Museo Chicote - A bar with a story

Museo Chicote was one of those places I knew I couldn't leave Madrid without having seen just once. My lonely planet guidebook billed it as a "Madrid landmark" and I'd often walked home after a night out past its bright red neon sign. Famous as the city's oldest cocktail bar and boasting an impressive list of customers including Frank Sinatra, Ava Gardner, Grace Kelly and Sophia Loren, missing it was out of the question!

 

Kat and I went out for cocktails in the last few weeks of my time away and it was the perfect time to pay this place a visit. The interior is sufficiently swish with 1930s furniture, a beautifully lit bar, leather booths and photographs of all the famous guests covering the walls.

 

 

We selected our booth and ordered some cocktails (an icy passionfruit concoction for me and a martini for Kat). The drinks came with the option of a Thai tapa so we each had some delicious spicy chicken sticks with mango dip as a side.

 

The wall all along behind the booths is lined with mirrors, here's an arty shot of Kat:

The place was fairly quiet when we arrived and for most of the time we were there; a few couples were enjoying cocktails at the bar but it never really filled up. This would be the perfect spot for a date as the gorgeous interior is certainly impressive and the cocktails were delicious. One thing that did ruin the atmosphere a bit was the arrival of the DJ; after 11.30pm he started playing what my family describes as "bangin' toons". Something that didn't really fit in with the classy decor and black and white photos of old film stars and artists.

Despite this, Museo Chicote is most definitely worth a visit if you're in Madrid for a couple of nights. How could you pass up a chance to visit the bar that Hemingway used to shelter from bombs during the civil war and where Ava Gardner and Frank Sinatra had a lovers' tiff?

If you've visited Museo Chicote leave me a comment below and tell me what you thought!

Why I Love Autumn in Madrid

1. The leaves go gold but the sky stays blue!

Unlike the English autumn where we might have a few sunny days but the majority is muggy, wet and grey, autumn in Madrid is just perfect. This is the best season to visit El Retiro park and soak up some hazy sunshine. Jazz bands play, kids scoot by on go-karts and everything is right with the world...

 

 

 

2. Hot chocolate is a thing the Spanish do VERY well

If you ask for "una taza de chocolate" or a cup of chocolate in Madrid that's just what you get; a cup of thick melted chocolate. This is perfect for dipping (any biscuits/churros/doughnuts will do) or, if you're feeling really naughty, gulping straight from the cup. If you're after more traditional hot chocolate (ie. chocolate powder mixed with hot milk) then ask for a "cola cao".

3. In the streets people roast chestnuts and corncobs on braziers

It always makes me smile when I see people doing this; it feels like I've hopped back in time. The men wear flat caps and stand over huge metal braziers with the smoky smell of roasting chestnuts filling the air. I've also seen bright yellow corncobs dripping in butter. In the spring and summer they also sell pastries and chocolate.

4. The fashion and shopping

Autumn is my favourite time of year whatever country I'm in. All the new autumn collections come out in the shops and we can all start wearing cosy scarves and jumpers in lovely autumnal colours. In Madrid the arrival of the season is greeted by a horde of little old ladies digging out their favourite winter coats. It may still be fairly warm but look out of an upper floor window and it seems like the streets are over-run with tiny, fuzzy bears hurrying along. The brands on offer here are often not sold in the UK so take advantage while you can - oh stradivarius I miss you so!

5. The football season starts...

I have to say that I'm not all that bothered about the football as such but the excitement in the build-up towards a game permeates the whole city. I used to live right next to Santiago de Bernabeu stadium and the noise of people in the streets after a match was incredible - it definitely creates a great atmosphere. What's more it's a great conversation starter - ask a madrileño/a whether they support Real Madrid or Atlético Madrid and see what happens...

6. The food

If you're in need of some culinary inspiration this autumn head to one of Madrid's many food markets. Here you'll find the stalls piled high with nuts, mushrooms, pumpkins and many other beautifully coloured autumnal delights.

* The photo of the old ladies in their fur coats in the plaza mayor was found on misadventuresofjason.blogspot.com

The Golden Triangle of Art

Madrid is a city absolutely bursting at the seams with history and culture. Some of the world's most famous pieces of art by history's most well known artists are kept here. The three largest and most popular art museums in the capital are said to form "the golden triangle of art". This is in fact a bit of a misnomer as they don't form a triangle exactly but more of a straight line all along the Paseo del Prado. In this post I'll give a quick summary of each museum and let you know which is my favourite (It'll be pretty obvious by the end...)

Heading northwards up the paseo the first museum you come to is the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia...or the Museo Reina Sofia for short. This impressive building with its shining steel and glass elevators houses a huge collection of artwork that spans the 20th century from 1900 to around 1980.

The focus is on revolt, conflict and rebellion in the art world with many pieces from the surrealist, cubist and abstract movements. Artists such as Dalí and Picasso are well represented with Picasso's famous Guernica painting a must see exhibit. This is my second favourite out of the three "golden triangle" museums. I have to say that modern art often leaves me cold; I'm not quite sure what to make of this black on black piece for example...

But there are plenty of colourful alternatives and some really beautiful examples of work from the turn of the century. I found this museum the most useful in my research for my year abroad project on the avant garde movement of the 1920s. Below is one of my favourite paintings in Madrid; Herman Anglada Camarasa's Sonia de Klamery echada. I love the use of the dark background which makes the woman herself and the jewel-bright bird almost luminous.

Here is Solana's famous painting of the Tertulia at Café Pombo:

At the Reina Sofia entrance is free on Sundays from 1.30pm to 7pm and otherwise costs 8 euros.

Next on our travels up the Paseo del Prado is, surprisingly enough, the Museo del Prado. This is without doubt Spain's most famous art museum and houses the most important collection of Spanish art in the world. Works by Rubens, El Greco and Diego Velázquez are on display alongside others from European artists from the 12th through to the 19th century. Perhaps the most famous painting by Velázquez, "las Meninas", which depicts the Spanish princess and her maids along with a self portrait of the artist is a great tourist attraction.

The collection of artwork held here is immense and you'll need to set aside at least a whole morning or afternoon to begin to take it all in.

The entrance fee is a fat 14 euros but is reduced to 7 euros for concessions. Students go free and there's free entry for all from Monday-Saturday 6-8pm and Sunday 5-7pm.

Everyone raves about the Museo del Prado and it is certainly an impressive collection of art in an impressive setting. For me though it's the third museum in the "golden triangle" that is really everything that an art museum should be. The Museo Thyssen Bornemisza sits at the top of the Paseo del Prado in a beautiful building with a lovely garden in front.

The inside of the building is just as lovely with high ceilings and plenty of natural light. The reason that I love this museum above all the others is the sheer variety of its art collection. To be honest I find the everlasting stream of religous scenes and court paintings in the Prado quite boring... Yes Las Meninas is an enigma but, as my parents noted after a trip to Venice, one can definitely reach saturation point when it comes to pictures of the baby Jesus.

In the Thyssen there's something for everyone. Lovers of modern art won't be disappointed:

Even those who get their kicks from white on white...

People looking for big names in the art world will also be in their element with several incredibly famous paintings dotted about.

Edward Hopper's Hotel Room (1931)

Hans Holbein's Portrait of Henry VIII

Edgar Degas' Swaying Dancer/Dancer in Green (1877-79)

As a historian and a lover of social history I find portraits of real people or events often much more fascinating than any depiction of a religious scene. Below is a selection of my favourite paintings from the Thyssen's collection showcasing the incredible variety of the works under its roof.

Portrait of President George Washington's Cook (1795-1797)

Henri Matisse, Conversation Under Olive Trees (1921)

Portrait of a Man (1475-1476)

From Medieval artworks...



to Georgian and Victorian society portraits...

 and right the way through to pop art...

 the Museo Thyssen Bornemisza has it all. If you visit one museum in the "golden triangle" and you can resist the pull of the Prado then make it this one; you won't be disappointed!

The entry fee is 10 euros and 7 euros for concessions. Free entry for children under 12 and for everyone on Mondays 12-4pm.

If you're familiar with these wonderful museums I'd love to know which one is your favourite. Leave a comment below or tweet me @madridadrift