Madrid Parte Tres - Enjoying the museums & a visit to Chueca

 Who doesn't love a good archeological museum? I love them, I love to learn new things, see new things, and probably most importantly, I love to see things that I can relate to, it's make that connection between us and our ancestors that much closer. Sometimes I think we forget they were people too, and lived their lives in similar ways to how we do. We all work, share experiences with friends & family, have favourite foods, laugh & cry the same, and wonder about life. Whether that was 5,000 years ago, 2,000 years ago or the present day, the concept of life is the same. We all live it, and the only certainties about life are death, taxes and irritating people who walk slowly in front of you.

Anyway, the Archeological museum is located just outside Colon metro station, and is situated at the back of the building. I mistakenly entered the front, to be asked what I was doing there by a rather handsome security guard who explained this was actually the National Library, and the museum was in the same building but behind. I wanted to talk to him some more, but he pointed to the door and then went to say the same thing to some Aussies who had made the same mistake as me. So I headed out went around the back and found the actual entrance.  Inside, the museum is packed full of interesting and wonderful artefacts, including something's I'd never seen before!

One of the first was preserved fabric. Textiles are notoriously hard to preserve, because they are organic, they tend to be the first things to decompose and degrade. I can't remember how old this was (it was very old and I should have made a note how old) but it is certainly the oldest material I had ever seen, and to be able to see the weave in it was just amazing.

I love this, and I couldn't help but think it would make such an amazing coffee table. Slap a pane of glass on top and enjoy a historical coffee!

The detail in this bust is just incredible, the folds of cloth, the beading of the jewellery, even the detail of the eyelids is just sublime.

This was so interesting to me, and I wish I knew Latin. There was a series of these bronze panels, which would have been hung up in a public place for all to see. This is the Lex Malacitana, and it is basically a legal document which documented the Flavian Municipal Law. It's hugely important, it gives us a fantastic insight into how the Roman Empire used law to control its population, and how elections and assemblies operated during that time. This would have been one of five tablets, however sadly the other four have been lost, but maybe hopefully they will be found once more.

There's also a wide range of different mosaics in the museum, ranging from large to small, simple to detailed, scorpions to octopus. All of them are impeccably made, gorgeously coloured, and many are as good as the day they were made. It makes me wonder, how much of my house will be remaining and in good condition in two thousand years? I doubt much at all, if any!

This one I loved for two reasons, first of all, the crisp colours, particularly in the banding and the birds plumages. But secondly due to Medusa. Her hair of snakes around her, her piercing eyes, and pursed lips, like she's still trying to turn you to stone. It gave me chills. How can it be possible to convey such emotion with small pieces of tiles? I will never know!

I came out the museum and spent the afternoon having a late lunch, and exploring the road behind the museum, which was full of designer brands and seemed to be Madrid's expensive shop avenue. I didn't buy anything, but it's nice to dream right? I then caught the metro to Plaza de Espana for a look around there, where I got some postcards, and spent an hour in a cafe writing them out and struggling to remember what my nan's postcode was. I dropped them to the post office, and then slowly headed back to the hostel.

I passed this on my way back, Plaza Raffaella Carra, who was a true icon and well know by most Europeans, although not by many Brits. I fancied an earlier night, but headed over to Chueca. I'd heard it was Madrid's gay neighbourhood, and I was in the mood for underwear shopping. Apologies if this is TMI, but underwear shopping as a gay man in Britain is...well rather depressing. Unless you go to specific places which are only in the biggest cities, there is not much choice when you want fun & flirty underwear. However, in Europe, there seems to be always such a better choice of fun & flirty underwear for men that isn't just patterned boxers. Like I mean, I just, there's nothing wrong with a patterned boxer, but it's just so boring. Women have such a better choice of nicer underwear, and it's frustrating that nowhere mainstream seems to cater for decent fun & attractive underwear for men. But anyway, I treated myself to a lot, one shop had tonnes of it, all 3 for 2 and mix & match, I think I must have spent a lot! I also made friends with a massive doberman that was sat outside one of the shops, and treated myself to a delicious supper and a glass of wine while there. What more could you want? I then headed back to the hostel as it started to get busy, and thought to myself, if I had multiple glasses of wine a night, that would be a problem, but if I have just one glass a night, that would be self care wouldn't it? I'm on holiday, these things don't matter! 

The next day I got up early, and headed towards La Latina metro station to explore a little bit more around there. I was treated to a metro train all to myself. That's something unusual in itself!

I was headed to the Royal Basilica of Saint Francis the great, or more so the gardens next to it as it wasn't open yet. The sky was blue and perfect, and it was lovely to walk through the gardens, the scent of roses in the air.

There was also time to grab another empanada for breakfast, and to head to Museo de San Isidro.

I love this, you often see umbrellas hanging down from the streets in many places, but never traditional scarves!

The San Isidro Museum was a funny little museum, it was a beautiful old building full of different things from the history of Spain. It's one of those museums you think will be quaint and full of curious artefacts, when in fact it's been massively excavated underneath and with a huge basement full of prehistorical artefact and displays. You work your way through that, then head back upstairs for the medieval art and courtyard areas, where this oval shaped well is situated.

  I'm not going to lie, I was getting a bit confused, and it wasn't the clearest of routes around, but it was beautifully quiet. Aside from a couple of staff working there, I think there was a dozen other visitors I saw during my visit. It was a stark contrast to the busy archeological museum I visited yesterday.

One of the beautiful ceiling paintings, which sits above a shrine to San Isidro, which is situated in a little room just off the courtyard.

There was also a watercolour exhibition on the top floor, although that has probably changed - apologies for the blog posts being so far behind in time. It's a museum that's not to everyone's taste, but it is free, so whether you spend 10 minutes or four hours there, it's worth popping in and having a look around.