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July 8th
On the second day in Madrid the weather cleared and it was a beautiful day. We visited the Real Madrid Botanical Gardens which was founded in 1755. I read somewhere that the average walk for a visitor is just an hour and a half, We walked for closer than 3 hours admiring the flowers and stole a few seeds in hope they will grow at home. I could only guess how long we would have been there had it been in full bloom. We talked about doing more to our garden. The garden had just completed it's prime time for flowers, since it was past Spring time.
One of the beautiful areas was the vegetable garden area with huge pyramids structures made of metal for the plants to grow on. The garden is a collection of plants from around the world, with many trees being brought in by the Royal family. The entire area was beautiful and inspiring. Within the garden area there were two photo exhibition areas at the Glorieta de Linneo - one on Cuba and the other on mathematics. I was moved by the mathematics photos, to the point of tears. Carmen says it's because I have an artist's mind. The Cuban exhibit was from a photographer that had been in Cuba in the era that Castro took over and then returned some 30 years later to compare the photos. We were still full from brunch at the Hotel, which is a great for us. The brunch has many cheeses, breads, pastries, fruit, eggs, jamon and other choices as well as juices and cafe espresso. We are paying 72 euros for both of us for 3 days, which is a great deal. Our room fee is free on IHG points. It all worked out great for us in Madrid. The hotel is in the center of many of the events we wanted to see. |
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Late in the afternoon we wanted to go have dinner at a Noodle Shop Carmen had seen earlier on our walk, we walked and walked and finally found it! We had already given up and were going back to the hotel, but lucky us. Across from the Noodle shop there was a club that was owned by Cubans that was selling mojitos. Carmen wanted a mojito - so after getting permission from the Noodle shop I crossed over and got the mojito for Carmen. We had a great meal of noodles - reminding Carmen of the girls, with our drink. On the way back to the hotel by chance we see a night club where within the hour there will be live music. We decide to go back to the hotel and get the rest of the port and our plastic glasses. We sneak this in to the club and enjoy the music while drinking the port. A guy was playing the guitar with a company of a piano player. I video 30 seconds and post on Facebook - Living life at 55+. On the break between musicians we go buy a couple more mojitos at a Cuban restaurant and sneak them back into the night club, but this time we were caught and given the option to stay and buy the drinks from them or leave. We declined and we asked to leave. The wine we had ordered before was awful. Now about midnight - we head back to the hotel, laughing and watching the streets filled with night life. This is not a chaotic night life scene like New Orleans.
The original photos from the 1960s were timeless and beauty of a hopeful time in the world. The current day pictures were not very meaningful, with the captured images seeming to be depressed and searching.
The mathematical exhibit was of photos that displayed sequences, patterns and linear lines within our daily lives. The most moving one for me was the one of a child walking on a lonely road, I was able to see the imaginary lines as they crossed the subject in the picture. The shades of color, the depth and the clarity of the upfront image caught shades of patterns that makeup our enviorment.
From there we walked and had Gyros 1/2 each, as we were still full from our brunch earlier at the Hotel. The brunch at the hotel has been excellent - great choice of cheeses, fruit, jamon, bread, eggs and espresso machine. So much more than a continental breakfast. For the three days we were there, we paid 72 Euros for both of us to have three days of brunch. Our room fee was covered with IHG points!
The mathematical exhibit was of photos that displayed sequences, patterns and linear lines within our daily lives. The most moving one for me was the one of a child walking on a lonely road, I was able to see the imaginary lines as they crossed the subject in the picture. The shades of color, the depth and the clarity of the upfront image caught shades of patterns that makeup our enviorment.
From there we walked and had Gyros 1/2 each, as we were still full from our brunch earlier at the Hotel. The brunch at the hotel has been excellent - great choice of cheeses, fruit, jamon, bread, eggs and espresso machine. So much more than a continental breakfast. For the three days we were there, we paid 72 Euros for both of us to have three days of brunch. Our room fee was covered with IHG points!
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