Two things I won’t hesitate to spend money on while traveling: good food and museums. I haven’t really shut up about the food I ate on my last trip, so I thought I’d shake things up and tell you about my favorite foreign museums.

The Tate Classic, London. Museums in London are free, so you’d feel like a big dope if you didn’t visit at least one or two. I wasn’t overly impressed with The British Museum, but fell head over heals for the Tate and spent a good half hour held captive by Waterhouse’s Lady of Shallot. You have to see this one in person to understand.

The Reina Sofia, Madrid. You’ll have no idea of the power behind Picasso’s Guernica until you see it in person. Just don’t get too close to the barricade - the alarm is piercing and tourists seem to set it off once every few minutes. This, though, is by far my favorite painting in the place. I didn’t know Dali could be so charming.

The Prado, Madrid. I spent hour upon hour in the Prado when I was a student in Madrid. It was hardly an optional activity, but though I grumbled, I loved it. My favorite painting is Las Tres Gracias (celebrating ladies with cellulite? yes please!), by Rubens and my favorite room is in the basement where the Dauphin exhibit was hiding - a bunch of Louis XVs treasures that make you pretty sure you’d have grown to resent the French monarchy, too.

The National Cinema Museum, Turin. That one gets its own post.

The Doge’s Palace, Venice. Pay the entrance fee, whatever it is. This is, perhaps, the most fascinating site in all of Venice, especially if you take the time to do a bit of reading before you visit. My favorites? The gilded ceilings and the prison, where the legendary bad-ass Casanova was once held captive.

The Vatican Museums, Rome. Psych! I don’t know what my problem was, but I was so bored in there, that even the Sistine Chapel almost didn’t rouse me from my museum coma.

What’s your favorite museum?

Monday, January 28, 2008 | general