Madrid - Spain

Madrid Palace

People wrote letters to Spain's government to help them find lost loved ones in WWI because Spain was neutral. This section of the palace is dedicated to those who helped.

Guernico at the Reina Sofia Museum. 

The Prado (biggest museum in Madrid):

The Garden of Earthly Delights

Goya: The Third of May 1808 in Madrid: the executions on Principe Pio hill

Saturn devouring his son

El Greco: Adoration of the Shepherds. 

Las Meninas, or The Family of Felipe IV

Other notable paintings:The madness of Joanna of Castile by Lorenzo vallés. 

Fra Angelico the annunciation. 

Cookies of nuns at Monasterio del Corpus Cristi: 

You have to go to this door, ring the door bell, and nuns will ring you in. Then you go to this small window, and across a window/turning stall a nun will ask what type of cookies you want, and you pay and she'll give you the cookies. The entire time, you don't see a single person. 

Foods:

Essential foods to try: churro and chocolate, stew, jamon (ham), sangria

Barnacles - yummy and expensive!

Market

So much jamon (ham)!!

Interesting shop dedicated to bullfighting

Parque de El Retiro: nice big park to bike in if you have some extra time

Felice Anno Nuevo celebrated at old Post office (which is now governor's office). Eat 1 grape for each ring at new year. 

The govoerner's office is also where Franco threw opposing ppl out of top window. 

The plaques in front of the building: right one is for Napoleon, left one is for the 311 terrorist bombing. This plaza was the place where people were murdered/tortured. 

Plaza mejor. Lamp post seats: Inquisition scenes.