My wife and I are headed to Madrid, Spain. We haven’t been there in a long time. I’m sure it’s changed a lot. What should we make it a point to see or do?
I’ve never been there, but want to go, in order to see the Prado. I’m a big Hieronymus Bosch fan, and they’ve got several of his works, including g his most famous, the so-called Garden of Earthly Delights.
Like I said it’s been a while since I was there, almost 25 years. I spent a lot of time at the Prado, and was just amazed by Bosch’s work.
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My favorite theater is Circo Price.
Before you say “oh but we don’t speak Spanish”: it used to be a circus, the theater itself is still evidently a circus ring and the shows tend to be more about acrobatics, dance, body language… than some dude in tights reciting monologues (tights do tend to be involved). Even if you’re not actually going to a show, if it’s open when you’re there you may be able to walk in and look at pictures of guys walking the tightrope in coattails or Pinito del Oro’s acrobatics.
If you’re into modern art, then the Reina Sofía is very close to El Prado. You may want to check out a guided visit to El Madrid de los Austrias, see what’s going on re. the 400th anniversary of Cervantes’ death, or if you like singing drop by a zarzuela session (Spanish opereta). The Egyptian temple is a nice little unexpected surprise; the cathedral of La Almudena was finally finished 
(hey, I think it’s the newest cathedral in Europe!). Are you interested in day trips, or Madrid only?
Cal, I realize it’s unlikely, but if you ever find yourself heading to the neighborhood of Pamplona or Bilbao and have the time, there is a “Juicio final” in the cathedral of Tudela that’s “probably Bosch”, as well as a “heaven and hell” set that’s “probably Bosch school”.
There are so many great things in Madrid, but two of my favorites were getting churros at Chocolatería San Ginés and going to the baths at Hammam Al Ándalus Madrid.
Day trips as well. We fly into Barajas, where we’ll rent a car to drive to Granada. We plan to see Toledo on the way back to Madrid. We want to keep the car at least a few days to do day trips. At least Segovia and Alcala de Henares.
Thanks. If I do go I’ll definitely see it.
Bosch had plenty of imitators, and there’s a lot of “pseudo-Bosch” out there. My books of Bosch* have lots of reproductions of these. The best of them really do look like the Master’s work.
*not to be confused with Edward Lear’s Book of Bosh.
Take a look at Renfe’s website instead. Toledo, Segovia and Alcalá are all commuter locations, there’s cercanías to Alcalá and middle-rangers to the other two.
I suspect that Madrid traffic is created by taking everybody who’s been expelled from other locations due to their bad driving and dumping them there. And so far I have never met a madrileño who could tell me I was wrong! Especially to be avoided: Friday afternoons. The whole city empties, which means its arteries get completely clogged.
You probably already know this, but you’ll need to reserve tickets for the Alhambra. Looking at Google maps proposal for Toledo/Madrid-Granada, you may want to consider stopping in Linares or Úbeda in one of the legs of the trip, or taking a detour to Córdoba or Ciudad Real in the other; perhaps a night in Córdoba. Oh, and of course try the gazpacho or salmorejo. The difference between gazpacho and salmorejo is one ingredient: cucumber, which gazpacho has and salmorejo does not. The rest (tomato base, different decorations to add as you like) is the same.
I was totally blown away by seeing this masterpiece in person . . . even though I’d seen reproductions many, many times.
And of course you’ll want to see *Guernica, *at the Museo Reina Sofia.
Guernica I’ve seen, when it was at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
I’ve seen a full-size reproduction of The Garden of Earthly Delights, too, but in pieces. I’ve never seen it all at once.
Those are two works we plan to see again. I was never a huge Picasso fan, but Guernica just fascinates me.