The Prado

 I really wanted to do one art museum while I am in Madrid.  The Prado is the most well known and I also read that Paseo de Prado is a wonderful avenue to wander down.  I also wanted to have a really good Spanish restaurant experience.  So I chose a 4.5 star restaurant close to the Prado called Murillo - which happens to be the name of the plaza near the Prado.

We got there a little before 2 pm thinking we were early.  As lunch is between 2 - 4PM.  But this is tourist central.  A large group had booked the entire inside tables of the restaurant.  There were maybe 10 tables outside.  I could see on free table outside.  The group before us was a party of 3.  They were told to come back at 3:30.  So we were extremely lucky to get the last table.  And here in tourist central - they don't care that you don't order a 3 course meal.  They just want to turn tables.  The weather is beautiful - it is about 65 degrees.  It is lovely sitting outside.  Our food was wonderful.  It was a perfect experience.  We finished our meal a few minutes early so I got some photos before we went into the Prado.  

RM's filled pasta

You can't take photos inside the Prado and you have to put your backpack into a locker.  Now you have to realize that my lunch was a 1/2 chicken with French fries.  So there was no way I could eat it all.  So at the bottom of my backpack is a take away box of chicken.  On top is my winter coat covering my camera.  So that is what went into the cloakroom at the Prado.  My backpack is green and white so very noticeable among all the black backpacks as they are lined up on the shelves.  I wonder if it made anyone hungry?

So many famous painters at the Prado - but of course no photos.   I could list all the famous painters - but hey it's all the famous European painters.  It was all wonderful.

After we left the Prado we wondered down  Prado avenue and saw many wonder full buildings.

Two different fountains on each end of Prado Avenue.  This is the first one we saw.

The fountain on the other end of the street.

This is the original Post Office.  

Another Rest Day

 I woke up Saturday morning to my foot hurting enough for me to declare a rest day.  I only have a few more things I would like to do in Madrid - and anyway we will be coming back here again.

So I thought I would post a few miscellaneous phone photos.

The entrance to the Museum of Madrid History.  RM is talking to her friend, Ricardo who will be telling us stories of Spain in English while we visit the museum.

My first meal out at a Spanish restaurant - Tortillas de Camarones or crispy shrimp fritters.

RM drinking coffee at a bar in Segovia.  We shared a  Napoleon which is actually a French dessert called Pain de Chocolate.

Our lunch in Segovia.  RM ha a composed salad which looked beautiful.

My fish with 6 asparagus.  I was glad to get that much protein.

Sign in the fast train to Segovia.  Shows the next station - Chamartin in Madrid.  Our speed was 204 kmh the time and the temperature is shown as well.

How about some AirBNB Excitment!

 When we got back to my apartment around 6pm it was to darkness.  There was no electricity at all.  The building was fine.  All the hallways were lit and the lift worked fine.  

Once inside my apartment I could hear a tv/radio coming from the apartment above me.  So the problem appeared isolated to my apartment.  Of course the wifi in the apartment is not working either.  I have no data on my phone - so no way to contact my hostess Maria.  Luckily, RM came up to my apartment with me - so I have assistance.  She puts her phone on hotspot mode and I tie into it on my computer.  Now I can email Maria through AirBNB.  For the next 30-40 minutes I keep sending more information - hoping that pinging her phone more often will get her attention.  

We turn all the fuses off and then on again - no lights.  Sometime during that period, RM decides she will go to the grocery store for the both of us while I wait for a response.  She gets back from the store and I decide not to put the groceries in the fridge.  I had opened it once and it is not very cold.  

We tried to call the phone number that Maria has given us.  I can't call at all.  Rm says the phone number has an British country code.  RM was married to a Brit until he passed away,.  Finally RM says - lets call your daughter, Alexis in Copenhagen.  She's married to a Brit - Certainly she has a phone that can call Briton.  Alexis sets up a 3 way WhatsApp chat with RM and Maria.  It is over an hour since I had started sending Maria messages.

Suddenly Maria starts answering us on both platforms.  She says she is going to call the insurance - no, no it then translates as the electrician.  The electrician will call RM within 2 hours.  RM is worried that her phone is running out of energy.  She decides to go to her apartment to get her extra battery.  She is back in less than ten minutes.  The electrician has already called her.  

RM calls the electrician back while I hold my phone as a flashlight so she can see the fuse box.  He has her turn off all the fuses slowly and in a specific order.  Then do it twice more.  The lights come on.  The electrician seems to think there is something wrong with the special orange switch so sets an appointment with us for Monday morning.  I have no idea what time - but before noon.  I may be greeting him in my pajamas!

So all things considered - that was a pretty fast turnaround to get the electricity back on.  

What would have happened if RM had just dropped me off in front of my building and gone on to her apartment?  I'm thinking I would have started knocking on doors on my floor until I found someone who I could convince to let me use their wifi.  Because I could not have contacted RM if my phone was not on wifi - I apparently do not have much data - though our plan says I have 1 GB of data.  One of the first things I will do when I get home - is to get this problem fixed!

The Royal Palace at last!

By Friday we both had recovered enough to think about heading to old town again.  Today seemed to be about seeing how many things I could cross off my tourist list. To minimize walking we took a taxi to the Palace.  We purchased tickets to the Palace before we left my apartment so we did not have to stand in line to get them.  Instead could just walk in a separate door.  You cannot take photos in most of the rooms of the castle.  It is still in use by the current royal family for official events.  It is indeed one of the most grand ornate castles I have seen.  The photos below were all taken with my iPhone.  

The castle from outside the gates.

In the courtyard inside the gates.

The grand staircase and large entrance way.  

This is an open public area and the last place you could take photos.

La Familia de Juan Carlos I

Antonio Lopez took twenty years to paint it.  Since than the king has abdicated and the son is now the king.

There are many tapestries throughout the rooms we saw.

This carpet was all rolled up and off limits - I presume it is unrolled on state occasions.

There are 3,418 rooms in this castle of which we only saw a small portion.  But they are very ornate and beautifully decorated.  It has a room decorated in porcelain.  There was a band room. a couple of music rooms, the kings bedroom, the throne room and the room where the king abdicated.  Also a private church in case the king is not in the mood to mingle with the public.

Since we were right there we went next door to La Almudena Cathedral.  The drawings for this church were started in 1879.  It was finally declared finished in 1993.

You can see all the very modern influences in this church as you scroll through these photos.  I enjoyed seeing something a little different.  And was so happy that during this visit there was not any service going on so I could get some photos.

We were pretty hungry by now and so headed off a few blocks to the San Miguel Market.

We again passed a rendering of the Bear and the strawberry Tree - this time on the sidewalk.

The San Miguel market is behind the seating for a couple of restaurants in this plaza.

There are two electric tuk tuk's in front - waiting for customers.

When we went inside it was very crowded.  I tried to take some photos - but too many people - and this was during a week day!  It was not very big - and the aisles were filled with people trying to buy food.  We ended up getting some empanadas that were quite tasty.  I also found some chicken fingers that I took home for later.  Then we headed for dessert.

This is the famous ice cream place called Rocambolesc.  The ice cream is soft serve.  You could only get chocolate or yogurt or a twist of it  OR  pasticcio or pomegranate or a twist of these two.   I tried the chocolate - it does not taste like gelato or ice cream to me - but more like a creamy chocolate mousse.  It was not as cold as I expected it to be.  

That was four things ticked off my list - so time to call a taxi and head home.

A museum and then rest needed

 By Monday night after our trip to Segovia, my left foot was loudly proclaiming that it had had enough.  I have been doing a lot more walking than I am used to and both my legs ache as well.  Tuesday we had planned a two hour visit to a Madrid history museum.  We are to meet with RM's Spanish practice buddy where he will tell us stories of Spain's history that he has research as his practice in English.  Usually RM meets him once a week at a cafe for two hours.  She has an hour to practice Spanish - and he corrects her and then he has an hour to practice his English which she corrects.  

RM and I took the metro to the Museum of Madrid History.  Ricardo was waiting for us in front of the museum.  We wandered through the first and second floors while he told us stories about Spain. This museum uses paintings and other art forms to tell the story of Spain.  I did not take my camera and only took a few shots with my phone.

Time for me to rest after our outing.  RM graciously offered to go grocery shopping for me.  She purchased some prepared lunches there which we had later.  

I spent the rest of the day sitting with my feet up.  Hopefully in a day or two I can be out and about again.  RM and I decided to make tomorrow, Thursday an easy day and take a taxi to a valor cafe for Churros and Chocolate.  

Alas - Thursday arrived with RM not feeling well.  Now she needs a day off.  Well she recuperated I decided to walk to the nearest Carrefour to pick up a few groceries.    Everything seemed to be working fine on my Google map app as I headed out the door.  About 1/2  or less of the ways there - my phone informed me that it could no longer find wifi and therefore it would not show me any grocery stores.   All the restaurants were still visible on the map - but no grocery stores. I could not get it to change to cellular data at all.  I texted RM to see if she could help me - but she had fallen asleep.  

Luckily I had been paying attention and knew my way back to the apt.  I stopped at a small corner store and picked up some Cheetos and a packet of ready made paella.  Both were a bust.  I had forgotten that Cheetos never tastes the same in other countries.  I don't think Spaniards like to get their hands all orange, so while the sticks are orange they are not very cheesy.  They are more like cheese sticks and definitely don't melt in your mouth.  The paella was very forgettable.  But I did have some dinner.  

I still have four days left in Madrid.  I am counting on those as all being good days.

Day 3 - Segovia - by AVE fast train

 Monday morning we headed out of town.  I challenged RM to figure out the train system which she has not tried before.  She came through brilliantly.  We left ourselves lots of time, so we could figure it out as we went.  Segovia is a UNESCO rated town.  It has a aqueduct, cathedral and castle to see.  RM has been there before - but she took the bus all the way. I wanted to get there quicker.  It still took a good two hours to get there.  First a ten minute walk to the metro.  A metro ride plus a transfer to get to the train station.  The train took about 30 minutes - the speed is announced overhead.  The fastest speed I saw was 249 KPH.  The train station is located a few miles outside of town - in the middle of no-where. Next step is to take the local bus into town.  Then it is another ten minute walk to the old town.  

After all that traveling we need to be refreshed!  I had a soda and RM a coffee here.

Then we headed towards the aqueduct.

I did not go up all these steps.

The Roman twins who were suckled by a Wolfe.

An interesting store window.

More female sphinx without wings.

We did not go in this church of San Martin.

Moving on to the main Cathedral.

The glass windows were very high - so hard to get a good shot of them.

Alas, how perilous is life!

We continued our walk to the castle which is on the outskirts of town.

Views from the castle grounds onto the countryside.

The castle.

There is a Moorish influence in the castle.

The view across the valley to the town of Segovia

We took a cab from the castle back to the train station instead of walking back through the town to the bus stop to get there.  You can see how isolated this station is.  This is a small station - this time we had to wait on the platform outside for the train to arrive - it only stayed long enough for the passengers to get on the train before we headed back to Madrid.