Madrid 's Golden Triangle

Art appreciation in Madrid is not merely a pastime for the rich. This city has three of the greatest art museums in the world, and visitors are expected to honor that as the Madrileños do. You may be coming to Madrid for business, for shopping, to see a futbol game, or to learn the flamenco, no matter what, you will still visit the city's "Golden Triangle of Art"...and if you weren't an art lover before, odds are you'll be one when your tour's complete.

The most famous of the three is El Prado, which is also—ready for this?—the world's largest gallery and probably largest classical painting collection, at least by Spain's estimation. It's definitely the largest in Spain. Only about a quarter of the 8000+ paintings in the collection are actually available for public viewing. Those, however, include the greatest works of the Spanish school, from El Greco to Diego de Velazquez to Goya—whose collection is the largest, numbering over a hundred works. Flemish, Italian, and some well respected 17th century French painters are also represented. That, of course, is just the beginning of the Prado collection; it also includes sculptures, coins, gold and silver works, and many more priceless objects.

Barcelona—Easy Does It

If cities could teach Learning Annex classes, Barcelona's topic would be "Life: The Wholehearted Enjoyment Thereof." Plenty of resorts and islands and countryside towns have mastered this subject, but few metropolises have got it down like Barcelona.

Its appeal is simple: You don't have to "know somebody" or have the "insider info" to get the most out of it. In fact, you can be brand-new to the city, speak ten words of Spanish, and not even understand how to read a map, and you can still have a great time here. Maybe you'll stumble into a few tourist attractions like Montjuic or the Santa Maria del Mar Basilica, and maybe you'll stay at a legendary hotel like Hotel Claris. On the other hand, maybe you'll stay in some family-run guest quarters and never spot a single monument. Either way you'll leave with only the most fond memories and awesome photos. The only things you must do while in this city are the things you do in your regular life. The difference being, in Barcelona they're better. Below, a short list to get you started.

Madrid's Multiple Personalities

After Fascist dictator Francisco Franco died in 1975, Spain’s capital city of Madrid was at the center of an economic and cultural resurgence that marked a major transformation for the country. Modern Madrid is a metropolis with a population of more than three million people. Each of the city’s districts, from Alonso Martínez with its Christopher Columbus plaza to the trendy gay village in Chueca, has its own distinct feel.

Photo Credit: Madrid, Spain (PhotoDisc)