Madrid: The Prado

It is hot in Madrid this summer, so it will be nice to spend a day in a cool place.  After buying our tickets online, it is a short walk to The Prado from our Airbnb.  We get there before it opens, so we wait in a park across the street in the shade.  After the walk, the coolness of the morning is soothing. 

The Prado is one of the great museums in the world.  It is one of the highlights of our stay in Madrid, Spain.  It houses some of the greatest European Art in existence.   The building was designed in 1785 and originally held only Spanish art.  It continues to hold the Spanish Royal Collection.  Its 1st catalog was published in 1811. Spain's most famous artist Goya many works displayed here, but the Prado is so much more. 

The museum is laid out on 4 floors. We began at the top and worked our way into the basement.  The art from the 11th Century to the present is overwhelming and exhaustingly hard to take in all in one day.   It was a long day but completely worth it.  We ate in the Museum Cafe for lunch, spending about 6 hours going through the museum. 

Much like the Mona Lisa at the Louvre in Paris,  Goya's "The Executions" is a major attraction at the Prado.  It is a large painting, almost 9 Feet high and 12 Feet wide.  Its theme is emotional and historic, depicting the killing of Spanish rebels in Madrid by conquering Napoleonic french forces on 3 May 1808. 

Walking through this museum is a magical moment and is what travel is all about.  It's about education; travel changes you.  A trip to the Prado is something you will never forget. 

The World of Barbeque

You know I consider myself an aficionado of BBQ.  I would have a master's degree in BBQ technology if there was such a thing.  I once said BBQ wasn't hamburger and hot dogs cooked on a gas grill, but this is exactly what it is for many people.  Someone actually scolded me for this comment.  This was a wrong assumption that I made early in my Barbeque studies.  

Growing up in the Pacific Northwest of America, a barbeque was sometimes Salmon on the grill.  I've eaten BBQ all over the world.  Barbeque is like the Confederate Flag.  It means many things to many people.

In Slovenia, I've had it served to me on actual swords.  In Greece, with lemons and fresh herbs.  I've tasted the whole pigs roasting in the Mountains of Puerto Rico.  Bo-Bo's in San Juan is Island heaven.  I always grab a plate after leaving the Airport.  There's no way I'm driving by that place.  Texas is always off the charts coming fresh off the pit to the plate; BBQ prime rib is one of my favorites.  In Tennessee, nothing beats Jack's BBQ on Trinity Lane.  The pork ribs are to die for.  The downtown location is good also.  Watching NHL refs gobbling it down before the Predator Games is always fun.  

But today, it was all about Carolina BBQ, one of my favorites and so unique.  Carolina BBQ's main stay is pulled pork and fall-off-the-bone ribs.  Carolina BBQ always includes fried Catfish, fried chicken, and on special occasions, fried oysters.  During dinner, old, style Hash is served over rice.  BBQ Hash is a thick, tangy gravy of pulled pork and other smoked pork bits made special by the BBQ Gods.  This BBQ leans heavily on low-country Gullah Culture.  It varies from place to place and the closer you get to the seashore.  Getting better the deeper you get into the low country.  Hash is more prevalent in South Carolina.

So today, we got our fix on our way home from Norfolk, Virginia.  Driving south into North Carolina, waiting for that smell and smoke rising from a building.  It hit us like an old familiar friend.  I think I need that pork-flavored Narcan and a double dose of Lipitor.  Because I ate too much of this good stuff.

Lisbon's Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (Museu Colecao Berardo)

During our week in Lisbon, we spent a day at the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art.  It was time well spent.  We take the tram from downtown and are there in about 30-minutes.  The Lisbon public transportation system is a modern marvel that combines Trains, Subways, Trams, and Buses to create a seamless modern way to get to any part of the city.  Do not rent a car while here; it's a waste of money.   

The museum was full of world-renowned modern works.  We lucked out the museums are free on Saturday in Lisbon.  The large modern building is a marvel yet seems out of place across the street from the Gothic Buildings of the Jerónimos Monastery and National Archeological Museum.   It is a  huge contrast to the other buildings in the area.  

The building is a multi-floor event comprising exhibits on 3 floors and in the basement.  Walking into the museum, you can start on the 3rd floor and work your way down.  The first three floors are full of painting and sculpture exhibits, and in the basement are the art installations.  

The highlight of the visit was the exhibit dedicated to the study of Cubism that Pablo Picasso started, along with the other artists he inspired.  On the first floor, Cubism is an avant-garde art movement that revolutionized European painting and sculpture.  Several artists' works are exhibited here.

"The movement was pioneered by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque and joined by Jean Metzinger, Albert Gleizes, Robert Delaunay, Henri Le Fauconnier, Juan Gris, and FernanCubismr. One primary influence that led to Cubism was the representation of three-dimensional form in the late works of Paul Cézanne."

The second floor had an Andy Warhol display with his "Judy Garland" painting and his " Ten-foot Flowers" painting.   Then there was his stack of "Brillo Boxes," along with other Warhol masterworks.

There were temporary exhibits on the third and fourth floors displaying minimalist installations.  Seeing works by Jackson Pollack was a bonus.  These large works consumed space that was thought-provoking to take in.

Lisbon's Museu Coleção Berardo, Portugal's main Modern and Contemporary Art Museum, is a must-see.  After visiting the museum, we take the tram back downtown to our AirB&B.  Our hearts are now full of this art and this culture.  It was a good day to be in Lisbon.