While having a cup of coffee, we made a plan for the day. Our multi-hour adventure in the Prado had left us with a heavy dose of art fatigue, but taking a gap day to visit the Royal Gardens had taken the edge off our weariness. There are 3 major museums in Madrid, the Prado (ancient through 19th century,) the Reina-Sofia (modern,) and the Thyssen-Bornemisza (the private collection of the Thyssen fortune that covers pre-Renaissance through the modern era.) We’ve been to the Prado the most times because it’s a universal law that if you’re in Madrid you have to go pay homage to Velasquez and his masterpiece, Las Meninas. On our first trip here we bought the Paseo del Arte pass, which gets you into all three for a reduced fare. So we’ve been to the other two, one time each. In the case of the Reina-Sofia, we had to see Guernica, Picasso’s passionate depiction of the horrors of the Spanish Civil War. I’m one of the few people in the world who have seen that painting at the MOMA in New York where it was exiled and at the Reina-Sofia following its return. But neither of us are modern art fans so there is no compelling reason for a second visit.

The Thyssen though has an exceptional enough collection that we decided to hike down the hill one more time and pay it a second visit.

The best part of walking down from Puerto del Sol is the scenery along the way, the Metropolis and Rolex buildings in particular. Along with all the multi-story buildings along Gran Via that look like they were individually carved from wet plaster by giant artists. It’s also an easier walk because it has well-maintained sidewalks, unlike the cobblestones on Calle Huertas.

It’s a medium hike and we arrived there quickly. For the sake of brevity, I’ll be writing two blogs today, one about getting there, and the other about being there. Unlike the Prado, the Thyssen allows photography so you’ll be getting a free museum tour if you check back later.