Museums

Sunday, July 7, 2013

Today we ate breakfast at 8:30 and headed to the metro at 9:15.  Our first stop on our journey was to go see Museo Nacional del Prado.  We got in for free with our student ID’s.  The Prado is a huge art museum located in central Madrid.  In it includes Spanish, German, Flemish, British, French, Dutch and Italian paintings.  Some artists include Goya, Greco, Velazquez and many more.  The paintings and sculptors were so beautiful and grand.  Some of the paintings even looked like they were 3-D, it was so cool.  We stayed here until 12:00.

After, we went back on the metro a few stops to see the Royal Palace.  We got student discount tickets that were only 5 euros.  This palace is the official residence of the Spanish Royal Family but now it is only used for state ceremonies.  As we walked through each of the different rooms I fell in love with it more and more.  First we saw a old pharmacy that was filled with jars all the way to the ceiling with medicine.  It was so cool and so well persevered.  Next we went into the palace.  The ceilings had such amazing detail and color.  Charles III died in the bedroom that we got to walk through.  It was such a cool feeling to see right where it happen.  Olivia and I were freaking out and breathing the same air that he did.  It was so surreal how much history this place holds.

 t stinks because we weren’t allowed to take any pictures inside either of the two places but it was so amazing to see these two places for almost no cost at all.

After the palace I got a postcard and we got ice cream.  We headed back and not to long after had to leave again for a class trip with my History of Spain class.  We left at 6:30 to get on the metro to take to the bus station.  We missed the first bus so we took the next one.  We took a 45-minute bus right to a town called San Lorenzo de El Escorial.  Here we saw El Escorial, a Spanish royal site that also functions as a monastery, royal palace, museum, and school.  Also royal bodies are buried under it!  We got there too late and the place had closed.  Mass was going on so I popped in and said a quick prayer.  After we walked around a little and headed back for campus.  We got back after 10:00 and went to have dinner.  I had my first real salad in a while and it was delicious.

Today was such a busy day but a fun filled one at that.  My feet are killing me but it was all worth it!  I will sleep when I get home.