Semana 4

It was a busy week with excursions to Almagro and Madrid.  Almagro is a lovely town dating back to the 13th century.  It is known for its annual International Festival of Classical Theater.  We saw "El perro del hortelano", a comedia by Lope de Vega published in 1618.  It was entertaining and very well performed.  It was a perfect evening to enjoy an outdoor performance.  We returned to Ciudad Real late and adjusted our schedule the following day.

La Plaza Mayor - Madrid

On Friday we spent the day in Madrid.  We took the AVE, high speed train, and arrived at 9:30.  We immediately headed to the Prado to see some of Spain's best works of art.  The highlights are the paintings by Velázquez and Goya.  There is nothing like seeing a work of art in person.  One cannot appreciate the size and perspective of a painting when viewing it in a book or on the internet.  We took a short walk afterward to visit the Congreso de los Diputados.  This is where the Congress holds sessions.  Upon leaving the Congreso, we took a short break before heading to the Gran Vía.  We made our way to the Opera house, the Palacio Real and the Almudena Catedral.  We then went to the Plaza Mayor and had a bit a free time.  The last visit of the day was to the Museo de arte Reina Sofía.  This is where Picasso´s ¨Guernica¨ is housed.  It was painted in May-June 1937 as a reaction to the attack on the town of the same name during the civil war.
The weather was perfect for our visit.  I only wish we could have spent more time because it is difficult to fully appreciate Madrid in one day.  

Group in front of the Palacio de Comunicaciones - Madrid

Group in the park next to the Palacio Real