The Prado - ART ART ART

Hola!  Spent today day at the Prado Museum of Art.  It was a long walk from our apartment but we just took it easy and enjoyed the cool sunny weather.  We decided to walk down (pretty good sized hill) and taxi back up.  Good plan.

Needless to say, we did not eat here.  The name put us off.

The Prado is one of the world's best Art Galleries.  It contains large collections of Goya, Velazquez, El Greco, and other important painters.  It is large, and it was a full day of walking (I'm seeing a theme here) and walking and walking, but it was worth the work.  Here are a few pictures.

El Greco

No photos allowed inside...do I hear a collective sigh of relief?   Come on, this blog is a cultural lesson too you know.

 Here are the top five paintings in the Museum right off of the internet. Don't forget, to see the image bigger, click on it.

El Greco - Nobleman with his hand on his chest  1560
Very original title

Velazquez - The family of Philip IV - 1656

Goya - The Third of May, 1808 in Madrid -
1814

Goya - the Countess of Chincon - 1800

Hieronymus Bosch - The Garden of Earthly Delights  - 1500

This of course are only 5 of the thousands of paintings in this museum, but some of the ones that the Prado is famous for.  Amazing.

We ate lunch at the museum cafeteria (Jerry's idea).  It was bad....really bad, and cold, and neither of us ate much of it.  I did drink 2 cups of Cafe Latte that were very good.

Took a taxi back to Plaza Mayor and found a sunny spot.  Very windy today, but we were protected.  I had some Sangria and Jerry a beer. I'm really lovin' the Sangria. :-)

Always get a little something with your drink, and not Grumpy Bill's stale
old popcorn.

On the building on our corner

Last night met 3 young people at one of the Tapas bars that spoke English.  Two from the states and one from New Zealand.  They provided a welcome relief from us talking to each other all the time.

Just got back from dinner on the Tapas street, Calle de la Baja.   Getting to be old pros at this after 3 nights.  Started out at Tempranillo again, because I had a craving for the Calamari toast.  It was a little different but just as good.  Then we had a scrambled eggs with vegetables, fish, and mushrooms.  Very different but fabulous.  A new kind of wine tonight, really fine.  So, all of that for what do you think it cost?   4 glasses of wine, 2 pieces of Calamari toast and a big plate of eggs......$24.00.  Amazing!

calle de la Baja - a hoppin' spot

Ham store

Tempranillo

 Jerry is always teasing me about not knowing where I am.  As a matter of fact I think he thinks I am just kidding when I don't know where I am. Which I am not.   Last year in Italy I got lost, and couldn't find my way back to the apartment.  So this year I have to carry 50 euros for a cab, a map, an address of the apartment.  Today he is being the geography teacher.  I had to find the calle de la Baja by myself leading him.  I really had no clue, and had to get my map out of my pocket several times (it's only a few blocks away).  Then at the restaurant we had to have a map lesson with sausage casings. This man is sick.

The little short one is our street and the one on the far right is Calle de la Baja.

After Tempranillo we went to Casa Goya in honor of the Prado today.  It was much quieter.  Had a glass of wine and I LED THE WAY HOME!!!!! and we got here.  So there!

Tomorrow we go to more art museums and the train station to get a ticket to Valencia.