We got into Frankfurt airport at about 10:15 a.m. The whole flight was a little over 10 hours. The Frankfurt airport experience, usually quite pleasant, this time was a nightmare. We landed in the A terminal and had to shlep all our stuff to the B gates. We got stuck in a huge passport control line, then walked a bunch more to get to a shorter line, but then we got stuck in a longer line to get back to security. We got into that line at 11 and our plane was scheduled to leave at 11:55. We literally got to our gate with 2 minutes to spare, hopped on a bus which drove us directly to our plane. The Lufthansa flight to Madrid was great. Had a great little pasta lunch.
Arrival in Madrid
We landed at 2:40 p.m., just about a half an hour late. We quickly go our bags and when I checked realized Kate would be coming into Terminal 4 over two miles away. We left the baggage area, got money, and I decided I needed to go over to Terminal 4 to meet Kate. I went upstairs to the arrival area and found the green shuttle bus that connects to all the terminals for free. I was the only one on the shuttle and I made it over tp Terminal 4 by 3:30 just before Kate’s plane was to arrive.
Madrid Barajas Airport Terminal 4
I waited for probably over an hour and after several texts between us, she got her luggage and we connected. I got a little fouled up when we went all the way back to the departure level to catch the shuttle, but realized that they would only pick you up from the arrival level. We thought we might have missed terminal one on the way back, but we didn’t and the party of six was totally united at about 5 p.m.
We decided to split up and take two cabs which left right outside from where we had been waiting and there was a huge line of white cabs with the red stripes. I freaked out when we didn’t get organized quite quickly enough, but Sue, Robert and I left first followed immediately by Christine, Zoe and Kate. We got to 12 Plaza Angel and the Hostal Persal very quickly, probably about 20 minutes, and the fare was under €20. I was shocked and rounded up to €25. My research had told me that it probably be about that much. We checked in and waited, nearly half an hour and when the second cab finally did arrive they had been charged €58. Madrid cab rip off! Just as I had read about, but I had forgotten to tell Christine that I read it should be about €27 from the airport. We had a little mix up with one of the rooms–someone appeared to still be in it–but we got that straightened out and our rooms were next to each other 222, 223. Too bad the lift was not functioning, but it really wasn’t too bad getting all the luggage up two flights. We had a room for three and a room for four even though there were only six of us. It was what was available when I booked on line so I just took it. The room for four actually had two separate rooms so it really was great. Zoe and Robert wound of taking the area near the bathroom and Christine and I had our own private room.
Reina Sofia
By the time we were all in the place, it was somewhere around 6 p.m. so we decided to go out for a walk to the Centro de Arte Reina Sofia. A great time to fit in one of the big three museums. We left the Persal and walked down, literally downhill, the Calle de Atocha to the museum. The museum was originally designed as a hospital in 1756 and was converted into this gallery in 1990. They have good discounts for students, and kids under 18 are free so the whole deal cost under €15. We took the exterior glass elevators up to the second floor and headed toward what we really wanted to see Picasso’s Guernica. Before we got there we stopped in one salon that had several Dalis, a Magritte, and a Miro.
Salvador Dali, El Gran Masturbador, 1929
Joan Miro, Caracol, mujer, flor, estrella, 1934
We found the Guernica gallery and before we saw the painting there was a neat set of photographs that showed many of the stages of the painting as Picasso was actually creating it. The painting itself was amazingly huge. The painting commemorates the German bombing of the tiny Spanish town of Gernika in April of 1937. The bombing was a precursor to much of the destruction that happened in Europe during WWII. Picasso finished it in just two months and he did eight different preliminary versions. It is a highly symbolic vision of the destructiveness of war. It was originally briefly displayed in Paris, but was then moved to the US where it hung in the MOMA until the Spanish dictator Franco died and only then was it brought back to Spain. Some would say that it is the most famous painting of the twentieth century. I was amazed at its size and scope and the incredibly harsh and beautiful imagery in shades of black and gray. We didn’t stay much longer and headed back up Atoches to our place. On the way back we stopped at a small bakery café and had quiches, sandwiches, and other treats–all for under €25. We walked around a while after that and stopped and had gelato nearby on the Calle Huertas. When we got back to the Persal it was somewhere around 9 p.m. We got ready for bed and Kate and Sue went back out for some tapas at a nearby pub. Robert and Zoe wound up staying in the one bedroom in our room and just Kate and Sue stayed in the other room. I took two Tylenol PM.
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