Stepping Foot on the 7 Continents of the World A Step at a Time

I read a lot about Prado Museum, how it's been described as one of the world's best with a very rich collection of Spanish masters. I was therefore excited to see it. That was the agenda for the day for me. After breakfast, I was off. Prado didn't disappoint from the start. The long lines, yes there were 2, were a clear sign of just how popular the museum was to tourists. Inside, I started by going with the flow, not really making a plan what to see first. Then it got confusing and overwhelming. I went from one room to another, not really appreciating what I was seeing. There were just too many artworks from Goya, Picasso, Velasquez and even French, Italian and American masters. I have gone to all the rooms but I knew I had to do it again to appreciate being there. I rested for a while, got my bearing and finally strategized what I wanted to see again. I willfully went back to see Las Meninas. It wasn't hard to find because people were converging around it. I stood there appreciating what was described to be the greatest painting ever made. It was by Velasquez. Up close, it was hard to see why. But as I moved away slowly, I started to understand. It had very realistic depth and perspective. Like a still photograph of its interesting subjects. Now I was impressed. I knew I had to see more of Velasquez' works so I walked around to check out Los Burachos and his portrait of the royal dwarves. I went to see Goya's works again. His dark paintings really moved me. They were eerie and full of emotion, capturing the spirit of the Spanish revolution. Then I was satisfied having my fill of Spanish brilliance. Prado was worth the visit to Madrid. I was happy I chose to go there on my last day.