Madrid - a cathedral free zone

True, Madrid does have many cathedrals, so when I write cathedral-free-zone what I am saying is that we do not plan to visit any of them. Don't get me wrong, I like a good cathedral as much as the next aethist who walks around oblivious to the religious meaning but marvelling at the Gothic vaulting, it is just that Tom and I have done enough so far this trip and Madrid has so much more to offer.

And what Madrid has to offer is art! Lots and lots of art. Madrid has more art galleries than Melbourne has sporting arenas. And you all know just how much I love art!! Or maybe you don't. Let's just say Tom and I have an agreement, we start out together and then he finds me hours later happily ensconced in the coffee shop reading the (sport) news after he has painstakingly checked out every work.

I hope the Prado has a good coffee shop because I think Tom is working up to a very big day at what is one of the most impressive art collections in the world. To make sure I get the most of the Prado I have been brushing up on Velasquez - you know him, painted the gorgeous little girl in the wide dress and the dwarfs. The more cultured of you will know that painting as Las Meninas, the painting of the young Infanta of Spain in full court dress attended by her ladies-in-waiting and other court figures, with her parents cleverly reflected in a mirror as they watch the activity, and the painter himself is imposed in the scene, framed by a doorway in the background.

I first saw the painting as a young girl and I fell in love with the petite Infanta. Years later the clever comedic writers of Blackadder made their own impression with their Spanish Infanta, but I am not going there. Velasquez's Infanta was Margaret Theresa, the then six year old daughter of King Phillip of Spain. Little Margaret was a Hapsburg, so at an early age she was betrothed to the older Leopold, Holy Roman Emperor, who was her uncle and her cousin. Yes, that is how inbred those Hapsburgs were, the line was so close down each parent she was doubly related to her future husband. Velasquez painted the Infanta several times as a child and the paintings were sent to her adult future husband to keep him apprised of her progress (don't go there ...). The Infanta was sent off to Vienna to marry Leopold at the age of 15 and seemingly their match was a happy one. However, sadly Margaret died at age 21 after two pregnancies and several miscarriages. Such was the lot of a Hapsburg princess.

Even as a three-year-old they dressed the tiny Margaret Theresa in court dress. Actually for a Hapsburg she was not a bad looker. If you have some spare time check out her half-brother Charles. Poor Charles was very disfigured, with the worst example of the protruding Hapsburg chin. His deformity was such that the Spanish Hapsburg line died with him as his infertility left the line with no issue.

Today's Spanish Infanta Leonor is allowed to dress like a normal little girl.

We arrived in Madrid yesterday and last night went out to eat at the fashionably late 9:00 which is standard dinner time here. 

Who could resist a Mojito for dinner ? It was supposed to be an alcohol free simple meal, but then you can never taste the liquor in Mojito anyway so it turns out to be the same thing. 

The Calamari Brothers in Melbourne need to lift their game to match Madrid's fast food fried calamari and white bait.