Madrid

---

The chilly air of Madrid was a distinct contrast from the pleasant climate of Tulum, but I wasn't altogether unhappy to be in a city with such beautiful buildings, plazas and gardens. Considering the snowstorm that had smothered Europe, I was relieved that Madrid was far enough south for me to avoid the calamity that was striking others throughout France, the U.K., Germany and other countries in the region.

I emerged into a morning that had portions of blue sky and I spent the first day strolling up and down the expansive Grand Via, peeking into the occasional shop and even trying on clothes, which is quite a departure from my normal life! On my second day, the stylish fashion of the Madrid locals got the better of me and I splurged on a winter coat that far exceeded my previous expenses on an item of clothing. My guilt at the purchase soon disappeared though, as the warmth it has provided me on each subsequent day has been much welcomed. The buildings in this central district of Madrid are beautiful in their grandeur, especially the old theatres. I actually went into one store to look at coats and ended up spending the entire time taking photos of the interior of the building, which must have once been a theatre in its prime, for the marble stairwells, balustrades and floors beneath glittering crystal chandeliers were far too opulent for your run-of-the-mill fashion store.

At one point on this second day I ventured back out to the airport to welcome my mother into the country after what had proved to be an eventful journey to meet me for Christmas in Madrid. The afore-mentioned airport chaos that I managed to avoid had a much more significant impact upon her journey from Austrtalia, necessitating hours-long stints sitting on airport tarmacs at diverted airport destinations, followed by cancelled connecting flight after cancelled connecting flight, culminating in her luggage pulling off a masterful vanishing act! The bonus of all this was that she had a superb excuse to go shopping in Madrid and I finally knew what to buy her for Christmas - a warm winter coat.

We spent our first day together in Madrid wandering down to the Royal Palace, taking in the superb street scapes and just meandering through shops so that she could kit herself out in a new wardrobe. What will remain with me from these strolls through the streets on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day is the music we heard busking groups perform, from Vivaldi to WWII-era American Swing. The musicians' mastery of their instruments caused many a passer-by to stop in their tracks and brace the chill to let their ears and soul be treated to a Christmas gift.

Another particular highlight was visiting the Reina Sofia Museum, which houses arguably Picasso's most famous work, Guernica. This particular painting highlighted the atrocity of what was happening in Spain under the command of Franco, with the assistance of Hitler who sent some planes over to bomb the civilians in the city of Guernica. That fellow with the absurd moustache really did have a penchant for killing innocent people. The other artist whose paintings drew me to this museum was Salvador Dali. Having been to an exhibition in recent years in Melbourne, I jumped at the chance to see some of his works in his country of birth. Dali's paintings fascinate me and I simply marvel at his vibrant colours that are combined with striking imagery of sharp and minute detail. His imagination was, I am sure you would agree, bizarre and remarkable. His ability to then convey this onto canvas is simply astounding and I consider him to be an eccentric genius. Keeping with the theme of war and revolution, there were a couple of his paintings on display linked directly to this, including a superb piece entitled 'The Enigma of Hitler'. I was also captivated by the cleverness of 'The Invisible Man' and the intriguing details fluidly linked together in 'Imperial Monument to the Child Woman'. This last piece really spoke to me with regard to Dali's ambition to present the realm of dreams on canvas. It was also interesting to see a couple of his paintings completed before he embarked upon surrealism. These paintings, whilst demonstrating obvious talent and skill, certainly don't announce themselves to me in the same manner as his later works.

I tended to conclude each day by sampling some of the local alcoholic beverages, from beer to sangria and as a nightcap, some superb red wine. This proved to be a great way to unwind after being amidst the swarming throng that inhabits the streets of Madrid at all hours of the day and night, allowing me to reflect upon what I had experienced throughout the day, whether it be artistic treasures, architectural splendour or music in the streets. Considering the destinations awaiting me in the south of the country, I can't help but feel excited about the days that are ahead of me.

---