Madrid

Well, can´t find a place that will read our camera so here are some shots from our trip to Madrid. The first is a picture of the Plaza Cibeles on Buena Noche in Madrid. Over 50,000 people showed up and watched this hour long amazing light and choir and fireworks and video and who knows . . . There were people rapelling down this old cathedral while fires lit the entire thing from inside with choirs singing and fireworks going off and Aviathar and I sitting there open-ñmouthed . . . V says it wasn´t a cathedral. True, since each city only has one cathedral and we were there last night . . . Maybe a palace. Anyway, Madrid is full of reminders of Franco´s rule. Signs showing where he murdered this many political prisoners and shot thousands of liberal teachers and . . . Cannot believe he is only dead 30 years. What a world.

Madrileños love the fiesta and people everywhere were wearing mardi gras like wigs and blowing horns and buying dulces and celebrating loudly. The second picture is in Plaza Mayor and shows some of the wigs people were wearing around town. V and I bought a set.

Final two shots are my favorite paintings from the Prado. Rubens ¨The Three Graces¨and Poussin´s ¨Parnassus¨which doesn´t look like much here but in person is so unbelievable . . . The Prado deserves it´s reputation, the Roman statues, the Titian, the many rooms dedicated to Velasquez (including his massive and most famous painting ¨Las Meninas¨ (pictured here, but the painting is massive). It´s Velasquez painting himself painting the King and Queen (seen in the reflection in the mirror) . . . Well, trust me . . .

We are back in Barcelona for a few days then off to Amsterdam.

Merry Christmas to our families, we miss you all!!!

Teresa and Aviathar