If you go to Madrid you must visit the Prado
Showing posts with label Madrid. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Madrid. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 21, 2023
12 June - Madrid
Pigeons are a pest in the city
Monday, March 20, 2023
Monday, November 9, 2015
14 June - Opera Teatro Real
Booked opera ticket from home. To see Fidelio by Beethoven. Did tour in English of opera house and then in the evening attended the performance. Wonderful!
Huge seating area
Almost straight up in order to be near the stage
One of the rooms - note carpeting
View of the palace from the balcony
Beautiful view
Saw model of the opera house - how the different scenes move in and away
Getting ready for the evening performance
A private dining room
Beautiful dining room
Dark, brooding
Stairwell
Fidelio!
Drinks time
The well-heeled. Prices of tickets were high, in euros.
Daaarling!
Monday, May 25, 2015
23 - 24 May - Start days in Madrid
Had a really bad night as the drunken people in the bar four floors down spent much of their time in the street and the sound carried up to my room. Slept until about 7. From window saw refuse collectors out early, and people washing the road with huge powerful hoses. Fetched coffee from the vending machine in the hall, yuk. Dressed and ventured downstairs. Went to bar for breakfast of coffee and roll with olive oil. Have just checked Booking.com - other people had same complaint! Should have read the reviews!
Walked to Sol Plaza and then down to the cultural hub of the city intending to visit the Museum of Archeology. Many joggers out doing their own thing. Such a clean beautiful city, huge buildings with ornamentation.
Walked past the National Library and decided to go in, no cost. I am aware that this was a 'national' library but everything was so professional and the exhibition was very high tech. All signage in Spanish, nothing in English. Thank goodness for iPad and Wikipedia. They had an exhibition of Teresa of Avila, well known in the Catholic faith and much on the history of Don Quixote and printing. Not sure how a Rubens tapestry or Teresa fits into a 'library' exhibition and museum.
Went on the Archeological Museum but they were only opening at 13.00 - not my day! So turned around to walk to Prado. Walked past huge building - Palacio de Celibes - went in, modern art exhibition, no cost, fine. Had hand held English guides. Fascinating. Great lunch in museum of fried strips of marrow in humus and honey.
Went back to Archeological Museum. Closing at 3. Had 1/2 hour to look at things - saw red painted Greek vases (wrote exam on them) and huge Roman mosaics. So glad I done the course with Unisa. Tired so went back to hotel to catch up on sleep.
In late afternoon walked to Plaza Real to see the opera house where I have tickets for Fidelio. Had seen signs all over town for Cape Town opera's Porgy and Bess. Give guided tours between 10.30 and 13.00. May take a tour when I come back.
Plaza Sol is one of the busiest I have seen, people wandering around until late at night - buskers of all kinds trying to earn cash. One very slick group did break dancing. Sol is the official centre of Rome.
Another night of noise, downstairs drunk men and next door room TV. I have sensitive ears.
Walked to Sol Plaza and then down to the cultural hub of the city intending to visit the Museum of Archeology. Many joggers out doing their own thing. Such a clean beautiful city, huge buildings with ornamentation.
Walked past the National Library and decided to go in, no cost. I am aware that this was a 'national' library but everything was so professional and the exhibition was very high tech. All signage in Spanish, nothing in English. Thank goodness for iPad and Wikipedia. They had an exhibition of Teresa of Avila, well known in the Catholic faith and much on the history of Don Quixote and printing. Not sure how a Rubens tapestry or Teresa fits into a 'library' exhibition and museum.
Went on the Archeological Museum but they were only opening at 13.00 - not my day! So turned around to walk to Prado. Walked past huge building - Palacio de Celibes - went in, modern art exhibition, no cost, fine. Had hand held English guides. Fascinating. Great lunch in museum of fried strips of marrow in humus and honey.
Went back to Archeological Museum. Closing at 3. Had 1/2 hour to look at things - saw red painted Greek vases (wrote exam on them) and huge Roman mosaics. So glad I done the course with Unisa. Tired so went back to hotel to catch up on sleep.
In late afternoon walked to Plaza Real to see the opera house where I have tickets for Fidelio. Had seen signs all over town for Cape Town opera's Porgy and Bess. Give guided tours between 10.30 and 13.00. May take a tour when I come back.
Plaza Sol is one of the busiest I have seen, people wandering around until late at night - buskers of all kinds trying to earn cash. One very slick group did break dancing. Sol is the official centre of Rome.
Another night of noise, downstairs drunk men and next door room TV. I have sensitive ears.
Saturday, May 23, 2015
Dinner in Madrid
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