Madrid - Day 4

Today was Fiesta Nacional de España, or the National Day of Spain. It is a big holiday here, complete with military parade, concerts, and fireworks. The biggest celebration takes place in Madrid, so to avoid the crowds, we took a trip out to The Royal Monastery and Site of St Lawrence of the Escurial and Valley of the Fallen. St. Lawrence (Lorenzo) was martyred by being cooked on a grill. I’d never heard that one before. The royal monastery is where the royal families of Spain for the last five centuries are buried. Several of the kings worked from here as well. The royal family members are buried in one chamber, and the kings and queens in another. Pictures were not allowed in the kings and queen’s chamber, but it was quite lavish, with marble walls, ceilings, and floors, and gold chandeliers and embellishments. Before they are put in that room, their bodies are put in a decomposing room for 30-40 years. This was closed to the public, as the last king is still decomposing in there.

The Valley of the Fallen was a place to honor those who died in the civil war here - from both sides of the conflict (over a million died). The chapel is built right in the granite. It was very beautiful and appropriate for a somber place. There was a wedding about to take place, so we had to hurry through here. It would have been great to crash the wedding and see how they are done in Spain. We all agreed that it was a beautiful, if not odd place for a wedding.Read more