Our hotel in Madrid for the next 3 nights would be  the Hotel Villa Real on the Plaza de las Cortes. Before settling into the hotel would be a visit to the  Museo del Prado.

The Prado – not Prada, Museum was celebrating its Bicentenary.  It officially opened on the 19 November 1819 as a Royal Museum of Painting and sculpture.

We had a little wait before we could go in. I delighted in taking photos before we could go in.

When visiting the museum remember to leave the backpacks and cameras at your accommodation, however they can be left at the check in.   We had been able to leave our backpacks on the coach. Its ok, it would be locked. My camera I tucked in my crossbody bag when we were given the red light to go in.

Wow this place was amazing so many great works of art and it was crowded!  Crowds like what you see trying to get a gaze at the Mona Lisa at the Louvre in Paris.

We were fascinated with the Spanish school children being taken around the museum.  Children as young as  3 to 4 years old  sitting quietly on the floor learning about the great masters  such as Goya, Rubens, El Greco, Rembrandt.  So well behaved! I wish I could have taken some photos of the children. Maybe they were promised some yummy ice cream after their visit.

Unfortunately no photos allowed inside the museum.  You will have to visit once we can travel again. In the meantime click on the link below.

Here is a link to the Museo Nacional del Prado , enjoy x

 

A few of us decided to walk back to the hotel, it wasn’t far and the weather was still nice. Our bags would be in our rooms by the time we got back to the hotel so all we had to do  was collect our keys.  We were handed an envelope and on the front was Mr D  and Mrs J!  Last I looked I was most definitely a MS or Miss or even Mrs.  I mentioned this to our guide, she was very upset!  It was near the end of our tour and  I think she wanted brownie points. She said she would speak with management.

As with any organized tour there is always a survey to do at or near the end. She wanted our’s by morning.  (funny how on our first night in Lisbon she thought we were a couple).  More on that in the next post.

 

Dinner was to be at the El RINCÓN DE ESTEBAN which was just around the corner from the hotel.  Literally less than a 5 min walk.  It was to be our last meal together as a group.  Our tour would officially finish in two days.  Muriel and I were staying one more day as we like to wind down and do our own thing before heading home.

It was just our group in the restaurant all 22 plus our guide.  We had so much fun and again were entertained by a group of Tuna Musicians.  This group handed out instruments to some of us, yes including Muriel!  I was the photographer of course!

 

We even had a Toreador and a bull….

 

 

 

 

Dessert came out and I could smell peanuts.  Our guide had left and gone back to the hotel. The restaurant staff spoke no english!  Google translate came to the rescue, it was a race to see who could find peanut in Spanish. Cacahuete, we showed the waitress and she said yes and pointed to the dessert.  We managed to convey I couldn’t eat it so another dish was brought out.  Phew, I didn’t want an asthma attack or migraine so close to going home.

Then they brought out the liquor, it was yellow so could have been limoncello. Anyway it was delicious!  Perhaps a headache was on the cards anyway.

 

We stumbled back to our room and thats when I realized I left my glasses on the table.  Tried to call the restaurant but of course no English! So I left Muriel back in the room and ventured into the shaky lift.  Did I tell you how shaky the lift was?  It would land on the floor you wanted with a bang then jump up and then down again.  Sometimes the door would open and there would be a step up or step down.  Scary!  Anyway the doors opened up on the ground floor and all the others who had stayed on and drank some more were there. With my glasses!!  Yah I didnt have to make the solo trip.

Tomorrow we would be taken on a coach tour of the city and a visit to the Royal Tapestry Factory .  Muriel and I would along with another couple would get a lesson on Flamenco while some would do a tour of the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium – the home of Real Madrid.