Madrid

Took a few days break in Madrid to celebrate my rertirement! I'd never been before. Though the break was not without a few problems, like my credit cards not working for me! I now need another week to get over it! My hotel was very central, only a few minutes walk from Plaza Mayor. The pavements were hard as I tended to walk everywhere. Feet still sore 2 days after return. The highlights were the trips around the Prado where the current exhibition is the dreamlike paintings of Patinir [Painting of the Flight into Egypt at the Bournemisza]
, the Bourne Thyssen Bournemisza Gallery*- there, excellent Rodin Sculptures and many other famous artworks, sadly, photography not allowed. I missed by one day an exhibition of Etruscan art at the Archaeological Museum and was a little disappointed by the visit to the recreation of the cave at Altimira, the cave art was not in my opinion very well displayed or lit, but that musem was generally very good.
Generally Madrid was a great place to go and visit. Very busy, noisy, excellent food, even the beer was OK and cooled me down after a walk in he heat of the day.

Not my best set of photos, but here they are- click on link Picasa Madrid

Today has been wonderful for the annual St Pauls Carnival I hope these two photograpphs and the others taken today >>link here<< gives some impression of the colour and the passion. What my photos cannot convey though is thesound of the music and the smell of cooking from every street and private back garden. Street vendors were selling watermelons and fresh coconuts and sugar canes, jerk chicken saltfish and akee and other caribbean dishes and everyone was having a great time watching the dancers, the stilt walkers, children constantly blowing whistles and the celebrastions will continue well into the night - I wouldn't like the job of clearing up the rubbish tomorrow morning.