Saturday, May 12, 2007

Madrid and El Escorial

I had already popped into Madrid during high school, I saw the Prado, Royal Botanical Gardens, the Palace, the Cathedral...and I think that was about it...I might have seen a flamenco show there, as well...anyways this trip was a little more laid back...

Day 1
Got in during around noon and check into my great hostel, Cat's House, highly recommend it...from there I wend straight to Sofia Reina http://www.museoreinasofia.es)... and I loved it even more than I love IVAM (http://www.ivam.es) in Valencia, probably because it had some of my favorites that I had gotten to know there, which include Dario Villalba and Juilo Gonzalez, check them out. Of course Guernica and all the other Picasso works were amazing...and all the rest, Miro, Dali, basically everyone that's absolutely amazing and that you only dream of seeing.

After that I walked through the Gate of the Fallen Angel and saw his monument in El Parque de Buen Retiro, which is short of amazing, it also had the pond with the monument to Alfonso XII.
After a quick stroll down Gran Via down through La Puerta de Sol and along Calle Mayor I came to the palace and the cathedral...when in Europe, you can never really go wrong with those...
Dinner was had at Maoz...

Day 2
Switch hostels to the less friendly Metropol - Equity Point right by La Puerta del Sol. And then it was off to El Escorial to see El Monasterio built by Phillip II, pretty sweet stuff....didn't quite make it to El Valle de los Caidos, but hey, there's always next time.

No comments: