Second Most Original Muséum in the World

I decided to break my journey from Cordoba to the Ferry Port of Santander at Toledo, famed throughout Europe in medieval times for its steel and in particular the quality of its armour and swords (for the film buffs, you will all remember Christopher Lambert’s Toledo Salamanca from the 1986 classic Highlander🫣).   What else could I do but go to a museum….

The Chromática

Elected the second most original museum in the world…..by the Travel Museum Organisation, this place is a unique museum of musical instruments painted by 32 artists of different styles and nationalities who have captured their art on 72 pieces located in a labyrinthine space where music, architecture, painting, leisure …..and booze….share space in a building with 1200 years of history.  Sod sword making museums, this sounded much better.

Live Music

In the space, live music ( a mix of Jazz, Blues, Cajun & Zydeco and all other major genres 😉) is performed every day, morning and afternoon, performed by 8 resident soloists and guest musicians….that is 60 performances per month ( it is open every day of the week)! There can’t be many venues in the world that play this much live music! 

Cocktail Bar

Another attraction I found really appealing (even at 1030 in the morning when I visited),  is that the entrance fee (which was only €8), includes a cocktail of your choice.  The barman, Santa 
Checa, a former Spanish Cocktail champion, really will make any cocktail and in generous measures……. As it was so early, I was sensible and just had what seemed like a half pint of red vermouth with ice and orange zest🤫 you can then wander round the building listening to the music and looking at the exhibits with your drinks.  It was so good, I had another just to check the first was not misbehaving as it progressed through my intestine!



High octane drinks, Jazz and art all before lunch……Toledo didn’t get better than this!

The Building

Located inside an active cloistered convent, the Monastery of the Immaculate Conception is the mother house of the Franciscan Conceptionist order founded in 1486; this museum is in a part of the convent which was actually built by the Caliph in the late 9th Century as the old Arab Palace of Galiana and was the home of Zaida a famous Moorish Queen …….I can’t think of many museums with the much history either.

The Art


8




Back to the Homeward Journey….. the museum is located in Toledo, about 75km SW of Madrid and I chose to stay here as a base and get the train into Madrid yesterday to meet up with Ian, a mucker from Leeds Beckett University who was visiting the city with his dad, who at 89 is far more witty, agile and lucid than Ian ever was😉

My time in Madrid was too short to make a lasting impression apart from it being huge, but it will stick in my mind not for the culture or architecture but for THE BENEDICT. 

This burger was a work of art in itself, a really well made smash patty of 35 day aged beef with all usual trimmings with 2 different local cheeses topped with an eggs Benedict using Iberian pork loin rather than bog standard ham and a really well made hollandaise…..perfection.  Madrid will stay in my heart for this alone.


I am now back in Santander where I will get the ferry back across the ‘Bay of a dozen sick bags’ (Biscay) and will be back in England on Sunday…..till then🫡




Location: Santander, Cantabria, Spain

Comments

  1. Life controllerApril 5, 2024 at 11:17 AM

    Lets hope we don't the burger on its way back up on the ferry! Clearly time in the desert left you in need of culture - only you could find a museum with a cocktail bar....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Further up northApril 6, 2024 at 9:49 AM

      Just followed a loaded Landrover with a sign in the back, 'On an Adventure, before dementia!' just saying. How many sick bags?

      Delete

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