Days 9 & 10 - Me Encanta Madrid

“Madrid is a relatively new city,” our local guide explained as we bounced along a wide avenue. This morning, we got to see Madrid through a wet, dark perspective as it rained all morning. Luckily, we had a bus for the morning portion, making occasional stops at the Real Madrid soccer stadium, points of interests, fountains, etc...

After touring around by bus, we visited the Palacio Real (Royal Palace) of Madrid. I have waited many years to return to Madrid and visit this palace, and it was well worth the wait! We were enamored with its grandeur, its powerful architecture and its ornate decorations. Unfortunately, visitors are not allowed to take pictures inside, so we must be content with our photos of the outside and courtyard, and hole the imagery in our memories for years to come.

Today we had lunch as a large group at a cafe where the dessert enchanted most of us.

After lunch, we walked though the rain for 15 minutes to reach the magnificent Prado Museum. Touring the Prado was fun, and almost overwhelming. There was so much art, history, and stories to take in. It was not possible to see everything we would have liked to within our two-hour visit, but we did see many many masterpieces by Goya, Velasquez, and many more Spanish artists. .

Signing off for now, but days 9 & 10 are to be continued...