Madrid

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My plan for setting my circadian rhythm to Madrid time is working so far. I had dinner around 10:30 and went to bed a little after midnight last night. I slept in, but my hotel serves breakfast until noon, so I was OK there! Today I have been enjoying several of the things that Madrid has to offer on a pleasant spring Sunday. First of all, today was the running of the Madrid Marathon and I happened to be out near the start of it (see photo). I walked to the National Archeological Museum (free on Sundays) and spent more time than I planned looking through the exhibits. It is an excellent museum with appropriate emphasis on the Iberian peninsula. It traces man's habitation from the time of the cave-dwellers to the time of Napoleon. Afterward I walked over to Retiro Park and spent two or three hours wandering around, enjoying the gorgeous weather, the manicured gardens (see photo), the locals playing in the park (see photo), and I also found time for lunch in a tree-shaded outdoor restaurant. I stopped in at the Naval Museum where the emphasis is on the Age of Discovery (see photo of the Santa Maria model). After a late afternoon siesta, I boarded the Metro to go to the Plaza de Toros, the bullfight stadium. I found the spectacle fascinating, especially the grace and daring of the men and the power of the bull (see photo). There is a choreography to the proceedings, but no one knows exactly what will happen next.

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