Buenas noches, todos. El post de hoy lo trae la Sangria! Viva!

WE just got back from possibly the best dinner I have ever had. We wanted to go back to Terra Mundi, but they were closed. So we decided since we did not spend very much today to go to the fancier expensive place near us. La Taperia. They are cheap for what they offer. The food was completely delicious. We had Bacalao (cod), which was breaded with a little cheese beneath, then fried, with ratatouille; and an iberico pork chop that was literally the best pork chop either of us has ever had in our lives. It was tender like filet mignon, and flavorful and delicious. I’ve had Jamon Serrano Iberico before, but this… This was culinary magic.

Anyway, our morning was taken up with exploring the Thyssen. (Note from David: The Thyssen puts glass in front of most of its paintings making a clear picture very difficult so some of the painting have reflections in them.) We managed almost 3 hours before we got totally arted out and needed to go do something else. The modern art collection in the Thyssen is wonderful. We discovered one of my new favorite Dalis, which is a small, cute one. we also managed to make it to the Impressionists before zonking out. The Monet of the Charing Cross Bridge is beautiful, but we realised that it is particularly impressive from a distance. We came to the consensus that impressionist are best viewed from about 10 feet away. Also amongst the many works we saw were 3 very adorable Van Goghs.

It is interesting to note that the General Method of Art Viewing (GMAV, if you will) has not changed over the years. Its proper execution follows:

1. Walk into a room int he museum of choice (in this case, the Thyssen)
2. Approach a Work of Art (do not look at it yet)
3. Read the Name, the Artist and the Date on the plaque (use at least 20 seconds for this step)
4. Glance at the Work (use less than 5 seconds)
5. Walk away, repeat.

I saw this method being used with great fidelity throughout the three floors of the Thyssen. I, of course, rebelled and chose one or two works in a room that stood out at me to stare at for several minutes. What an odd sight I must have been! Although I suppose that is a good way of being able to say you have “seen” the museum…

After being impressioned by the likes of Monet, Degas, and Renior, we were craving coffee, so we went North from the museum up Paseo de los Recoletos, where there is the Terraza del Espejo, a picturesque little bar in between the two directions of Paseo de Castellana, right across from the national library. I lamented the fact that the archeology museum is still closed for renovations as we went past. In my first stint in Spain, it was my favorite place to hang out, and it sparked my interest in many cool things, including ancient Egypt.

After our coffee, we headed back to the hotel and hung out until dinner, deciding not to push ourselves much and attempt to go to the Prado. We were still absorbing all the art that we saw today in the Thyssen! We are now capping off our evening with the wine the hotel gave use, which tastes like orange peels and good dirt. David has informed me that is what they call “earthy” and “zesty”. Snobs.