Spain 2011 Day 1 Monday May 23

Spain Day 1 – Monday May 23, 2011

GLOBUS Tour "Spanish Fiesta 2011" -- Begin tour at 6pm after 35 people arrive
Atocha Station – Museum Reina Sofia – Palacio Real – Dinner at hotel

http://www.globusjourneys.com/product.aspx?content=accom&trip=1ZX

PHOTOS:
https://picasaweb.google.com/Linda.Roccos/Spain20111Madrid

This morning we slept late – til 7am but a really good rest. Finally went down to a huge buffet breakfast around 8am, with far too much food, but hey it’s a good start to a long day.

First thing we walked down the hill of Calle Atocha to the Atocha Train Station, a 19th century marvel, with huge domed ceiling and a tropical garden inside it, since it isn’t used for trains anymore, there being some new modern stations behind it. We never did see any trains though. But the space is fantastic, as it was renovated in 1992 by King Juan Carlos, for the Barcelona Olympics.

Then we went across the street – a wide street, of which there are quite a few with trees down the middle and the sides, very pretty – to the modern art museum, Centro Reina Sofia (Queen Sofia, the present Queen, who is Greek). It is in a huge courtyard building that was an old hospital, So many long corridors to explore, and much great modern art, a lot of Dali and Picasso, and of course Guernica, which was returned to Spain after Franco died, according to Picasso’s will. The amazing thing were the many many groups of VERY small school children, like Antonia’s age, who were sitting in front of many paintings, and talked to by a very engaging leader. Too much to explain, but a wonderful museum, so hope they have a web site as I didn’t buy a guide book.

After a nice snack break in the courtyard, we took the Metro (yes we are brave) to the Opera stop, involving changing trains no less, which was close to the Royal Palace (Palacio Real). It was getting hot and hotter, but it was not too far to the Palace entrance, way on the far side of it of course. This was a 10 Euro ticket, no senior rate. Well worth it, as they say it’s the third grandest palace in Europe after Versailles and Vienna. The place was gigantic, and most rooms splendid in the grand manner, but some just godawful, over the top. We went through the dining room with an enormous table in the center, which could seat 144 for big dinners (thankfully we aren’t invited). After the long trek through what was open, only a tiny fraction of it, we went back to the beautiful square in front of it and sat down for a beer and snack. All we do is snack it seems, can’t seem to find a proper restaurant. But it was cool and breezy in the shade.

By now it’s way past siesta time, so we thought to get back to the hotel, either by taxi or metro. When we came the had closed the line that we needed, so to get back to the hotel, it took three changes, and we finally managed to find the correct lines to change to. Not bad once we got it.

Well after a nice short siesta, we met our tour group at 6pm in a big room in the hotel basement where the breakfast was, and where dinner was to be. 35 of us and most are couples, and yes, most seem as old as us, some a bit younger. After all the explanations, dinner at 8pm, almost too tired to eat the artichoke hearts in some sauce and some strange meat in sauce with French fries(!) and free wine for this dinner. Our table was a nice couple from Philadelphia, she was a teacher like Ti, and he was a librarian (both retired) – so how weird is that!!!