Un Dia Gratis

August 2, 2010

We want to go to the Prado. It is within our grasp now.... instead we spend a day embracing the city as it is.

Today, we went to community art centers, foundation museums, centers for alternative work and thought and action. We just went out and took in Madrid. And, it did not costs us more than our lunch.


We are couchsurfers. Normally, we would have planned our trip in Europe around visits with new friends. This time we have a nice hotel we like and we are not inclined to move. We are in the last month of an over-extended honeymoon. We are treating ourselves special - and that feels right. No better city, we figure, to treat yourself special than Madrid, Spain. Madrid is a city for lifestyle lovers - a pioneering culture of quality of life ethos.

Remember, we are hotel owners first, hostel providers, tour operators; even if our businesses are small, our first love was getting to know travelers in backpacker guest houses - and we like to give back! We want to spend money locally as we have it. Plus, it is nice to have your private balcony overlooking the square and no one counting on your conversation save your beloved.


Please join us once again as we ramble. We cover the tiny alleys and vignettes without you here, so please forgive us our lack of details - what is important is the feeling - the free travel by design. Our pace, our joys, our happenstance endings are what we do best as travelers.

Museums - What are we doing. Political acts, saying things that are not said in mainstream, open to all, working, all ages. What we are doing with museums is to survey and feel our humanity.


Museums have so much in the way of education, of shared experiences. But, they are also storage sheds. More often, they are examples of historical reservoirs. They contain residues of what we choose to remember. We prefer museums and exhibits which challenge us and our society. Often, just by going to museums we provoke new ideas and creativity in ourselves. There is a tried and true difference between Big National, famous collections and the work that is taking place in small contemporary public spaces. We would not suggest that you miss any of it. But, for our 'dia gratis' we stuck to those of the beaten path. We found these uncrowded, filled with challenging and exciting materials, and very very contemporary.

Other spontaneous adventures we had along the way: lying in Retiro park, visiting rose gardens, and finding a graffiti park - built over parking garages tucked behind Retiro Park.

That is but a small taste of what we did and saw this one day. When we are in these amazing historic cities it is always clear that a lifetime would not be enough to explore them, to learn their intricacies and most intimate and personalized magic. Madrid is this way. Madrid has an aura of history. Its people are wonderfully individualistic, personal, self-confident, engaged, open.

Other great free options we have discovered in Madrid include the Train Station, Archeological Museum, The National Library, and Exhibits on Government Planning, and Urban History at Los Nuevos Ministerios -which has a nice park garden that is great for picnicking (or, if you are looking for another cool picnic spot try totally hidden but surrounded by dense offices and shopping plazas Plaza de Picasso - sorry no Picassos - but a great fountain, quiet, and lots of cool shade!).

Of course, there were things we had to pay for on this day of free Madrid. We walked, but we would have just as easily enjoyed the bus or Metro. Ten passes are 10 Euro, and may be used by multiple riders. We paid for a great hotel. We had a fantastic $20 lunch in Madrid.


Spaniards take lunch as the most important meal. It is large, usually three course. We like to split the lunch and order a smaller side dish or salad. This keeps our price lower and leaves room for drinks and tip for under $20.

We think and talk and write a lot about how to explain to people what we do. It is not how we do it that is important. How you do it is your own thing. But, when we choose to attend the free hours at the museum, we do so as supporters of the arts. We would like to think we find other ways to contribute, support, and spread our love of art around. We go to smaller museums, attend special exhibits, patronize small galleries, and buy art from artists whenever we can.

****

Contraposition - there is another choice for what to do with a day in Madrid. It is surprisingly cheap - the cost is $40 ticket for 24 hours of use for the Madrid Tourist Pass. After all we describe that can be done for nothing - why do it? Because it too provides a way of seeing things. This could be the marathon adventure. You could challenge yourself to try and see as much as possible : Having a museum pass (and a 10 euro Metro pass) will allow you to see much more than you ever thought possible in one city in 24 hours. This route asks you to see things opposite of what we described above asking yourself, 'what happens differently in a rush'?


Magic is always happening around us - how we choose to encounter it is personal. We do choose - we twist and alter our fates accordingly.

Un dia gratis - un otro dia de gracias!!