Hola! Say hello to Spain and Madrid – wonderful art, history, culture, food and wine. Or Granada, or Toledo, or Seville or Alicante on the Med…
At TravelSampler.world we love Madrid. Vibrant, energetic and humming with culture and life – set against a backdrop of tumultuous history and incredible wealth in days gone by. And of course, the food and wine are fabulous! So much to sample.
Watch these pages over the coming days as we add more about sampling Spain.
El Retiro Park
In the middle of Madrid you’ll find El Retiro Park, with the Plaza de la Independencia and the Crystal Palace. The park belonged to the Spanish Monarchy until the late 19th century when it became a public park. Even on a cool winter day locals and tourists were enjoying the length and breadth of the park, paddling on the lake and feeding ducks.
The Crystal Palace is a super-sized and elegant conservatory. Its iron work and glass make it an unexpected jewel and occasional site for exhibitions and displays. The Visit Madrid website gives opening times, address and information about any current exhibitions at the Glass Palace.
Where in the world is your favourite city park?
Museums and Galleries
Madrid is home to the Museo Nacional Centro d Arte Reina Sofia, where Picasso’s ‘Guernica’ is on permanent display. ‘Guernica’ alone is worth a trip to Madrid. This staggering work is stunning in history, scope and scale. Photographs cannot convey its impact. Sit quietly in front of it and for a while contemplate the upheaval, chaos and shattering impact of war. You will come away with a glimpse of the unsettling under-currents of struggle in Spain. More about ‘Guernica’ and Picasso can be found on the Picasso website.
One of the world’s great art museums, the Prado Museum (gallery) offers a staggering collection of masters – Rembrandt, Carravaggio, Rubens, Raphael, Titian and many others are here…And the Visit Madrid site tells us
‘The Prado is home to works by some of the Spanish Golden Age leading painters including Ribera, Zurbarán, Murillo, and the great Velázquez, whose masterpieces Las Meninas and The Seamstresses hang here. In the Goya galleries you’ll find an array of works by the great artist…’
The Prado does get busy, so plan your day and go early. Alternatively, if you just want a glimpse of the treasures herein, make use of free entry available for two hours at the end of the day – check the website for more details. We didn’t try this but expect that it would be very popular especially over the busy summer.
What art work would you most like to see?
Tapas
One of the great joys of Spain! Tapas can be found on every street in every town. There’s a huge variety of snack size bites, and to accompany it a chilled glass of rose or perhaps temparnillo (a native Spanish red wine – Google it for lots of information on this drop). Stopping in for tapas and a glass of wine is a very refreshing way to recharge and ready oneself to set forth to explore some more.
In Madrid, the Mercado San Miguel offers a fantastic array of tapas, beautifully displayed to tempt your appetite. It’s set in an historic building and thriving with hungry patrons. Mercado San Miguel is high on many tourists ‘must visit’ lists so be prepared for the market to be busy – and not inexpensive. It’s an experience for the eyes and taste buds, and a great opportunity to sample a variety of tapas, from simple olives to seafood to elegant bite sized desserts.
If something a bit simpler and less overwhelming is more your style, don’t hesitate to try local restaurants and bars for tapas. Many have a variety of plates on the menu, and house specials are often special indeed. We have fond memories of sitting in the sun, with a glass of rose and delicious jamon served simply. The best quality Jamon is known as Iberico, comes from a native pig and is dry cured and aged several years. Serrano Jamon is widely available and while still tasty, is more of a mass-produced product.
What’s the best tapas bite you have tried?
Tiles
Everywhere in Spain and Portugal you will glorious examples of geometric tiles laid out in endless patterns. (In Madrid there’s even a tile museum – see our pages on Portugal for the National Tile Museum – National Azulejo Museum (MNAz) or go to the VisitLisboa.com website). Referencing the areas’ Islamic history, beautiful patterns line the walls, buildings and facades across Spain. You might be waiting for a train or strolling in a quiet local neighbourhood – you will find fine examples of tiles in the most unexpected places.
Islamic art is predominantly geometric and celebrates the infinite through endlessly repeating patterns. Anyone with an appreciation of mathematics will find the draftsmanship fascinating. We found the symmetry, repetition and colours tiles mesmerising!
Where else have you found repeating patterns?
Have you visited Spain? What did you love? Send us a photo let us know at ideas@travelsampler.world. We’d love to share the best of your experiences.
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