Madrid, Spain

 

View from the Royal Palace

This past weekend I took a bus at 1am with some friends to Madrid. We arrived on Saturday at 6am and only had two days to uncover a city rich in history, art, and architecture.The Royal PalaceUnder some of the Arches at the Royal Palace

Our first stop was the “Palacio Real”. The palace was enormous and equipped with a large courtyard. We were only allowed to take pictures from the outside and in the entry of the palace. Nearly all the rooms had ceilings with detailed paintings of biblical stories coming to life. Each room had a color scheme and was decorated from floor to ceiling. Tall ceilings, eccentric architecture, and large paintings were integrated throughout this stunning palace.Inside the Royal PalacePortrait of the Royal FamilyOutside of “El Prado” Museum

Our second stop was the Prado Museum. Once more we weren’t allowed to take pictures inside but I did manage to take this shot outside of some of Goya’s dibujos. Goya was a famous Spanish artist who’s art took on many different styles throughout his life. I learned about Goya along with other Spanish artists such as Picasso, Dali, EL Greco, and many others in my Spanish art class last semester. It was amazing to be able to see their works with my own two eyes. Their attention to detail, light, and ability to make art come to life is astounding.Traditional Spanish Clothing

Sunday we ran into a flea market in the streets. It was filled with all kinds of small stands loaded up with different items to sell. Everything from art to jewelry was put on display. My friends and I even attempted to barter with some of the sellers. More often than not we were unsuccessful, however, it was so much fun to practice our Spanish with the locals and obtain this cool experience.A Stand at the Flea MarketA plant wall we came across on the streetThe Basilica De San Fransisco El Grande