Madrid Day One

Cathy and I overslept this morning.  We had been up for about 34 hours so I guess it should have been expected.  

                    Outside El Prado

Plaza Mayor

A canopy in Ukraine’s colors across the street that went for blocks

  After our hotel breakfast we started the day with a Rick Steves walking tour of Madrid.  We saw pretty much what your suppose to see as a tourist, Plaza Mayor, Puerta del Sol, saw the outsides of the Cathedral and the palace.  We'll go back to those two place again tomorrow.   
   Our unique stop was at a cloistered convent.  The nuns are not seen.  They make and sell cookies to support themselves.  Their home is on a very short little streeet and their door is nondescript (Erin says it's nun-description).  One has to ring their door bell and when they answer their door via an intercom you say "dulces" (sweets) .  The door is then unlocked electronically.  You walk in and go down a corridor until you see a Reposteria (think Lazy Susan built into a wall).  You tell the sister what you want (thought the wall) put your money on the lazy Susan and your change and the cookies come to you when the lazy Susan is turned.  
  However, the highlight of the day was our visit to the world class museum, El Prado.  We took an audio tour but truthfully after a while you are almost numbed by the beauty and the splendor.  As we were walking from one to display to another, we almost walked past an entire wall of paintings by Ruebens!
   We left the museum and walked by San Jeronimo el Real which served as Madrid's cathedral for years. Also on our afternoon walk was the Retiro Park, which is very much like Central Park in NYC.  It has beautiful flowers, food and a lake with rowboats gliding around.  
  We've taken two cab rides in Madrid.  Both cab drivers asked Erin if she lives in Spain as her spanish is so good.   We had a similar experience tonight when a a waiter patted me on the back and told me how good her spanish was.  
   Kathleen has planned this trip to the last detail, plane tickets, train tickets, hotel reservations, museum admissions, tours and more. One of the best ideas she came up with is a mobile hot spot.   The device is about the size of a wallet and carrying it around provides wifi.  
    The evening was spent walking around the various squares near our hotel.  It was light out until almost 10:00.  Dinner consisted of various tapas and sangria.   
  We have more of Madrid to see tomorrow but sadly we leave late tomorrow afternoon and take a train to Costa del Sol.