Madrid: Day 1The Royal Palace
After we arrived in Madrid we took a bus tour of the city, stopping at Plaza de Espana to see the statue of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza. Our guide Frederico regaled us with the tale of Don Quixote and the book's influence on culture and literature. It is a speech worth hearing (and drove me to read the book). This was followed later by dinner at Prada A Tope, which can be described in only one word: Amazing! The morning of the first full day in Madrid was devoted to the Royal Palace. Visitors aren't permitted to see the entire thing, but what we did see was mighty impressive. Just as interesting was the adjacent Royal Armory with weapons from the Spanish Armada. |
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Madrid: Day 2An Onslaught of Art
Art was today's agenda, with a lengthy visit to the Prado Museum. Do not visit this place without a guide to explain to you what you are viewing and the significance of it (not a problem if you are with RS, obviously). Likewise when you go afterward to the Reina Sofia to view Picasso's Guernica. It's the difference between simply viewing this website scrapbook and visiting Spain in person. The experience is that much richer. Our afternoon free, we spent it meandering through El Retiro Park. This is Madrid's version of NYC's Central Park, and had the light not been fading, we would have definitely spent more time here. The park has a lot to see, and it was wonderful when done in crisp, fall weather. |
Madrid: Day 3Christmas in Spain
The tour's day 3 was actually spent in Toledo (see Side Trips), but Helen and I had the following day still in Madrid, so we spent the morning at the Archaeological Museum. This place was fascinating if you are interested in various skeletons of early Homo species, ancient types of currency and much more. In our remaining time we had to choose between visiting the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum or the Market of San Miguel, and we opted for food, of course. It's a beautiful (albeit crowded) space where you can try tons of tasty things. That night, we wandered through the Puerta del Sol and along the busy streets to admire the Christmas trees and lights, which were turned on after Thanksgiving (I know that's not a Spanish holiday, but it seemed to signify the official start of the holiday season as it does in the United States). |
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