Tuesday, September 24, 2024
This morning, after having issues trying to purchase tickets online for the Prado Musuem (Museo Nacional del Prado), we decided to just walk there (about 12 mintues) to purchase tickets. At the ticket office window, I decided to purchase a “guide book” with my ticket. It turned out to be a detailed 478-page book about the history of the museum and its collection. Due to its heft, I picked up my 9 € copy in the bookstore as we were leaving and observed that they were selling copies there for 18.50 €.
The Prado Museum is considered to house one of the greatest public art collections of the world. About 1,300 works dating from the 12th century to the early 20th century are on display. Some of the famous artists represented include: Goya, Bosch, El Greco, Rubens, Titan, Raphael, and Velasquez. I am fairly ignorant about art but was throughly engrossed. Actually, encountering the full-size works (some were very large) first-hand was such an overwhelming experience compared to viewing photographs in books. We spent over 2.5 hours in the museum and didn’t see near everything it had to offer. I would certainly like to revisit the Prado someday armed with increased knowledge from my guide book in order to continue absorbing its wonderous offerings.
Unlike in the Guggenheim, photography is not allowed in the Prado Museum. I photographed the last five of the following group of pictures either from my guide book, or copied internet pictures.
—— The Prado Museum ——
Public Side Entrance of the Prado
Guide Book
Main Gallery
Las Meninas 1656
Diego Velazquez
The Mona Lisa 1503-1519
Anonymous (Leonardo da Vinci Workshop)
The Garden of Earthly Delights
Hieronymus Bosch 1490-1500
La maja desnuda (The Clothed Maja)
Francisco Goya c. 1797-1800
After exiting the Prado, we purchased tickets in its side plaza for a hop-on, hop-off bus tour with Madrid City Tours. We found seats on the top of the double-decker bus and enjoyed views with narration via headphones along the Historic Madrid route. After 8-9 stops, we decided to hop-off at the Plaza de Espana to look around and find a restaurant for lunch.
—— Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour ——
Historic Madrid
We wandered away from the square and found a restaurant with a cozy outdoor dining area where we enjoyed a three-course lunch with Estrella Galicia beer. After eating, we headed back to Plaza de Espana to inspect the Cervantes Monument there. He, along with Don Quixote and Sancho Panza were popular attractions. After some confusion about our bus pick-up location, we hopped back on our City Tour bus to continue our journey.
—— Plaza de Espana ——
The bus was very crowded. We found seats in the very back on the lower deck where it was impossible to see anything we were passing, and it was warm and stuffy. After a few stops, we hopped off at the Debod Temple (Templo de Debod) for some fresh air. The temple was closed and manned with police forbidding pedestrians from walking on the surrounding plaza. But, we were able to walk around the nice park and enjoy views of some Madrid landmarks from the park’s elevated position.
—— Debod Temple ——
After the Temple of Debod, we hopped back on a bus that was almost empty, found seats on the upper deck, and enjoyed the remainder of the Historic Madrid tour back to the Prado where we disembarked.
—— Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour ——
Historic Madrid (continued)
Back at the Prado, we decided to hop-on the other City Tour bus line and take the Modern Madrid route. We had nice upper deck seats but the bus was soon in a traffic jam. There was a (rescheduled) game at the futbol stadium. Some of the tour route near the stadium was blocked off and so our driver found his way through game traffic and connected with the tour return route back to the Prada.
—— Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour ——
Modern Madrid
Back at the Prado, we disembarked and started our walk back to our rental apartment. Along the way, we stopped at the Occident Building to listen to the eight o’clock chimes play a tune with automated figures in motion. Shortly, after that, we came upon a mass of people showing their support for Venezuelan winner of the presidential election, Edmundo Gonzales, who has sought refuge in Spain. It was peaceful with police security and tv cameras covering the event. We wound our way through the crowded narrow street and arrived safely back to the apartment exhausted.
Eight O’clock Animated Show
Hi John and Jane! Your pictures look great. Glad you’re having fun. I tried to text you but it didn’t go through. I have some terrible news. Greenville and Western NC got hit by Hurricane Helene. Robert and I finally have power. The damage in Greenville is terrible. The wind knocked down trees and power lines everywhere. There are still 100,000 people without power. Western NC is worse. They had 1000 year flooding. The French Broad River flooded huge parts of the town. There are mud slides everywhere. Boone and Banner Elk were almost destroyed. They are air lifting people off the mountain. Chimney Rock and Lake Lure are gone. People are without power, water, and cell service. Around 160 people in the Carolinas are dead and many are missing. As far as I can tell, Raleigh didn’t get any damage. I have a huge oak tree on my screened porch roof. It sideswiped my house and demolished my neighbor’s deck. As far as we can tell all our extended family members are safe. We have not heard anything from Henry and Judith. Wilkesboro got hit pretty hard. I hate to give you this news on your trip but thought you ought to know. I’m afraid a lot of your life’s work in the Boone area may have been destroyed. Lynn and Tom were spared. It missed Athens. President Biden flew into GSP today and will be surveying the damage in NC and SC by helicopter. He’s meeting with our Governor today and then headed to Raleigh tomorrow to meet with your governor. I hope I haven’t ruined your trip but I wanted you to know we are safe! Love you both!
Hi John and Jane! Your pictures look great. Glad you’re having fun. I tried to text you but it didn’t go through. I have some terrible news. Greenville and Western NC got hit by Hurricane Helene. Robert and I finally have power. The damage in Greenville is terrible. The wind knocked down trees and power lines everywhere. There are still 100,000 people without power. Western NC is worse. They had 1000 year flooding. The French Broad River flooded huge parts of the town. There are mud slides everywhere. Boone and Banner Elk were almost destroyed. They are air lifting people off the mountain. Chimney Rock and Lake Lure are gone. People are without power, water, and cell service. Around 160 people in the Carolinas are dead and many are missing. As far as I can tell, Raleigh didn’t get any damage. I have a huge oak tree on my screened porch roof. It sideswiped my house and demolished my neighbor’s deck. As far as we can tell all our extended family members are safe. We have not heard anything from Henry and Judith. Wilkesboro got hit pretty hard. I hate to give you this news on your trip but thought you ought to know. I’m afraid a lot of your life’s work in the Boone area may have been destroyed. Lynn and Tom were spared. It missed Athens. President Biden flew into GSP today and will be surveying the damage in NC and SC by helicopter. He’s meeting with our Governor today and then headed to Raleigh tomorrow to meet with your governor. I hope I haven’t ruined your trip but I wanted you to know we are safe! Love you both!
I meant to say that Asheville was flooded. Biltmore Village is under water. There are over 1000 people unaccounted for at this time. Tragic!!!