Prado Redux

I found the area around the Museo del Prado to be quite charming and interesting. There was a gentleman playing his classical guitar. He had excellent musicianship. Unfortunately, I didn't take his picture since there was a possibility he would demand a "donation." I must say, though, the street musicians I've encountered in Madrid have been of above average quality. These cats have chops.

Since one isn't allowed to take pictures in the Prado, most of my photographic endeavors came from the surrounding area.






Goya. Enough said.




It's Spain. Who could have predicted there would be a church nearby?

Prado

Today we visited the Museo del Prado, a "must see" attraction in Madrid. Transversing the multitude of rooms housing the collections of art, we were impressed by the history, symbolism and talent on display. During the college days, I had taken a few courses in art history, and seeing some of these works in real life took me by surprise--particularly their size and presentation. It's always better in person.

Sleep deprived in Madrid

After a short nap, we decided to explore the city a bit. May 1st is Día del Trabajador in Spain, which is like our Labor Day in the States. We decided to walk to Parque del Retiro, a large urban park with lots of trees, a plethora of walking paths, and two small lakes. The park was filled with families, couples, and individuals taking in the gorgeous day.

There were lots of rowboats. Parque del Retiro is an absolute gem in Madrid. We enjoyed being part of the collective experience.




We ended the night eating dinner, and then enjoyed a nice stroll back to our apartment. Madrid was hopping.

Arrived!

The flight over to Europe was smooth, albeit tiresome due to the 6 hour time change.

We left the Cincinnati airport at approximately 2:05 PM and arrived in Atlanta International around 3:00 PM. Due to a 4 hour layover in Atlanta, we decided to roam the concourses, "sight seeing" the various establishments and buying a few items to make the 8 hour flight to Madrid more pleasant--sleeping masks, ear plugs, and candy. We capped off our layover festivities by drinking Sam Adams summer ale and munching on chips and salsa.

After a night flight, which consisted of semi-tolerable airplane food, movies, and maybe a couple hours of sleep, we landed in the Madrid Bajaras airport around 9:35 AM. It felt exhilarating to be on European soil. Customs and picking up luggage soon followed, along with a short taxi ride to our apartment. Then...sleep.

Itinerary

It's hard to believe, but next Friday we'll be flying to Europe. It seems trip planning is a never ending, tedious process. Between devising a travel plan, booking flights, finding suitable apartments, scheduling train trips, and reading up on local culture, the entire effort can seem overwhelming. Such is the life of a traveler I suppose.

Anyway, I have come up with a basic itinerary for the trip.

April 30 -- Fly out of Cincinnati, layover in Atlanta, fly to Madrid

May 1 -- Arrive in Madrid

May 4/5 -- Leave Madrid by train and arrive in Paris

May 9 -- Leave Paris and arrive in the Netherlands (The Hague)

May 12/13 -- Leave the Netherlands and arrive in Germany (Frankfurt, Black Forest)

May 16 -- Fly out of Frankfurt

Hopefully, the volcanic ash won't be an issue when we fly.