We went for some culture today and visited the Prado Museum, which houses some of the world's most famous paintings. You weren't allowed to take pictures, which I again missed...but after taking one, I thought maybe I should ask...and sure enough, no photos allowed. We focused on seeing the most famous works according to the brochure, and saw just about everything we wanted to see in 3 hours. It's a packing day...on to Marseille bright and early--taxi is due to a...

I haven't mentioned this before because I've had so much else to blab about, but one thing I really find strange here is the fact that eggs and milk are sold on grocery store shelves and not refrigerated! At first I thought it was because we were in a tiny bodega, but even the large stores sell them that way. So weird!! Milk comes in a box, eggs are in plastic forms. I'll try to remember to take a picture next time I'm at the store. Another thing to note--the ter...

Rich and I took a LONG day trip to two cities near Madrid today by motor coach. The first city we visited was Avila. This is a medieval city built in the 10th century, completely walled with 87 towers and just too cool for words. Again, a lot of Arabic influence in the construction. I just can't get over how they built these monstrous things without the tools we have today. We had a photo stop and then got a guided tour of two different cathedrals. Both were very...

If you didn't know already that today was Mother's Day here in Madrid, it would quickly become apparent by all the flower stands and crowded cafes with several generations honoring the special women in their lives. Everywhere we looked, we saw lots of people walking with elderly ladies all dressed up in their Sunday best. We decided to try a ride on the cable car here known as El Teleferico. According to their website, they opened at 11:00, but when we arrived at...

We journeyed to a city about 30 minutes away from Madrid by high speed train today. Another glorious weather day! We were able to catch the Hop on Hop Off bus right outside of the train station, which was very convenient. Sitting on the top may have not been the best idea since it was only about 45 degrees...however, the views made being a little chilly worth it. The city has a LOT of Arabic influence in their architecture, and I found it fascinating since it's s...