Meandering Madrid’s Magnificent Museum Maelstrom in March

Spain has been on my I need to travel to list for at least three decades. One late afternoon this past February my inbox pinged with promotional email from an airline touting “amazing frequent flyer mile deals to Europe!” My interest piqued, I clicked. By bedtime myself and my better half had our flights and an extraordinary Air BnB apartment secured for a short Madrid getaway. Though Madrid was chosen for this trip, both Barcelona and the Catalan region are being saved for another visit sometime in the future.

Next thing we knew we were checked in and on the prowl through the lively streets of Madrid, which we’ve come to appreciate is an extraordinary city with fantastic people, food, culture, and vibe. The photos below give a brief visual overview of a city with seemingly endless possibilities, and great coffee…

Before our visit, I had never been to a city where peacocks prowled the parks. They are beautiful…and just a little bit scary. Once we were past the peacocks we started visiting several of the many museums the city has to offer.

**I was getting the hairy eyeball from this guy!**

Here is a brief visual rundown of the highlight museums on my if you find yourself in Madrid, I’d strongly suggest you visit… list. First up, the venerable Prado. Which gets one photo because photos inside aren’t allowed. Budget at least a few hours, minimum, to see Old-Masters galore, sprinkled with a few high quality tidbits from more recent centuries.

Next up, the criminally under appreciated Royal Collections Gallery, adjacent to the Royal Palace. It’s a head scratcher that this newly opened (2023), exceptional museum isn’t packed. While there was a considerable amount of drama around its prolonged building process, it is considered a stunning architectural experience, and should not be missed. For those who go, you will be rewarded with an experience which is both educational and aesthetically pleasing!

Next up, we went to the spectacular Museo Reina Sofia. This museum needs no introduction, as it is the home of Spain’s Mona Lisa” aka Picasso’s Guernica. In a quirk of serendipity, our trip aligned with the last day of “Picasso 1906”, a special, once-in-a-lifetime exhibition gathered from collections public and private throughout the world. The theme of the exhibition centered around when Picasso became Picasso – and it was exceptional.

Picasso 1906

Guernica solo and with crowds…

And the regularly scheduled exhibition rooms of masterwork after masterwork…

Onward we meander, ending up at the venerable Thyssen-Bornemisza museum. Great American art, in addition to very fine European art.

And the European side of the Atlantic Ocean…

Last, but not least we visited the special home built as a living space studio by one of the world’s greatest artists, Joaquin Sorolla (1863-1923). In 1932, his family gave the home and contents to the people of Spain. A friendly word of advice: get your tickets well in advance. You do NOT want to miss this museum if you are within a hundred kilometers of Madrid!