El Reina Sofia

Very often I feel that once you've seen one art gallery, you've seen them all, and after visiting the Prado twice in a very small space of time already, I had come to feel that all Spanish art galleries were of a similar idea, and maybe in fact I had experienced enough already this year (Especially following a cultural tour of Paris in June!).

So upon arriving at Madrid, the thought of yet another gallery viewing was not something that really inspired great joy and longing within me. However, against my better judgement, a friend persuaded me to accompany her to the Reina Sofia, one of the three main art galleries in Madrid that make up the Golden Triangle. An added bonus of course was that our visit was during one of several weekly slots in which entry is free, and so I went along with the idea that, as I wasn't paying anything, I wasn't really losing out.

However, a surprise truly awaited inside, and I was soon wishing I had done my research before coming, as we stumbled accross Picasso's Guernica and a whole host of other gems that appealed to my more modern artistic tendencies. One of the best had to be the moving display which shocked the life out of me, much to the amusement of the many surrounding tourists! A vast array of artistic mediums including film and 3D exhibitions made me regret having not come earlier, or even before, as the museum was only open for an hour before we were ushered out by several security guards as the museum closed.

My advice, if you're in Madrid, definitely definitely don't miss this!