A Mouthful of Madrid

I went to Queen Sophie's Museum, which seemed to be way to big for the size of their collection. Room after room of what most places keep in storage. I'm reminded of when MOCA bought the first big chunk of their permanent collection from Count Panza. They proudly showed off scores of canvases by each artist: Klein, Rothko, Oldenburg, etc. There were rooms and rooms of Tàpies that I haven't seen since. While in most cases, art on a wall is better than art in a crate, seeing so much work by each artist turns it into an inventory rather than a place for regard. I would probably gain a better understanding of English literature by reading one good novel than walking the stacks at the Library of Congress.

The room that made it worthwhile was Picasso's Guernica, and all the ancillary sketches, painting, and photographs they had on hand. I could have done without the constantly beeping motion sensors and the multiple guards, but the event depicted was recent enough to still attract vandals.

Dinner at Cornucopia was a reasonable 10,90 Euros for three courses, plus wine: starter was Bacalao rolled around a Marscapone-type cheese with spinach on a puree of red pepper. The stuffing was a good foil for the salted cod, and the combination was nicely brightened by the freshness of the bell peppers. I had a glass of Prosecco to go with that, followed by a Pinot Gris to go with the fish-stock braised Sea Bass (Mediterranean, not the endangered kind) with a julienne of leeks and veggies. The meal was capped by a home-made ice cream and a glass of Moscatel "Tres Leones." This was followed by an Shanghai Businessman amuse bouche at Sauna Paraiso.

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