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2003-06-05 - Madrid Day 11 Today was our last full day in Madrid. We started off out day with our local guide and our bus tour of Madrid. We drove through the Plaza de Cibeles and over to the Plaza de España. We stopped for some pictures of the statues of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza and also of Cervantes. It was a beautiful day and there were quite a few “vendors” with their blankets full of souvenirs for sale (although it was nothing compared to their counterparts in Puerta del Sol). We then went to the Prado Museum and our tour guide took us through the main works, focusing on those by Velásquez and Goya. Las Meninas by Velásquez is one of my favorites and it is always interesting to compare the works of Goya with those during his darker period later in his life.
We then ended our formal tour and a group of us continued on to the Reina Sofia. We were fairly hungry, so we just hit the main points. We were primarily going to see Pablo Picasso’s Guernica. Guernica is my favorite painting, partly due to my studies while in Madrid. We learned a little about the ideas behind the meaning and symbolism used in Guernica, Picasso's response to the fascist bombing of the Spanish town of Guernica. We also saw some of other exhibits, including works by Salvador Dali and other works by Picasso. We were then going to eat at Pans & Company (one of my favorites), but the one I frequented at the Colon metro stop appeared to be gone so we decided to eat at the Hard Rock Café. I think all of us basically cleaned our plates. It was a wonderful meal and the free refills were greatly appreciated! As we were walking out towards Calle Serrano, we passed Pans & Co. Ooops? We then shopped up and down Calle Serrano, one of the more upscale shopping districts in Madrid, before returning back to Puerta del Sol. Some people went back to the hotel, but mom and I ran back to the Corte Inglés and up and back down the side streets off to the right of Sol. I was excited finally to find the perfect pair of sandals. Dinner was very interesting – perhaps that is the best way to explain it (the main course at least). Dinner was at the Museo del Jamón. Our starter was good. It was a very typical “tapas-style” plate of ham and cheese. The cheese was a thin slice of manchego cheese and the hams included jamón Serrano and chorizo. This is my favorite tapa plate and the quality of ham served was excellent. The main course was paella, which I had been looking forward to trying. No one could ever believe I had studied in Spain for so long and never tried paella. Paella can be prepared several different ways and I think we had one of the more extreme versions, which included whole small crabs in their shells and ALL parts of chicken. The rice was good after squeezing lemon over it, but I must admit I ate around the seafood. Dessert was a chocolate layered cake with whipped cream.
Following dinner, our group walked over to the Plaza Mayor. The city was unfortunately having a stamp fair/exhibition in the middle of the plaza, obstructing the typically beautiful view. We took some pictures of the group in the plaza and some of us sat down for a bit in one of the cafes there in the plaza. We then worked our way back down to the hotel and began the fun task of repacking.
Hotel: Hotel Regina
Dinner: Museo del Jamón
Cafe Snack: La Torre Del Oro - Bar Andalú
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