Puerta del Sol

Madrid was crazy busy. They just had their Constitution Day and the 8th is Feast of the Immaculate Conception, so most Spaniards have the week off I think. And lots of them come to Madrid to check out the lights and the newly opened Christmas markets. That must be why the room here cost 2 1/2 times what we've been paying!

We've been to Madrid before and just love it, but the crowds and the weather put a damper on things. We went to the Plaza Mayor and could barely walk through the crowds. It was not fun. Luckily, we were staying in the La Latina neighborhood, and there was nothing for tourists there, and that was fine by us. We sampled neighborhood tapas bars and restaurants and walked around soaking up the sights.

We did go to the Royal Palace for the first time. It was quite impressive. Supposedly, it's the 3rd most beautiful royal palace in Europe, after Versailles in Paris and Schonbrunn in Vienna. The line took 1/2 hour to get in, which isn't bad considering we didn't buy advance tickets.

We also went back to the Prado art museum. It's hard to pass up. I've been 4 times I think and it never ceases to impress me. It's comprised mostly of the art that the Spanish Royal families collected over the years and that's a lot: Velazquez, Goya, Titian, Rubens, El Greco, etc. But my favorite is probably is "El Bosco" or Hieronymous Bosch. There's a whole room with his stuff, including the famous "Garden of Earthly Delights."

Then I caught a cold, which really put a damper on things. I was masking up on buses and trains, but tapas bars here are crowded this time of year, and who could pass those up? I spent the last day and a half hanging out in the hotel room waiting for the flight home.

It was another great trip. We loved seeing the different parts of the Iberian Peninsula. It's not like we planned to follow the coast, but it seemed like a logical thing to do. My favorite part of this trip was seeing the Northern Spain regions of Galicia, Asturias, and the Pais Basco. Their unique cultures and cuisines are fascinating. But, like always, it's good to be home.

More photos and videos are here.

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