Our trip to Madrid started very early in the morning, around 7:45. We all took taxis or the metro to meet at a major train station here in Barcelona and boarded a high-speed train to Madrid. I really enjoyed the train ride and the chance to listen to music and relax for a few hours before our long day in Madrid. After we arrived and dropped off our luggage at our hotel, a few girls and I had lunch in the city, and got a glimpse of some of the beautiful sights we would see on our walking tour. We met up with our local tour guide, who was a professor in the city and very friendly to all of us.
Except for the sprinkle of rain, I really enjoyed our walking tour of the city. We got to see many historical sites from the Spanish Civil War, and it was really fascinating for me to see these locations in person after learning about them for so many years. We saw the statues of Don Quixote and Cervantes, a famous fictional Spanish book character, and the author, who is well-known and loved in Spain. We also got to see the palaces in the area, and our guide explained some more about the Spanish government, so we could understand the relevance of these royal homes.
Our second day in Madrid was probably my favorite day from this entire trip. We visited el Museo del Prado, where I got to see the works of two of my favorite artists, and one of my favorite paintings. That morning we had breakfast at the hotel, and met up with our museum tour guide, who gave us headsets so we could walk around the museum, take in the art, and listen to his explanations. Unfortunately, we were not allowed to take photos (although I definitely snuck one). El Greco is a famous painter I’ve spent a lot of time studying, and I was in awe to see portraits in real life. You don’t realize how large these paintings are until you see them in person!
My favorite artist, Francisco Goya, is a native Spaniard who lived in Madrid during the Spanish Civil War, and brought a unique anti-war perspective into the art world in his time. His paintings are very powerful, and I could have stayed and looked at El Tres de Mayo for the rest of the day.
Of course we went to the gift shop for a few souvenirs, before eating in the city together and boarding our train back home. Museo del Prado was an amazing experience that I will never forget and I already miss the busy city of Madrid.
