Remember a month ago when jetlag and lack of coffee made for a bad day? It's back, only today throw in Dave sleeping late 😂. Sorry, will try to do better tomorrow.
Monument to Felipe IV near the palace.
We made it to the Royal Palace by a few minutes after 10am opening. Only had to wait 15 minutes in the ticket line. We also got the audio tour, which was excellent -- each room has a couple minute narration.
For the Palacio Real de Madrid, you can take all the adjectives and superlatives from the last month and crank them up to 11. The level of detail, the sumptuously ornate decorations, the transcendant opulence, all indicate a fabulously rich kingdom and state. Very impressive rooms throughout the parts of the palace we got to visit.
Enter and be impressed! One does not enter on for, one's carriage drives in through the doors and one alights indoors at the foot of the ceremonial staircase.
As you climb the Royal staircase. Clearly we are not alone.
We feel like a royal couple here.
Massive ceiling fresco as you climb the stairs. This reminds me of the Hapsburg palace in Vienna.
Each room is fancier than the next. And, per protocol, each room was a higher level of access as you got closer to the king.
Now that is a chandelier!
Ornate porcelain detailing affixed on top of the wall otherwise covered with silk wallpaper and tapestries. Really jumps out at you!
Alban and Dami, don't start getting ideas about wedding dinner planning from this room. Yes it does seat 130 for dinner, but...
The specialized way of serving desserts. Presumably enough for the 130 guests.
They display many pieces of pottery, glassware, silver service etc. Here is just another soup tureen.
Along one corridor they show photos of the current King Felipe VI. He ascended throne in 2014 and had had to deal with previous scandal, 2008 economic crisis fallout, and COVID-19. He is portrayed as honorable and in touch with the people, well liked. This photo shows him talking to Joe Biden in 2022 before a NATO summit.
I notice the king wears close cropped beard and mustache. This explains the ubiquitous style of facial hair in Spanish men -- it's how the king does it.
The most salient piece in this room is the double bass fashioned in 1652 by Nicolò Amati of Cremona, one of the best makers of bowed string instruments and master to other luthiers such as Antonio Stradivari. Quite something to have a 400 year old bass made by the teacher of Stradivari. Also in the room were two violins and a viola by Stradivari.
The crown room. The crown is massive! At the base it would fit a large man's head, around the middle twice that size.
The treaty signing desk has inlaid dozens of different types of stone, mineral and semi-precious stone. It's a collector's masterpiece.
The throne room is very impressive. Everything here is claimed to be the same as when designed and built. One can imagine mere mortals being awed by the majesty, grandeur and (frankly) wealth of the Spanish crown to have such a palace and throne room.
Also, as the audio tour says, everything in the throne room is symbolic. For example, flanking the thrones are statues depicting the four cardinal virtues every ruler should have: Justice, Prudence, Fortitude and Temperance. USA visitors are seriously wishing for 1 or 2 of the four at this point.
From the palace we walked north past Palace of Debod. This is an Egyptian temple donated to Spain in recognition for its efforts in the international archeological effort to save Abu Simbel, the Temple of Philae and other priceless Nubian sites.
Interior of the temple, but from their website. All few available times were already booked. (15 slots per half hour)
We also learn that the UNESCO sponsored effort to save the Egyptian sites was the start of the UNESCO World Heritage Site program. So glad we have been privileged to see these beautiful portals into antiquity.
We had lunch at a nearby Peruvian restaurant that Kathy looked up, La Morocha Madrid. Delicious! The waiter suggested three dishes and they were all beautiful, tasty and fresh.
Peruvian Pisco Sour drink with some olives. ¡Salud!
Fried fish with sweet potatoes and avocado. Fresh and delicious!
Ceviche with yucca and some maize kernels. Really good! The fish is super fresh.
Preparing the third dish. All three were delicious. So glad we came here for lunch!
After lunch we walked back over to the palace and went to see the nearby Royal Collections. Roughly divided by time into 15-17th centuries, then 18/19th centuries. So many names of royalty to learn. And so much time and treasure spent on warfare. Plus some substantial whitewashing of the treatment of New World subjects in the Americas as Cortez and Pizarro conquered the continent.
Armor makes up a good part of the collections.
Amazingly detailed bronze sculpture of Neptune.
This royal carriage for carrying the king and queen had two levels of springs to cushion the ride. One that rides the whole mechanism over the axles, while the second suspends the carriage compartment over the chassis. Must have been as smooth a ride as could be achieved back then.
Cabinet marquetry gone wild!
Architectural display in marbles and other exotic materials -- quite likely another dessert tray.
As we return about 6pm there are so many people out and about. Is this the Spanish version of Italian passeggiata? Everyone out for a simultaneous stroll and people watching? It is as crowded as New York City! Maybe with tomorrow being a work day things will calm down and thin out. It's just so dense with people, especially compared to Abu Dhabi. Yowza!
About 8pm we head down to the cafe for a small meal. Some hummus and veggies plus a bruschetta. Feels so Spanish! That should hold us until the cafes open at 8:00a tomorrow! 😀
Should mention that the reason those Egyptian temples needed saving is that they were going to be flooded by the creation of the Aswan Dam. Progress for Egypt was to have a heavy price in the loss of antiquities.
ReplyDeleteIt all looks amazing! Incredible palace, art, furniture, pottery, musical instruments and food.
ReplyDeleteMaybe the Spanish will help Trump understand something about the four cardinal virtues every ruler should have (Justice, Prudence, Fortitude, & Temperance). Well, one can dream!
I forgot to tell you that we are changing the theme of our wedding to Spanish opulence! Looks beautiful ;)
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