Thursday 10th September
Madrid
Jim didn't sleep a wink and the bed was as bad as we anticipated. Nic slept like a baby! Breakfast was even worse. We've obviously raised our standards a little too high. We are now down right offended by being offered white toast, processed cheese and ham, reconstituted orange juice and poor coffee for breakfast. Also, for an ostensibly Gay establishment, the breakfast room was like a monastery; no body smiled or greeted each other and definitely no laughing and giggling – very unGay. We no understand.
We planned our day to revolve around the Bus Touristica. We found it a great way to acclimatise to a city in Barcelona so we thought that we'd do the same in Madrid. We started with the Museo National Reina Sofia which is devoted to 20th Century masterpieces especially Picasso, Miro and Dali. Jim's favorite was Guernica and Nic's a lovely Miro. Then to the Botanical Gardens for a stroll through this beautiful park. Coffee in a lovely/ fancy/expensive parkside cafe then off to the Prado. Nic hated it (too many bloody religious paintings and ugly aristocrats on horseback).
We continued on our Bus Touristica journey and stopped off at the Phillepe IV Park (forgot the real name). The bus commentary said that the park was an advised visit and that it had a pond in the centre. The pond turned out to be a lake with an enormous monument to Alphonso XII (a very nice chap we're sure). We spent a few hours in the park visiting the various sites; the Crystal Palace and Palazio Valazque and a brief stop for lunch. We then continued our Bus Touristica journey to Plaza Mayor – a beautiful Spanish square filled with restaurants and tables and even a bride and groom recently wed. Tonight we again traveled into boy town then to another lovely local restaurant. We've walked and walked the streets of Madrid and have only scratched the top of this city. Not enough time in Madrid! We met a lovely geologist and architect couple, Hugo and Juancarlos, cute as, as well as friendly and we were all sad to meet on the night before we left. Another poor night sleep, with sore necks in the am!
