Sorry I didn't post anything yesterday: the hotel's wasn't working, and I didn't feel like battling with it. Yesterday was our last day in Madrid. In the morning we went to the Reina Sofia, which is the Spanish equivalent to NYC's Museum of Modern Art, according to our adorable and ever-peppy tour guide Arancha. There we saw a lot of art, the most famous of which was the painting Guernica by Pablo Picasso (lo siento, no pictures allowed). Then we took a bus trip to Toledo, the former capital of Spain; pronounced Toe-lay-doe by the Spaniards. There were many stairs to be climbed and sights to be seen! The cathedrals in this country are amazing: they're huge, old, ornate, and authentic. We also visited a church with Jewish and Arabic influence, but only for long enough to find a Star of David and a "vegetal pattern" on the walls. While walking between these activities we saw the setup for Corpus Christi (the body of Christ), which is a festival celebrating their religion. After the long day, we came home to the Tryp Gran Via (the hotel) to eat tapas. I almost forgot! Yesterday marked the coronation of Spain's newest king Felipe VI, which went some way towards explainingt he protest we saw in the streets. People were holding signs that said "ALTERNATIVA REPUBLICANA" while police stood by. It was certainly an eventful day!
The view of the entrance of la Reina Sofia, complete with some of my unknowing classmates.
One of the paintings we were allowed to photograph. Note: the artist was sent to a psychiatric ward after this work was finished.
The "best" view of Toledo. To be honest I think that title is unfair to the rest of the views.
One of the impressive cathedrals we visited, though somewhat less impressive than the biggest one. But don't get me wrong: this one had a cloister and I love a good cloister.
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| One shot of the most impressive cathedral |
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| A ceiling in the cathedral |
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| One of the many altars in the cathedral |
Corpus Christi involves carrying these large statues around the city, but for the time being they were positioned on this balcony in Toledo.
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