Flamenco!

If you don't manage to see something on a trip, as long as you do other stuff and enjoy that, well then you've not really missed out on anything have you? I've found my travels have greatly benefited from this mindset, rather than a rigid list of 'must-do' type stuff. I mean, okay, there might be the occasional thing that you specifically go to an area for, but a timetabled itinerary loses that freedom to adapt; makes the holiday feel like it's box-ticking, rather than experiencing; and makes finding stuff to do that you hadn't read about beforehand either not possible, or seem like an imposition that ruins doing something else.

And so we have a loose idea of some interesting things, which culminated in a wander around a big stamp fair in the Plaza Mayor (6 years ago George, a stamp collector, got some stuff at this weekly market, and I got some old Soviet medals (I love the art deco feel to most of them), and I wound up getting another such medal, as well as doing some Christmas shopping....); a cable car ride out over a massive park on the outskirts of the city; a failed attempt to visit Lope de Vega's house; which meant there was suddenly time to see some of the amazing art at the Thyssen-Bornemisza museum; a flamenco show which my mum, a Strictly fan, thoroughly enjoyed; and dinner in San Miguel.

I mean, for not having much solid planned, we fitted a fair amount in.

The Thyssen was especially superb (and kinda fits in with the 'it wasn't planned but worked out great' mantra). It was closed for refurbishment 6 years ago, so I took Mel on a virtual tour by sending her pictures of various pieces - I'm not sure if she appreciated this, as she'd really wanted to visit 6 years ago; or hated it because she was stuck at home, and I got to see the collection without her). The art is arranged chronologically, from the top of the building, and is pretty random in content, but all the better for it.

I managed to discover a couple of new artists, as well as seeing some of my favourites (Degas' ballet pictures, a wonderful teeny Bosch on loan, to name just two). I've never seen Canaletto in the flesh before, and one room displayed to simply beautiful renderings of Venice (even if he played with the placement of buildings a little). Here my mum's knee started to bother her a bit, so she took a seat to let me see the rest of the floor, and the extra is those two Canalettos, and my mum... Facing entirely the wrong way...

The evening Flamenco show was fantastic, even with one of the singers suffering a horrific cold, and having to shift the mic occasionally to cough or splutter or sneeze or all three. There's such physicality to the dancing, but also to the guitar, and even the singing, with the offest clapping, along with the stamping feet. That you were allowed to take photos was just a bonus, hence the shot for today. Does it get more Spanish?