¡Hola!     On 6 October 2006 I left rainy London for a long weekend in Madrid with friends Sally and Keith. We all very much liked Madrid - a comfortable city not self-conscious like Paris or Rome. Weather was wonderfully warm, streets were clean, people were friendly, food was good and the wine delicious. Only disappointment was that the Prado was closed on the Monday so we missed it. We did make the required day trip to Toledo - saw most of the El Greco's as well as several Goya's and Velasquez's on loan from Madrid. Hope you enjoy this show!
from Air
First sighting		 from Air
Don't see much civilization!		 from Air
Polka dots?		 travel companions
Keith and Sally
flan
First bite: flan		 foliage
Just pretty!		 palacio real
The Royal Palace (but
no royalty lives there)		 building
Amazing Art Nouveau building
outside Debob
Reflecting pool outside Debob,
an ancient Egyptian structure (3000 BC?)
brought to Spain in the 80's		 Atocha Renfe
Atocha Renfe - a beautifully
restored train station		 Atocha Renfe
With terrapins living in the center		 Atocha Renfe with Sally
Me and Sally
Atocha Renfe
The tracks - Can you see
the little green men?		 a madrid breakfast
We ate breakfast here while
waiting for our train to Toledo		 Toledo Station
Another beautiful station - in Toledo		 Toledo Station
Other side of the ticket hall
Toledo gate
Outer gate into the city of Toledo 		into the city
Inner arch view		 cats
The kittens got out		 Jess with Cervantes
This IS La Mancha -
Cervantes is everywhere
view of toledo
View of the city from the Museum 		museum courtyard
Museum courtyard		 museum carvings
Moorish carvings in the museum		 museum doors
Doors from the main gallery
banca toledo
Another wonderful building -
this one's a bank 		catedral
La Catedral -
Have you ever seen so much gold?		 catedral
Well, here's some more		 sfardic museo
Exquisite carvings in the Sfardi Museum
(ex-synagogue) No gold here
this way
And now for a nice walk to the Parador
on the next mountain. It's this way... >>
or this way... << 		walking
Pretty sites along the way		 at the weir
Looking down over the weir		 outskirts
Half way to the top
from parador
We got there! 		from parador
Keith got there too		 el rastro
Next morning back in Madrid:
the flea market in El Rastro		 el rastro
with musical accompaniment
reina sofia museo
then to La Reina Sofia -
the modern art museum in Madrid		 reina sofia museo
The other entrance		 reina sofia museo
It's a very interesting building		 reina sofia museo
More shots from the glass lift
reina sofia museo
And one more - the art was amazing too.		 Calle De Las Huertas
and then we found the street of music		 cotton club
Madrid's Cotton Club		 cotton club plus
and more
plaza santa ana
Off of Plaza Santa Ana		 villa rosa
Beautiful tiled ex-brothels,
now restaurants and hostals.		 plaza santa ana
OK, so I'm camera happy		 bella building
And one more astonishing building
plaza major
Plaza Major		 plaza major
Another corner		 plaza major
It's a BIG plaza		 plaza major
Would you believe it was
6pm in October?
plaza major
The walls are frescoed		 plaza major
Detail of frescoes		 dressing decently
It's a long story... 		healthy snacks
This is not typical
Spanish cuisine
well fed ready to go
So Keith is well fed and
ready to go to the airport;
I go online.		 Jessie on line
Talking to California over my laptop 		cafe central
Sally and I hit the night life: Pedro
Ruy Blas singing everything from
I am What I am (La Cage Aux Folles)
to 16 Tons - in Spanish and English		 cafe central
Great way to end the trip.