It's raining here again today, so after an earlier hearty breakfast across the street and down a bit from the hostel, I went back to the post office building and then to a couple of art galleries. This means I've been inside somewhat, though I walked to them and didn't realize quite how far I'd gone. I ended up taking a taxi back, because I was cold and wet, even though I finally bought a cheap umbrella when I had to stand in a long outdoor line-up to get tickets for the Prado Museum.
Located in an 18th building designed by Juan de Villanueva, the Museo del Prado is considered one of the most important art galleries in the world. It houses masterpieces by Velázquez, Goya, El Greco, Zurbarán, Ribera, Titian, Raphael, Botticelli, Fra Angélico, Rubens, Bosch, Van der Weyden, Poussin, Lorrain, Watteau, Rembrandt, Dürer and Mengs, among others. I couldn’t retain it all and didn’t actually see everything….my head was swirling with images and names that I wasn’t liable to keep straight, though some pieces were so extraordinary I spent quite a bit of time looking at them and I noted them in the fabulous program they gave you with a description and background of each piece.
The gallery building is about three blocks long and two and ½ stories high, so you can imagine how much there was to see. I tried taking a kind of overview shot of the corner 
ticket office and entrance, but I couldn’t get back far enough so had to take two photos.
ticket office and entrance, but I couldn’t get back far enough so had to take two photos. I took another shot of a statue of Goya, and behind him is the Ritz hotel. 
An interesting cathedral was just above the hill from the Prado Museum, but it didn’t seem to be open when I was there.
An interesting cathedral was just above the hill from the Prado Museum, but it didn’t seem to be open when I was there. The focus of my walk today seemed to be on fountains. I’m constantly impressed by the workmanship and sculpturing of them; even the small ones are beautifully done.
I also noted a modern public porta-pottie and the recycling 
‘bin’, both of which are on the sidewalk outside the post office….I went back to the building to take another look 
and counted 80 wickets inside. I also wanted to take my own photo of the fountain in the middle of the road.
Next I walked to the La Casa Encendida Gallery to see the Warhol Sobre Warhol (Warhol on Warhol) exhibition. Through seeing this exhibition I came to a much greater understanding of his work and influence on the world of art, as well as the inspiration of at least one of my artist friend’s work. I found a couple of interesting Web sites for this museum, which isn’t as well known as the three major ones. http://www.lacasaencendida.com/LCE/lceCruce/0,0,73537_1659708_73523$P1%3D421,00.html and http://www.sitebits.com/2007/rooftop_la_casa_encendida.html
There are a couple of other major art museums I’d like to see too, but I don’t know if I’ll have time or the inclination tomorrow morning, before I leave Madrid. I’d especially like to see the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, which houses a splendid collection ranging from primitive Flemish to contemporary works, including more than 800 paintings and sculptures, carvings, tapestries and other items. I’d especially like to see the tapestries. I’m sure they’d be marvelous. (Museums in Madrid: http://www.aboutmadrid.com/madrid/museums.asp)
By this time, I’d been on my feet for about four hours, so I decided to find some place to grab a quick bite to eat and rest for a bit. I wandered in to a Spanish café, where the waitress became
quite flummoxed about how to converse with me to take my order. She didn’t even attempt to let me try my Spanish, just started running around in circles as soon as I asked if she spoke English at all, which I sometimes do when I get lazy. She started asking people at other tables if they could speak English to me, but no one could. I’ve never seen anyone in such a flap like that before.They didn’t have a menu, but I didn’t need one in English (some restaurants have one printed in English they can provide, but this was a very authentic small Spanish place). At any rate, they didn’t have a Spanish one either, so the owner came over with his specials written down in Spanish and I picked what I wanted….I can read Spanish quite well now (well not a novel, but certainly a menu). Low and behold, their special of the day was paella and it was delicious! Well worth the wait! I’ll probably try to have it again somewhere in Barcelona.
The paella was the first course, and then I had salmon for the second course, but I didn’t have room for it….I brought it back with me and will have it for supper. I don’t have any kitchen facilities or a fridge, but there is space on the ledge outside my window to keep it for a few hours, especially as it’s such a cool, rainy day and it looks like its going to stay that way. All I've got is a drink machine for pop, water and beer. There's another for coffee, tea and hot chocolate. Whoops..I was wrong, there's no tea....I also don't have any utensils to eat my meal that I brought home.....yikes...guess it's eating with the fingers time!
I had planned on going to the vegetarian restaurant for lunch, but I wasn’t near it. I had gone by i
n the morning when it wasn’t open and grabbed a quick couple of shots of the menu…not good ones, but the 
metal pull-down door that covered the front of the restuarant was only half up and the light was bad and I was squished in beside a tall prickly plant, then was surprised by someone coming out of the door. I stepped back and he drew the metal overhead door down all the way, so that was the end of that.
The servings of food here are quite big like most major cities around the world and the prices higher too. Meals often range from $8 to $14 Euros on the low end. (Times this by approximately 1.5 to change to Canadian dollars.)
On my way back to the hostel, I had the taxi driver swing around a couple of the historic buildings I haven't seen yet: The Plaza Mayor and
the Royal 
Palace The palace was beautiful, but I decided I didn’t need to tour it, nor did I need to walk around the Plaza Mayor.
Madrid is definitely a neat place! The parks and gardens are astounding (well they would be if it was the right season—still they have an amazing design) and the cultural is wonderful. There are theatres, operas, musicals, performances, art galleries, museums and restaurants of
every kind imaginable, fashion shows, concerts, sports, exhibitions, fairs and conventions, parks and gardens and tours and ballets.
I had planned on going to the vegetarian restaurant for lunch, but I wasn’t near it. I had gone by i
n the morning when it wasn’t open and grabbed a quick couple of shots of the menu…not good ones, but the 
metal pull-down door that covered the front of the restuarant was only half up and the light was bad and I was squished in beside a tall prickly plant, then was surprised by someone coming out of the door. I stepped back and he drew the metal overhead door down all the way, so that was the end of that.The servings of food here are quite big like most major cities around the world and the prices higher too. Meals often range from $8 to $14 Euros on the low end. (Times this by approximately 1.5 to change to Canadian dollars.)
On my way back to the hostel, I had the taxi driver swing around a couple of the historic buildings I haven't seen yet: The Plaza Mayor and
the Royal 
Palace The palace was beautiful, but I decided I didn’t need to tour it, nor did I need to walk around the Plaza Mayor.Madrid is definitely a neat place! The parks and gardens are astounding (well they would be if it was the right season—still they have an amazing design) and the cultural is wonderful. There are theatres, operas, musicals, performances, art galleries, museums and restaurants of
every kind imaginable, fashion shows, concerts, sports, exhibitions, fairs and conventions, parks and gardens and tours and ballets.One thing I've noted here is that there are quite a number of men who seem to be suffering from osteoporosis. Their spines and necks are severely bent over. I've not seen that anywhere else before.
I plan on going to the theatre (to watch a play) tonight, but will dress warmer! It's within easy walking distance. I love my central location!
I leave for Barcelona tomorrow late afternoon. I hope it's not raining there, though now I have an umbrella!
Oops. I was just out looking for a place for tea and realized again that I can’t get any….they don’t serve tea here, only coffee and colacao or chocolata (hot chocolate) – I just had a hot chocolate that a spoon could stand up in…hit the spot though to warm me up.
Part of my brain thought it was Thursday today and I would be going to see a play, and then the other part of my brain remembered it was Friday and the play isn’t on tonight. C’est la vie or as the Spanish say "así es la vida!"
Part of my brain thought it was Thursday today and I would be going to see a play, and then the other part of my brain remembered it was Friday and the play isn’t on tonight. C’est la vie or as the Spanish say "así es la vida!"
It’s cold and damp out anyway, so best I stay in…I’m feeling a little chilled after my day out and the heat in my room isn’t working either, but they should be fixing it soon. It wasn’t on all night either, so I wore my socks to bed….oh, the life of a travelling gypsy…good thing I don’t mind the rough spots….at least my bed is comfy although I wouldn’t mind having my nice thick duvet right about now!
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