May 16th
We were supposed to meet Alene & Ethel in the morning, but they needed extra zzzz time so the Dieden clan headed out to take on Madrid once again as a party of five.
Starting with Atocha, we took in the station from afar, then up close, then inside.
I hadn’t seen it since the bombings in 2004, so I was curious how different it would look from the first time I saw it (in 2002).
It felt like a greenhouse because of the section of plant life with the clear glass windows above. There was even a turtle pond. And it was all surrounded by terminals. Weird, but cool.
There was also some kind of expo going on so while my parents bought train tickets for the next day’s excursion (to Toledo), Laura, Marie and I browsed booths.
Eventually we got some food to go (from a cafe in the train station) and made our way to Retiro Park for a picnic.
Along the way we saw the Rose Garden, Palacio de Cristal, and Palacio de Velasquez.
The roses were seriously a sight to behold. They were so beautiful…almost fake looking.
It was hard to stop snapping photos…I wanted to capture every single flower.
Marie figured out how to take cool special effects on her camera, which occupied us for another 30 minutes.
Finalmente, it was tortilla time.
Yum.
No better way to enjoy lunch.
I had two mini-sammies, since Laura and Marie got the last two bocadillos. I think I actually ended up with more. 😉
Not too shabby a view, eh?
The Palacio de Cristal reminds me of where Liesl sang “I am Sixteen Going on Seventeen” in The Sound of Music. Anyone with me here?
Post-digestion we toured the rest of the park…from the fountain to the bathroom Teatro de Titulos.
Struttin’
Pensive padre.
Any DG readers out there?
The walk back home was equally as scenic – Arco de Alcala, Plaza de Cibeles, Banco de Espanya.
We got to the hotel by 5 and used the next few hours to shower, snack and veg. We tried (sin exito) to get libros en ingles at VIPS.
Alene and Ethel met us at 6:30 and we all went to the Reina Sofia for the free museum admission (M-F 7 pm – 9pm). Aside from Guernica and a few Dali pieces, I wasn’t overly thrilled and was glad I didn’t pay to go. Maybe if I hadn’t been 3 years before I’d have a different opinion, but the general consensus was the same.
Recap: 1st level – nada, 2nd level – decent, 3rd level – closed, 4th level – snooze.
In other words, two free hours is easily enough time to see what you want to see. We left at 9 and walked to dinner.
Balzac had the best service so far in Spain.
After dinner we walked home and that’s when my stomach began to tell me that something wasn’t right about la cena.
I ended up going to bed around 2 am. [soooo, fill in the blank]
Oh, and apparently my cramps were getting to be something else, also. My journal from this day simply says “Too young for a hysterectomy?” at the end. Sad.
Love the DG salute! ITB!
Oh, you have made me miss Madrid! It was fun to go back into my memories through these photos! I went there when i studied abroad in college, and then with my boyfriend four years later — he proposed to me in Granada, and now we’ve been married for 2 years!
I’m sorry the Reina Sofia museum wasn’t that exciting!
That garden is absolutely gorgeous!
ITB!!!
I’m a DG too!! ITB!
Ahhhh so gorgeous! I never got to see the train station, I was in Madrid legit two weeks after the bombings. So sad. My favorite part about Reina Sofia was absolutely the Dali pieces also.
You are on point with the “sixteen going on seventeen” remark for sure. Also, I so sympathize with your last statement. Sigh.
haha i love your recap of the reina sofia. you failed to mention the only way we could keep ourselves entertained is by playing the “which is your favorite in this room?” game. clearly we are not a family of art connoisseurs.
How come you eat sabra hummus when it is filled with preservatives but don’t eat tribe. I think you act extremely elitist.
Dude! Your pictures are awesome, what a cool day (apart from the cramps, major bummer) – love all the flowers, and it totally reminds me of the sound of music… makes me want to watch it right now 🙂
Love the pics. The flowers are amazing.
Woah. That park is breathtaking!
Laughing really hard at the last comment from your journal. I say that all the time, but not because of cramps….it’s whenever I see whining kids and tired mothers.
Love the pictures of the garden! You look lovely with the roses.
I am a newly initiated Delta Gamma!! Love it! ITB
hahaha. so true. i wonder when that kind of patience will kick in…
Your trip sounds amazing, and it has been fun to hear about it over an extended time.
I’ve actually been to the sixteen-going-on-seventeen gazebo near Salzburg! http://flickr.com/gp/bunnieswithsharpteeth/5p3477 The Palacio de Cristal looks way more awesome.
thats so cool!! did you do the sound of music tour?
Yes, I’m a total Sound of Music dork. We got to see the exterior of the mansions (there were two – one for the front and one for the back) where the movie was filmed, the church where Maria got married, and several other things that appeared in the movie. It was fun! 🙂
I did that TOO! I am Elise’s youngest sister and my middle sister and I did that when she came to visit me when I studied abroad!!
Loved this post sister. That was such a fun day! Sooooo many flower pictures! 🙂
clearly our family is made up of sound of music geeks 🙂
Yay Madrid! I loved Madrid! Everything from the turtle pond at Atocha to la Rosaleda to la Reina Sofia to the park to the churros con chocolate that induced a major sugar crash/sickness. I remember keeping a stash of crema de cacahuete en mi bolso and doing lots of walking. I also remember it was nice/strange because everything wasn’t in Catalan jeje. Yay Madrid!
Pingback: Balzac
Pingback: Day trip to Toledo
It’s always a pealsure to hear from someone with expertise.