| One of
the first sites of the trip was a large, elaborate, 3-D display for El
Senor de los Anillos (The Lord of the Rings) at El Corte Ingles, a popular
chain of malls in Spain and Europe. |
|
In these first days of the trip we visited El Palacio Real (The Royal Palace)
and Museo del Prado (The Prado Museum). El Palacio Real was commissioned
in the 18th century by King Felipe V.
Wonderful
French architecture can be seen in The Patio de Armas in the center of
the Palace.
At El
Palacio Real in the Plaza de Oriente stands the first equestrian bronze
of a rearing horse. This horse is mounted by King Felipe VI.
Around the sides of the Plaza are other famous monarchs from Ataulfo to
Fernando VI. |
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| The Museo
del Prado was commissioned in 1785 by King Mayor Carlos III to be a natural-science
museum but by the time it was finished in 1819 it became an art museum
to house the collections gathered by Spanish royalty since Ferdinand and
Isabella. We saw works by many famous artists including Francisco
Goya, El Greco, and Diego Valazquez. |
| A few
of us went to the Reina Sofia, a popular modern art museum which houses
Picasso's famous Guernica. This painting depicts the Nazi Condor
Legion's bombing of the ancient Basque town of Guernica in 1937 during
the Spanish Civil War. This bombing brought the dictator Francisco
Franco to power. The Reina Sofia also houses works by Salvador Dali
and Joan Miro. |
| Later,
some of us went for a stroll or a jog in the Parque de Retiro (Retreat
Park). There, we saw gardens and fountains as well as the 19th century
Palacio de Cristal which houses exotic plants from the Philippines. |
| While
exploring the culture of Madrid, we saw a petite and popular car in Spain
and Europe called the Smart. I don't think this little guy would
hold up in an accident but he sure looks economical and earth-friendly! |
| The second
time through Madrid, we went to see the Spanish Broadway musical, La Bella
y La Bestia (The Beauty and the Beast). The acting and special affects
were spectacular. The next and last day of the trip, a couple of
people went to see a Beethoven concert while everyone else caught up on
much needed sleep for the plane ride the next morning. |
| Page by:
Jennifer Bennett |
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