Reina Sofia. It’s all very nice but a bit old fashioned and dull in my mind: lots of Goya, Velazquez and El Greco. Centro de Arte does hold the most famous Picasso “Guernica”, painted by Picasso as a response to the bombing of the Spanish town by the German Luftwaffe with the consent of Franco during the Spanish Civil War.
My favourite is the museo Thyssen-Bornemisza. This museo holds what was said to be the world’s greatest private art collection apart from that held by the British Royals. The collection was originally that of German–Hungarian Industrialist whose descendant Baron Hans Heinrich Thyssen died aged 88 leaving his collection to his fourth wife a former Miss Spain, Carmen Cervera.
There were many bids for the collection including Prince Charles, but Spain’s bid won, obviously influenced by Carmen. Who also had influence on how the paintings were hung in the gallery, insisting on salmon pink walls. The collection does hold the original portrait of Henry VIII by Hans Holbein and this has been confirmed as the original. (Yah boo sucks National portrait Gallery!)
I leave you with this thought: if in Madrid, go to Toledo.
Comments