Day 6 in Madrid, Museo Del Prado

My day started around 9:30 am, I got up, made my way downstairs for the hostel’s free toast and orange juice breakfast, then went back upstairs to relax, and make plans for the day.  I knew I was going to the Prado for the free hours between 6pm and 8 pm; I also planned to go to the train station and buy a ticket to Lisbon.  Other than that, I did not have many plans, decided to stay at the hostel until late afternoon.

I asked the woman working at reception for directions to the Prado from our hostel.  I was in the area yesterday, but we took the metro halfway there, and I did not know the best route to take on foot from the hostel.  The woman at reception gave me directions and pointed out sightseeing spots I could see on my walk.  I left the hostel at 4 pm for a leisurely stroll to the Prado, the woman at reception said it would take about 20 minutes.  My walk probably took longer, I stopped to take pictures and look at the sights along the way.

Madrid is full of Plazas, there seems to be one every few blocks, on my way to the Prado, the first Plaza I went through was Plaza de Colon.  Plaza de Colon is not listed as a must see in Madrid or one of the top sights, but it does have some interesting thing, returning to the hostel, I crossed the street and saw a sculpture of a full-figured woman lying on her side gazing into a mirror.  The area seems to be an art center, I guessed this from the sign I read in Spanish on the building at the center of the Plaza. 

Plaza de Colon 

Statue in Plaza de Colon

Lynnae near Plaza de Colon

The next plaza I encountered was Plaza de Cibeles, my hostel describes this plaza as “the most happy” corner of Madrid, where sports celebrations take place at Fuente de la Cibeles, a fountain in the middle of the plaza.  Palacio de Buena Vista is also located just off the plaza. 

Lynnae in Plaza de Cibeles

From Plaza de Cibeles, I continued my walk towards the Prado, I still had over an hour before the museum’s free hours began.  There was a nice walking path beginning after Plaza de Cibeles to the Prado, running through the middle of the street, separating both sides of traffic.  The walkway had a lot of trees and fountains, museums line both sides of the street along this path.

Walking path on way to Prado 

Near the Prado I saw what looked like an Egyptian Obelisk, behind a gate.  I went back and took pictures, I looked it up later, it was the Monumento dos de Mayo, the monument to the fallen.  From the monument I made my way to the Prado.  There was already a line, I got in it and read my Kindle while I waited about a half hour for the free hours to begin.

Monument to the Fallen 

I had been warned the Prado was overwhelming, so I was prepared. When we entered, I went to information to pick up the guide to the Museum.   There was a part of the pamphlet that included the “masterpieces”, I saw some of those, made note of what I knew I wanted to see today, and started exploring the museum.  I knew I could not see the entire museum in one trip. I wanted to see some of the Spanish artists, Francisco Goya and DiegoVelasquez.  I saw these, and many other painting.  I enjoyed looking at Goya’s Black paintings.  The two paintings I enjoyed most were the 2^nd  of May and 3^rd of May paintings. 

Lynnae at Prado near Velasquez Statue

After the Prado, I was exhausted, just like the day before after spending hours in the Reina Sofia.  However, I had one more thing to do, buy a train ticket to Lisbon.  I went to the train station and waited over an hour to book my reservation.  I got number 279 from the machine, they were on around number 110, I waited because I wanted to get the reservation booked and knew I did not want to go back to the station tomorrow.  There were no beds available in the Train Hotel, so I will be in seat for the 9 hour ride to Lisbon. 

I walked slowly back to my hostel, it was still light outside, at almost 9pm.  I stopped at a restaurant called the Wok on my way back to the hostel and got a Vietnamese noodle dish, I do not have to eat Spanish food every day. I ate my noodles when I got back to the hostel and had a quiet evening. 

Day 6 in Madrid Photo Album

Day 5 in Madrid, Walking around the City, Dali at Reina Sofia Art Museum and Retiro Park

I got up late this morning, made it to breakfast at 10:15 am .  The hostel's free breakfast was basic, two pieces of toast, butter, jelly and half a glass of orange juice.  I could have upgraded to the 3 euro breakfast, but I figured toast was good enough, I would have something more to eat at lunch.

I explored the city with my Australian hostel mate again today, we left the hostel a little after noon and took the metro to Puerta Del Sol, the center of Madrid.  Our first destination was souvenir shopping on our way to the market for lunch.  I was not buying any souvenirs, on a trip this long, it is impossible to buy much of anything, my goal is to travel lightly.  My preference is to get rid of things I am not using, and avoid adding new things to my luggage.  I was happy to help my hostel mate pick out souvenirs for people back home.

We went to Mercado de San Migual for lunch, the area was less crowded this Sunday afternoon.  I bought the vegetable Paella bowl for lunch, it was delicious, well-seasoned.  I was tempted to buy the croquettes I had yesterday at dinner, but I was full, decided to wait until the next time I went to the market to have the croquettes again.

Lynnae at entrance to Plaza Mayor

After lunch we slowly made our way towards the Reina Sofia National Art Museum.  We passed through the center of Madrid, took a few pictures next to the bear statue, Madrid's symbol, and checked our maps to be sure we were headed in the right direction.  I had already taken photos in Madrid's center but took a few more today anyways, I was there.  We took a break at Starbucks on our way to the Reina Sofia, the heat had tired us both out, I did not have much energy, still recovering from being sick.

Fuente de Neptuno 

We left Starbucks and walked the short distance to the Reina Sofia Art Museum, we arrived just after 3pm and there was already a long line for entrance to the museum.  Today, the Sofia was free from 3 pm to 7 pm, so there was a long line of people waiting to enter to see Dali, Picasso and the other art in the museum.  We waited in line about half an hour, we were surprised how quickly the line moved.  There were tickets for the Dali exhibit, groups could enter every half hour, we were assigned the 4pm time slot.  We decided to go see Picasso's Guernica while we waited for our 4 pm Dali slot.

Reina Sofia featuring Dali Exhibit 

Lynnae inside Reina Sofia next to Metronome 

We saw Picasso's Guernica while waiting for our time slot for the Dali exhibit, there was a crowd and photography was prohibited.  Picasso painted the Guernica at the request of the Spanish government after the bombing of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War. There was a crowd to see the Guernica, we looked at it for several minutes, it is a large work, with a lot going on, depicts the horror of the bombing. We walked around and saw some other Picasso works, about 5 minutes before 4 pm we started looking for the entrance to the Dali exhibit.

The Dali exhibit was extensive, I have never seen that much Dali in one place, the Australian said they had a similar exhibit in Melbourne.  I enjoyed the exhibit, we were at the Reina Sofia for over three hours, most of it spent in the Dali exhibit.  The exhibit also gave an overview of Dali's life, his inspiration, it discussed his admiration for Sigmund Freud, and there was a section on his collaboration with Walt Disney. The exhibit peaked my interest in Dali, I would like to read some of his written work, including the Secret Life of Dali. The exhibit quoted Dali as saying he was a better writer than artist.  I was exhausted by the time we completed the Dali exhibit, my brain had all the Dali it could take for the day.  

Lynnae near Bull at Reina Sofia 

After the Reina Sofia we walked to the Retiro Park, according to our hostel's map, this is the most popular park in Madrid, it is also the largest.  Retiro Park is huge, we started by walking uphill, then we moved into the park's green area, we had no idea where we were, we wanted to find the park's lake.  We finally found a lake with a fountain and an enclosed area that resembled a greenhouse.  The Greenhouse looking structure is Crystal Palace, we went inside, it was warm, we took a few pictures, then went outside and relaxed on the grass. 

Lynnae in front of the Crystal Palace in Retiro Park

After relaxing near the lake for about an hour, we decided to head back to our hostel.  We walked through Retiro Park and found another lake, a lake where you can rent boats or go on a boat ride.  This area was much mroe crowded then the other parts of the park.  Sunday evening seems to be park time in Madrid, there were families, young and old people, dogs, everyone seemed to be at Retiro Park.  After leaving the park we caught a cab back to our hostel, it was only 5 euros and we split the cost.  

Lynnae at lake in Retiro Park 

We went to dinner after we got back to the hostel, a third hostel mate from London joined us.  We had Tapas at a restaurant around the block from our hostel, my hostel mates check out of the hostel early tomorrow morning and wanted to eat close so they could get back, pack, and sleep early.  The Tapas were good, my first Tapas in Spain.  I had been eating cheap, had not gone out with a group in Barcelona, Tapas are for sharing, and tonight I shared them with hostel mates. We made a few mistakes ordering, nobody in our group spoke Spanish, Italian was the closest language we had among us.  Everything was good, we headed back to the hostel, it was probably after 10pm by then.  Dinner starts late in Spain, everything seems to start late.  Tomorrow, will be another free museum day at the Prado for me.

Day 5 in Madrid Photo Album

Day 4 in Madrid, Walking Around the City, Templo de Debod, Mercado de San Miguel

Today was my last day at the Acapulco Hostal, a small hotel in the center of Madrid.  I was sick most of the time I was at the hotel, I did explore the city some, not as much as I wanted, my first few days here.  I moved to a hostel, no more privacy, but hostels are always good for meeting people, a completely different environment from staying in a hotel.  Hostels are like a college dorm, only you have several roommates, and people from around the world, some speak English, some do not, most speak some English.

Was an easy move from my hotel to the hostel, only two metro stops away.  I started off going the wrong direction on the train, the metro stations are not always clear, luckily I caught my mistake and only went one station out of the way.  When I got to the stop, I asked some metro workers which exist to take, they responded in Spanish with gestures, above ground I asked a waiter at a cafe, I found the street and got to the hostel easily.

The hostel's check in was 2pm, the room was not ready, I decided to hang out in the common area and wait,  I was hoping to get a bottom bunk. I have not had a bottom bunk in several weeks at a hostel, I got one this time, I was happy.  I hung out in the room for awhile, took a nap, and made plans to go to the Templo de Debod, an Egyptian Temple later today.

A hostel mate from Australia showed up later, she joined me for my walk to the Egyptian Temple, she had also spent a few days in Madrid, had been on an Intrepid Tour. Our walk to the temple took about half an hour, we were looking around and trying to be sure we were going to right way. We finally found the temple,  it was in a park, a lot of people were enjoying the Saturday afternoon there.

Lynnae at Templo de Debod 

We spent about an hour at the park near Templo de Debod, then we walked into central Madrid.  Our plan was to get Churros and something for dinner.  The Aussie said the market near Plaza Mayor had good food, we planned to go to a restaurant or the market, we would decide as we got closer.  We went to Plaza de Espana, my second visit, I got my picture with Don Quixote an Sancho Panza this time. After Plaza de Espana we walked to the Royal Palace, through the park and another square, near Madrid's Opera house.

Lynnae and Don Quixote & Sancho Panza Statues in Plaza de Espana

We did not see anything we wanted to eat, so we decided to go to the market.  The food at the Market was delicious, I did  not eat much, I still was not feeling great, but I got to taste the food.  We ordered what are called pinchos, not as big as Tapas, they are for one person, a small sample of food. We went to Plaza Mayor after the market, it is an enclosed plaza, not visible from the street, which is why I missed it on my walk yesterday.  The plaza was crowded, it was a Saturday night, we looked around and then headed for the famous Churros restaurant for desert. 

Mercado de San Miguel, Madrid's Central Market

Pinchos at Mercado de San Miguel

Lynnae in Mercado de San Miguel

We walked to Chocolateria San Gines, famous churros restaurant, not a far walk from the market, it was recommended on the map we got at the hostel.  I knew I was not going to have any churros tonight, still trying to get over being sick, the food at the market was enough for me.  There were pictures of Stevie Wonder and Tina Turner in the churros restaurant, along with many other photos of famous Spaniards we did not recognize. I had a tiny piece of a churro to get a taste, it was good, maybe I will go back before I leave Madrid on Wednesday. 

Entrance to Chocolateria San Gines 

Churros at Chocolateria San Gines 

After the churros we went to the metro station and returned to our hostel.  Was a good night out in Madrid, I had my first pinchos in Spain, was late by the time we got back, but everything starts late in Spain.  Tomorrow, I plan to go to one of Madrid's art museums during free hours and walk around the city some more.

Day 4 in Madrid Photo Album

Day 3 in Madrid, Walking around the City &, Seeing the Sights

I woke up late this morning, around 11 am.  My goal was to get as much sleep as possible to help my body recover from the cold I have had the past two days.  I went to the reception desk at my hotel before leaving and asked the staff to mark Madrid's main sights on the map.  I then headed out to begin my day.

I walked from the hotel to Puerta del Sol, the center of Madrid.  Madrid has a stone in front of the main building which marks the center of the city.  Madrid's main square is similar to those in other Europeans cities, busy with people sightseeing, eating, and people sitting near the fountain relaxing.  I got lunch in the square, took a few pictures, then headed towards Madrid's Royal Palace.

Lynnae with Bear Statue in  Puerta Del Sol 

After lunch in Puerta Del Sol, I decided to walk towards Madrid's Royal Palace.  My guidebooks said there was a lot of interesting architecture to see in the plazas along the way.  My first destination was Plaza Mayor, but I somehow missed it, or I saw it and did not know it was the plaza I was looking for.  I decided not to walk back to Plaza Mayor, I have two more days in Madrid, I may visit it on another day.  I realized I had passed Plaza Mayor when I got to Plaza de laVilla, I did not miss this Plaza because of its unique architecture.

Lynnae in Plaza de la Villa 

From Plaza de la Villa I went to Madrid's Almundena Cathedral, I spent awhile at the Cathedral, sitting in the pews.  My energy level was still low during my walk, I have felt run down since I caught a cold earlier this week.  I stayed in the Plaza to give myself a break from walking and Madrid's hot son.

Alundena Cathedral 

Madrid's Royal Palace is located across from the Cathedral.  I walked the short distance from the Cathedral to the Palace, took some pictures, but did not go inside for a tour of the palace.  I continued on my walk after the palace and went to Plaza de Espana, my guidebook says the plaza is home to statues of Cervantes, Don Quixote, and Sancho Panza.  I read Don Quixote about 3 years ago and wanted to see these statues.  There were statues in the Plaza near the fountain, but they were not labeled, I do not know if they were of Cervantes, Don Quixote and Sancho Panza or not. Looking at Wikipedia, the statues I saw were indeed of Cervantes, Sancho Panza and Don Quixote.

Lynnae in front of Statues of Don Quixote & Sancho Panza

Lynnae at fountain in Plaza de Espana 

After Plaza de Espana, I walked back to my hotel along Gran Via, a major street in Madrid. I did not do much this afternoon, I was tired and relaxed in my hotel room.  I went to a department near the hotel this evening to buy a backpack, the Chinese backpack I bought in Pisa, is already falling apart.

Tomorrow I move to a hostel, my 3 days of hotel room privacy will come to an end.  I leave Madrid on Monday, I have not decided my next destination.

Day 3 in Madrid Photo Album 

Day 2 in Madrid, Recovering from my Cold in Hotel

I have no pictures to share or stories to tell about Madrid yet, my second day in what appears to be a lovely city.  My cold continued today and I decided to rest all day. I went to the supermarket this morning to get breakfast food and felt sick standing in line, I knew today was not a day I could walk around Madrid sightseeing.  I am happy to report, this evening I am feeling much better.  I will be out sightseeing in Madrid tomorrow and have  lots of pictures to post.  I am staying in Madrid until Monday, I booked a hostel for the weekend, decided to extend my stay since my first two days were spent getting over this cold. 

Day 1 in Madrid, A Sick Day

I arrived in Madrid from Marrakesh late this afternoon.  For the first time on my trip, I have no pictures to post on my blog.  I think I am run down from staying in hostels, some rest should cure my cold quickly.

My morning started around 8 am, I got up, showered, went down for breakfast in the hostel.  I was very happy to see a fried egg for breakfast, I have no had an egg since I began touring Europe at the end of March.  I had to share the egg with one person eating breakfast with me, but it was big enough for two of us,  I miss my American style breakfast, bacon and eggs and toast.

I got my taxi to the airport shortly after breakfast, a man from the hostel walked me to the taxi, the hostel arranges them for guests. There was a misunderstanding and the taxi driver took me to the train or bus station instead of the airport.  I got to the airport with plenty of time to catch my flight to Madrid, despite the detour to the Bus/Train station.

I flew Ryan Air to Madrid, an Irish low cost airline. I knew what to expect from Ryan Air's cattle call, this was my second flight, it was not bad.  I got a seat near the front, an aisle seat. A man sat next to the window and I think we were the only row with nobody in a middle seat, always nice.  I dozed off part of the flight, got stuck standing during the first half of the flight.  I got up to go the the bathroom and the flight attendants started the snack service, I did not mind standing for a few minutes, broke up sitting for the entire two hour flight.

Madrid's subway system was easy to navigate, I had no problems finding my way to the stop near my hotel. I did pass the street with the hotel, I eventually found my way back after the detour.  I did not do much in Madrid, I got a late lunch/early dinner, went to the grocery store and bought Orange Juice for my cold and stocked up on other things.  I will sleep in tomorrow and go sightseeing in the afternoon.  I should be fully recovered from my cold by then, I hope. 

Day 3 in the Sahara Desert, Sunrise, A camel ride & return to Marrakesh

We woke up early this morning, around 6 am to watch the sunrise from atop the sand dunes in the Sahara desert.  There was no water at the Berber camp, some used the water from their water bottles to brush their teeth, I put on the clothes I wore yesterday, and climbed a sand dune close to the camp to watch the sunrise.    This is the second time I have watched the sunrise during this trip, the last time was in Masada, Israel after hiking up the mountain.  The sun began to rise shortly after I had climbed the sand dune.  I took pictures as the sun rose, we were all still half sleep, not much sleep in the camp last night.

Lynnae watching sunrise from Sand Dune in Sahara Desert 

Sun rising over Sand Dune in Sahara Desert 

Sahara Desert Sunrise 

We returned to the base camp by camel after the sunrise, a 1.5 hour trek through the Sahara desert, it was cool early in the morning, a good time to head out of the desert.  I was on a new camel for the trek back, riding a camel is not very  comfortable, but it was an experience, not sure I will need to repeat this experience though.  We had breakfast, I got in a quick shower, the one we did not have time for, and we left the sand dunes of the Sahara desert around 8 am.

Me on the Camel at Sunrise 

Breakfast at the Sahara Desert Base Camp after Camel Ride 

We set out for the long ride back to Marrakesh after breakfast, most of our group, 5 Canadians,  left early in the trip, taking a grand taxi to Fes.  The Brazilians and I were the only ones left in the van, we could spread out, which was nice for the 12 hour journey from the Sahara Desert to Marrakesh.  We stopped along the way for lunch and the usual bathroom breaks.  I watched the scenery go from desert to mountainous, was really interesting to watch the change and the scenery was beautiful.

From the Sahara to the Mountains on way back to Marrakesh

At a stop in the mountains I met some young  Moroccan men, they heard my accent, asked where I was from, I said America, they said Barack Obama.  One of the men wanted to take a picture with me, he asked me to send it to him, I asked if he had Facebook or email, he said neither, call Barack Obama, tell him to send it to me.  We laughed. 

Lynnae & Moroccan at cafe on way to Marrakesh 

I was exhausted when we got to Marrakesh, I think it was after 7 pm, the driver did not drop us off at our hostel either.  I walked through the main square back to the hostel, dragging my luggage. I checked into another room at the hostel, had some mint tea, was in the common area for another hostellers birthday party, had some cake and relaxed.  I went to an internet cafe to check in for my flight to Madrid, went to buy a snack for dinner and that was my night.  I was up late blogging and went to sleep.  

Tomorrow's destination is Madrid.  I am catching a cold or have caught one, I plan to stay in and relax my first day in Madrid, and hopefully not get a bad cold. 

Day 3 in the Sahara Desert Photo Album