Spain, Day 8

Easily our best day in Madrid.  We got up this morning to the hotel breakfast again, and took a cab downtown to the Prado Museum.  Rebecca and Rob walked over from their hotel and our guide met us promptly at ten, as arranged.  I'd gotten the Prado tickets online, but the Bosch special exhibit had shown "no capacity" at that time.  As I'd hoped, our guide immediately took the tickets, jumped the line, and squared that away, getting us timed tickets to the Bosch part too.

Hernan took one look at Lyle, who at that moment was downing the ibuprofen Rebecca had brought him, and suggested we could get him a wheelchair.  Lyle tried to wave that off, but Hernan was quite concerned, and we had to really reassure him Lyle could manage the walk.  Lyle, needless to say, did not immediately love Hernan.

We got an excellent tour of the "best parts" of the Prado, including lots of stuff by Goya and Velazquez and some notable pieces by El Greco and Titian.  Along the way, we got excellent personal commentary, and "Don Roberto" and "Don Leo" got big props any time they answered a question correctly.  Hernan would frequently say, "Please be so kind as to follow me."  Don't ask me why, but I loved this.  Clearly, our best guide in Spain.  For me though, the chance to see Bosch's "Garden of Earthly Delights" in person trumped everything else.  Super, super awesome.

We could have spent several more hours, if not days, at the Prado, but unfortunately we didn't have the time.  Hernan brought the BMW around to pick us up and suggested we take a siesta on the way to Toledo.  Rebecca and I did, though I believe the boys stayed up and chatted.  Hernan dropped us off for lunch at a place he'd arranged, and we enjoyed our best meal in Spain.  The cheese plate appetizer alone was noteworthy, and the salad was enough even I ate about half of mine.

After lunch we went back out into the heat, and walked around the Toledo sights.  Toledo is a World Heritage Site and the cathedral there was the most impressive conventional cathedral we saw in Spain (Sagrada Familia is in its own category).  We enjoyed the sights and the history, and then got back in the car and drove out of town to a small hotel across the river for a final beer and a panoramic view back at the city.  Hernan dropped Rebecca and Rob off (who were planning to go out and enjoy the nightlife) before taking us back to our hotel so we can crash.  

We've had a great time in Madrid, and in Spain as a whole, but we're ready to head home tomorrow and get back to our own space and routines.

MartyandLyle (and Rebecca and Rob)