In Soto del Real

Weekend in Soto. My good friends live in this little town, about 40 km north of Madrid. Walk out the door, and you’re in the Sierra de Guadarrama. Several hours walking in a cold but bright sunny day. It was terrific.

After lunch, we darted in and out of Madrid to see a nice exposition of Madrazo paintings. I had seen paintings of his before in random museums, but getting to see an exposition dedicated to Madrazo was a nice way to get a feel for him as a romantic painter. Some of the portraits were really quite nice.

Sunday was more walking, more eating, and the happiness that Gonzalo was able to make it home from his camping trip to see me for at least a few minutes! I was also so happy that Txema, another friend and professor of local government law, was able to drive to Soto for a get together. Such a great weekend.Read more