Madrid
So much for sunny Spain! It has only just got above double figures each day since we arrived. I had thought my puffer jacket might have been relegated to the bottom of my pack till I could send it home with Carol or Jill, but alas, it is not to be!
One corner of the Plaza Mayor
Arriving on day 1 in Madrid the plan was that I would sit and wait for Carol who was due in an hour after me, and supposedly into the same terminal, but, it was not to be. Firstly, Carol ended up waiting over an hour for her bag, then after a phone discussion it was decided that I should wait, while she used the shuttle bus to reach me.
We enjoyed our stay in Madrid, covering quite a bit of distance on foot, and testing my walking ability most days, covering somewhere between 10 - 12 kms each day.
The Prado was our first monument destination. Here we saw paintings by the masters such as el Greco, Raphael, Van Dyke, Rubens, Goya, and Rembrant to name a few. One of the highlights for me though was the "Dauphin's Treasure", a collection of extraordinary vessels such as vases, platters, cups etc made from rock crystals and ornamental stones. Some of this work was incredibly fine and could have been porcelain or similar. Yes, we had to queue for our tickets, but not for long and we got a seniors discount in the process.
The Prado - no photos inside - not allowed!
A very important task for us to do was purchase our Tarjeta Dorada, or "gold card". Paying €6 for the card gives us as much as 30% off train tickets. All we had to do was show our passports to prove we were seniors! Carol was introduced to the joys of the queuing system in ticket offices. We did though, somehow manage to jump the queue, having accidentally taken the wrong ticket from the machine, but the woman serving took pity on us and issued our tickets anyway. However, later in the week we weren't so fortunate, sitting waiting for almost an hour, seeing people at the desks, and eventually challenging them as to why our number hadn't been called. The computer system was down and no tickets were being issued, but we weren't told!
We queued patiently another day for our seniors ticket for the Royal Palace. Again another extraordinary monument. What an amazing place this was. The wallpapers, the curtains, the frescoed ceilings, and of course, the wonderful furniture was something to behold.
The Royal Palace
The luxurious silk wallpaper, and wooden curtains
The throne room
The dining room
Amazing ceilings
It is not peak season here, which is why we were able to line up and purchase tickets for the Prado and Palace. However, the crowds were still pretty large, and we had to contend with a lot of tour groups at each venue. We still "oohed" and "ahed" at the various state rooms we passed through though, whilst dodging them. Unfortunately the Stradivarius collection of rare violins was not on display due to conservation work being done. There was though, an amazing old piano on display.
This piano from the early 19th century, has five pedals operating stops for drums, bassoon, and bells.
We explored the botanical gardens, and enjoyed admiring the wonderful buildings - and there are many - lining the streets. Many of those buildings had ornate, eye catching, sculptures on the top of them. We walked around the Plaza Mayor, stopping for lunch at one of the many bars.
A corner of the immaculately laid out Botanical Gardens
All in all we enjoyed our Madrid experience, and after 4 nights there, headed for our next tourist spot, Granada, but that is for the next post.
That palace is really something. I remember going to the bull fighting in Madrid, certainly not for everyone but interesting to experience and learn some of its intricacies. They were a passionate crowd and unfortunately the bull is only guaranteed one thing.....:(
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