A Little Culture

---

Today I subjected Bill to some art history while Lady Liberty and the Tramp rested up.
We walked to the local train station and took the train into Madrid where we attempted to make arrangements for getting us (and the bikes) to Santiago de Campostela via the train. According to the Internet site, it should have been a relatively simple arrangement. Not so.
First of all, bikes are not allowed on the day train. They must take the night train that leaves from only one station in Madrid at 10:30 at night. Secondly, you can not simply reserve a seat, you must reserve a ¨room¨ and we´re still not quite sure what that means. Third, the ¨rooms¨ were full for Sunday night, so we will have to wait until Monday night. Lastly, the ticket says ¨Bicicletas Empalada,¨ which we are told means that the bicycles must be packed in a box. Can´t happen. Our bikes carry all our gear, we have no bike boxes. So, Monday we somehow have to get to Madrid, hang around the train station until 10:30, and get our bikes on the train without packing them up. Is this the ¨survival stress¨ I was discussing the other day?
However, the rest of the day was quite nice. We bought tickets for the tour bus which allows tourists to travel around the city, getting off and on the bus wherever. They also provide commentary in the language of your choice. We observed the political unrest in the Plaza Mayor (which has been well covered by the world media) up close. We observed a Critical Mass ride, during which a number of cyclists gathered, seeking to make a statement regarding the value of bicycle transportation. This Critical Mass Ride, however, had a twist -- the riders, maybe 150 or more, were naked. And they must have ridden quite a distance cause we saw the group twice. They certainly got everyone´s attention!
Then, we turned our minds to some culture, walking to the Reina Sofia Museum where I got to see Picasso´s La Guernica, in person, for real. How cool is that????? The museum houses quite a few great works of art, mostly from the twentieth century. Now here´s the really cool part. We arrived at the museum at 2:28. As I was checking the price of admission, a docent informed me that beginning at 2:30, admission was FREE. Yeah, free. Who would have thunk? Then she informed me that El Prado (one of the world´s most famous museums) was free from 6-8 p.m.
So after touring Reina Sofia and the Crystal Palace, we headed for El Prado where I introduced Bill to Velazquez and one of my favorite paintings, Las Meninas. We also viewed some of Goya´s and El Greco´s most famous works.
We headed back to Gatafe via train and walked into town where there was a street fair of sorts going on. Found a table right on the square and enjoyed dinner with beer. We´ve adapted well to the Spanish culture so far, eating dinner at 9 p.m. no longer seems quite so weird. But, I must admit, I am sleepy now, ready for a shower and bed.

---