Photos:
Clint's twin
https://s3.amazonaws.com/aphs.worldnomads.com/anita_81/18985/Alphonso.jpg
My roomate Blanca (in white, of course) and Miriam
https://s3.amazonaws.com/aphs.worldnomads.com/anita_81/18985/DSCN1220.jpg
A stork's nest (protected species)
https://s3.amazonaws.com/aphs.worldnomads.com/anita_81/18985/Stork_Nest.jpg
After two full days, I have much to account. It all started with a trip to the Prado Museum, first thing Saturday morning. Since it was ANOTHER beautiful day, I decided to walk. It was a nice little journey and I didn’t get lost at all.
I truly enjoyed the sculpture more than usual. Either because it was very good OR getting around the museum isn’t very intuitive even with the floor plan, I’m not sure which. There were a lot of sculptures of the the Roman caesar’s. Most were done in alabaster and bronze. There is an entire basement full of items from the Dauphin of France. The guide in the room was so happy that I showed up that he followed me around explaining every little detail. It would have been great if he spoke English. I definitely know that ‘oro’ is gold but I’m not sure he made the translation. We also mimed the event of eating snails, which he thought was a good meal, I think.
I ended up staying at the Prado for about 4 hours and for the first time since arriving, my bad foot with the plantar’s problem started acting up. But, I was already pretty far from the hotel so I limped on. I was thinking of visiting the botanical gardens but they were charging a whole 2 euro and I was just too stingy to pay. There are many beautiful gardens throughout the city that are free so I couldn’t get into paying . I walked down a little ways to the train station, which is very decorative and then over to the Reina Sophia museum. I didn’t go in because I knew there was more modern art there and that isn’t my cup of tea, so I just sat out in the plaza until I felt rested. I walked and walked and finally caught the metro back to my hotel area. It was so packed on a Saturday night that I could barely get through the crowds. It seems like all 5.5 million people of Madrid are at the exact place I am at any given moment.
I was able to rest in the hotel for a couple of hours and then I met up with 2 ladies from Pueblo Ingles. There is a fine outdoor restaurant directly across from my hotel so we quickly settled in for a dinner of garlic soup, paella, and a ½ jug of sangria. Too bad my friends drank beer, they missed some really good sangria! The paella was prepared for 2 but I don’t think 4 people could have eaten it all. It was full of shellfish but the scallops were just a bit overdone. Otherwise, it was yummy. Afterwards, we made a quick run into the plaza for a picture of the Madrid mascot—a bear eating the fruit of a marzon tree. I think that’s the berry. I ate it; it’s ok. Kinda like a raspberry but just a tiny bit prickly.
Sunday morning, I got up and hurried off to Plaza Mayor for a breakfast of hot chocolate (the really think kind) and churros. Everyone was headed for the El Rasta, a huge flea market. I just followed the crowds and got there with no problem. It is enormous but it has many booths with the same things. I was happy to bail out on a street of art galleries and just look at some interesting paintings. I found one I really like but I don’t know if I will give the $$ for it.
Since I was already headed in the right direction, I ended up going to the Thyssen Bornemisza museum. This is a private collection. The Carmen Thyssen Bornemisza section has just opened from the way it sounded and so I spent my time there. I liked her selections. She had an entire area dedicated to a variety of landscapes, which I’m sure Clint would love. She also had a nice variety so I had a chance to look at a few modern pieces without going crazy.
I left the museum after a couple of hours and looked for the Camper Shoe Store on Gran Via. I know it’s there; I saw it on the bus tour but I’ll be darned if I could find it. In my grief, I turned to an old friend, McDonald’s, for a quarter pounder with cheese, potatoes but not French fries, and a coke zero. It was pretty good, I’m sorry to say. I met two anglo girls (Chicago and Australia) that were spending only one day in Madrid and they were going to a bullfight. That’s a pretty controversial decision and they were ready to leave it it got too much for them.
I continued walking and ended up by the Palace, which is just huge and very lovely. Tomorrow, I plan to go back and take some pictures and do some more sight-seeing in that area. It is in Plaza de Orient, which is where the crowd waited for the Olympic decision. I can’t imagine it being more crowded than today but I’m sure it was as I could see it on tv. I indulged in a scoop of some sort of ice cream. Meregeine or something like that. It tasted like cinnamon so I will have to look that up and find out what it was. It was good regardless of the name.
I plan on spending about an hour resting and then going out for dinner. I hope this 9:30 thing doesn’t become a habit or I will need to learn to stay up til 4 a.m.
