Tumult

It was extremely windy today. Like blow your clothes off windy. Like blow old ladies down the street windy. It was awesome.

I started off the day in a funk. A funk brought on by my connection to my real life - work and family. Let's just say I wasn't happy with either.

So after breakfast, I went back to Zara, a Spanish clothing store chain, to get a down vest I saw yesterday. I tried it on and liked it, but have an unofficial policy that I won't buy anything unless I go home and wake up the next day still thinking it is a good idea. It's an unofficial policy because I don't always stick to it, but for major things like clothes, I do. It works for me.

So I woke up, dealt with some work and family crap and still wanted the vest. It was a good day to buy it. Even though I have a jacket and a windbreaker, it was really chilly and the wind was blowing like crazy, which made it feel even colder. But it was an amazing day with big puffy white clouds and an incredibly blue sky. I didn't want to stay home and get stuck stewing over things on the computer, so I decided to go out. I had no plan, I just started walking.

I walked a few blocks to Plaza Mayor, a big square that is nice, but I don't really get what it is, other than a big open space surrounded by old buildings I guess they used to come in handy for bullfights and witchburnings in the past, but it seems like just a big empty space to me now. There were lots of restaurants with tables set up outside, but in this weather, I didn't think they were going to get much business.

I walked through the plaza and continued walking in the direction of the Royal Palace. I thought I'd take a look, even though I was not in the mood to go inside. I did exactly that, I looked, but didn't go in. It was a big building that I am sure is very luxurious inside, but I had enough aristocracy yesterday at the Prado.

I continued walking to this Egyptian temple that was given to Spain at some point. I forget the story. It was not as interesting as I thought (the temple, that is), but there was a great view over the plains surrounding Madrid to the mountains in the distance. The sky was filled with those big puffy clouds and that incredible wind was still gusting. I could feel it like it was blowing the funk out of me. That plus my new affirmation were helping me to feel better.

Oh, my new affirmation. I got the idea that anytime I encounter cigarette smoke, instead of complaining, like I've been doing pretty much since Rome, I would take it as an opportunity to do a positive affirmation. I must have done a hundred of them today. Amazingly, I didn't mind the smoke. I actually welcomed it, and seeing a smoker made me smile. Funny how a shift in perspective can change so much.

I walked back to the palace and was looking for Grand Via because I still wanted to explore Chueca - the "gay" neighborhood. I stopped at Burger King for a small lunch (I know, bad, bad, bad, but it was noon and I was hungry and Spaniards don't eat until after 1, or 2), and then continued walking, looking for Grand Via.

I ended up getting lost. I stumbled across Plaza Espana, which had some booths set up with people selling junk I didn't need, but as I continued walking, I was getting the feeling that I was walking further and further away from where I wanted to go. So I crossed the street and walked in the direction I thought Grand Via would be.

At one point I asked a woman where Grand Via was. She wasn't sure, but she pointed me in the direction I was headed and told me to walk that way and then ask someone else. I asked her where I was and she said, Bilbao de San Bernadino (or something like that). I had no idea where that was, but I knew I was very far from the tourist crowds, and my apartment.

I walked and was getting tired. My feet and legs were hurting. I didn't know how much further it would be until I found something familiar, if I ever found something familiar. I contemplated taking a taxi, but I had this 10 trip subway ticket I bought yesterday, and when I came across a subway station I thought it would be good for me to try it today, since I will have to take it to the airport on Saturday.

I was pleasantly surprised. Even though I got confused and wasn't sure which train I was on, I did end up on the right train that took me to Plaza del Sol, a place where I knew how to get to Chueca from. But the trains were clean, they came every two minutes, and they were not crowded. Also, things were clearly marked. I think I am going to try taking the subway a little more if I can find places that are not within walking distance.

I got off at Plaza del Sol and walked to Chueca. This time I found Plaza de Chueca, where the subway station is, and I saw a little more of the "gay" neighborhood. As I suspected, there were lots of great shops, restaurants, bars, etc. I found one of my favorite Japanese stores. I used to call it the 'generic' store because they have lots of stuff that is plain, black, white, beige or brown, with no markings or anything - clothing, housewares, office supplies, etc. But it is actually called Muji. I went into a few different shops, and finally sat down at a cafe in Plaza de Chueca (I am not sure if that is what it is called, but it works for me).

It was still windy, but had warmed up a little, and I was sitting in the sun with my new scarf, down vest and sunglasses. I was quite happy.

I ordered a beer and a provoleta. They didn't call it provoleta, but that is what it was - a piece of provolone cheese thrown on the grill. It was not as good as in Argentina - it was not fully cooked and was a little cold, but there yummy crispy parts and I thought about returning to Argentina and having it done right.

There was a crowd of very drunk men hanging out in the square who provided entertainment, as well as a very cute dog with his owner.

From there, I walked around a bit more and finally returned home to drop off my bag of purchases from Muji.

I decided I was going to continue enjoying the day and headed first to the train station to book my ticket for tomorrow (Avila and Salamanca), and then head to the Reina Sofia museum, which was right across the street.

Since I had not had a real lunch (Burger King and provoleta didn't count) I was hankering for a snack. I knew there was a place near the train station that advertised that they had the best calamari sandwiches in Madrid. So I went there.

It was a cool place. Lots of shiny silver surfaces - counter, spigots for draft beer, mirrors, etc. The waiters shouted orders to each other down the bar. Some people stood at the bar, I sat on a stool (I don't know if that makes it more expensive, but I was tired).

I got a calamari sandwich, which was pretty good. I don't know if it is the best in Madrid, because it is the first time I've ever had a calamari sandwich. I noticed they had "sidra" which is cider. I ordered a glass. I am not sure what cider is. It didn't taste like apple cider. It tasted slightly alcoholic, a little sweet. It was good.

From there I went to the train station and got my ticket to go to Avila and Salamanca. After that, I crossed the street and went to the Reina Sofia Museum. It was free, which made me happy.

I was there 1 hour before closing, which I thought would be a good time. It was, but I felt rushed. The museum seemed bigger than the Prado, and I liked the art better too. I wasn't surrounded by a thousand images of a Jesus figure being crucified, but instead by some very interesting art. They had a whole exhibit on Russian Constructivism with films projected on walls in black and white. I breezed through it because I wanted to be sure I got to see the reason I was there - Picasso's Guernica.

Unfortunately I rushed through some galleries and eventually did find Guernica. It is a massive painting that commemorates the bombing of the town of Guernica by Franco's forces. I didn't realize it was so big. It was surrounded by a group of people who stood at a distance. It was like they were afraid to get too close. Reina Sofia allowed photos without flash, and some people were taking photos. There was definitely an air of reverence in that room.

An adjoining room had photos and posters from the beginning of the Spanish Civil war. There were some amazing photos by Robert Capa - people huddling in bomb shelters, people running in the streets as planes fly overhead (you can't see them, but you know they are there). Buildings riddled with bullet holes. I cannot imagine what it must be like to have to live through something like that. Most Americans can't imagine, which is maybe why we don't hesitate to drop bombs on other people. Maybe if we had suffered it, we might think twice.

Anyway, I really enjoyed the museum. I might go back and take a more leisurely pace. They had some wonderful paintings by Miro, who has always been one of my favorite painters. His paintings made me smile, especially one called "Spanish Dancer". It was a canvas painted reddish brown, with one little dot in the upper left, and a piece of sandpaper with a little cutout from a magazine of a shoe. He had a vertical line and an inverted V drawn on the canvas. It was so simple, so playful, and here it was in a museum! There were also some good Dali paintings, pre-surrealism, some other good Picasso's and a host of other really interesting works of art.

It was one of the fullest days I have had yet. By the time I left the museum, the wind had died down. I was feeling a little calm (until I returned to more e-mails about work and family), but I felt like the weather, the wild wind and chilly blasts were such an accurate reflection of my inner state. Just like the wind whips up by some unseen distant forces, my own sense of calm can so easily be disturbed. I guess the lesson is that one cannot control the wind. Just let it blow.