Madrid (finally!)

Yes, we have been a little distracted by snow and skiing/snowboarding, and it has been two weeks since we returned from our trip to Spain and Portugal.  Sorry for the delay, but here is the final installment - Carmen's first return to Madrid since she graduated from high school (and Gary's first visit ever).  

From her four years in Madrid while her dad was in the Air Force, Carmen had an insider's knowledge of both the grand, must-see attractions as well as the little places.  On our first day, we went to the Prado, one of the world's great art museums.  They had a special exhibit of Goya's paintings set in the context of his contemporaries, showing how they treated similar themes.  Of course, no pictures allowed inside.

The Prado

Exiting the Prado, we wandered through the Botanical Gardens next door.  This being January, the outside gardens were sparse, but the greenhouses were a profusion of plants ranging from beautiful to weird.

Near Plaza Mayor there are a number of basement taverns referred to as las cuevas (caves).  We set out to find the one in particular that was personally notable because (1) it was a favorite haunt of Carmen's family, (2) we have a framed pen-and-ink drawing of it back in California that is an heirloom from their time in Spain, and (3) it was where Carmen got drunk for the first time.  The exterior shot below is aligned to be close to the drawing.

Las Cuevas de Luis Candelas

The Plaza Santa Ana was our starting point for walks.  Here is a night view of the Hotel Reina Victoria at one end of the plaza:

On our second day, we decided to take a free three-hour walking tour, and it was well worth it.  Tatiana, our guide in the green jacket, was very knowledgable and took us places we never would have discovered on our own.  We highly recommend them:  Ogo Tours, www.ogotours.com.  

Botin, the world's oldest restaurant (since 1725)

(left) Botin interior and their wine cellar.  (right) Earnest Hemingway's table in a back corner.

After the tour, we walked to the cathedral and Palacio Real.

Catedral de la Almudena, started in 1879, completed in 1993

Palacio Real de Madrid.  No flag on the right signifies that the King is not in residence; the King's coat of arms

A palacio ceiling

Wherever we go, we see fascinating architecture.  Madrid seems to favor elaborately painted exteriors.

The favorite of the Spanish sweet tooth is churros and chocolate.  On our tour, Tatiana showed us what she considered the best chocolateria, and I dragged Carmen back there.  The chocolate is served hot and syrupy thick in a cup, an order of churros is a plate of seven.  Even I, the confirmed chocoholic, found this to be over the top.

To close, some things are the same the world over, including seagulls being disrespectfully ignorant of the great men on whose statues they perch.