Madrid

Royal Palace Madrid

We arrived in Madrid on a sweaty September afternoon and after dropping our bags off at the hotel headed quickly to the air-conditioned Prado museum. If you are not familiar with the Prado, Reuters lists it as number nine in its list of top ten art museums in the world. (Not that I was trying, but I have been to all ten except for the Getty Center in Los Angeles). Top 10 Art Museums

The museum is amazing. Like most museums, it is in a beautiful building that is a work of art itself. The Prado is filled with masterpieces and we made an effort to see all of them, including a Rembrandt. The temporary exhibit featured more works by El Greco displayed side-by-side with paintings by famous artists that imitated him.  After a few hours, we decided to spend more time in this museum so we stopped in the cafeteria for a light snack for the energy to continue.
I can't begin to describe the paintings that we saw. I know little about painting styles and the different periods of time in art history, but I am educated enough to know that these were classics. Everything I saw was beautiful. In fact, Madrid is a city full of beautiful sights.

After leaving the museum we stopped on a side street in an area famous for its tapas bars. When you order a drink, they bring you free tapas. Although Spain is famous for sangria, many bars promoted their mojitos which are cool and refreshing on a hot day like they were having this September. I watched one bartender prepare a mojito and noticed he did not use simple syrup like we do at home. He muddled lime quarters with raw sugar to make the base. Next, he clapped his hands with the mint between his palms to release the oil. This kept the mint leaves intact and not crushed. Then he added white rum, ice and soda with a splash of Cuban black rum on top. Perfecto!

That evening, we were too tired and full from our tapas to go out for dinner. Instead, we walked to a neighborhood bar that had outdoor seating and a TV where we watched the USA pound Lithuania in the FIBA semi-finals.
On our second day in Madrid we saw more beautiful things. We toured the royal palace and nearby cathedral. We walked through the lively Plaza Mayor and then picked up lunch at the large market full of food vendors. We strolled through the 300 acre Retro Park and sat to watch people rowing their rented boats on the lake. 

Retro Park

 

After a little window shopping, we found a Starbucks that had an outdoor terrace and free WiFi for a welcome rest.  The day ended with a leisurely walk around town, stopping for a drink and tapas. Since  our train to Bilbao left early the next morning,  we skipped dinner again and opted for an early bedtime on our last night in this beautiful city.

Plaza Mayor

Churros at the market