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