Majestic Madrid

     I'm writing this on the train to Barcelona. Please bear that in mind if there are mistakes here and there.
     Well, Madrid was quite beautiful. After being stuck in the airport, then the airplane, the the metro to our hotel for about 15+ hours, we finally emerged from the underground railway into the golden light of Madrid at siesta. The feeling of trudging up those stairs from the dark of planes, trains and layovers, must be close to how puppies feel when they have learned their way around blind and dependent, and then suddenly their eyes open upon glaring but majestic light. Ok, a little dramatic, maybe, but close. Anyway, the wonderfully tight, little streets surrounded by tall, ornate old buildings filled with cafes, taperias, flower shops and the occasional garrish tourist shops, led us (eventually) to our cute and teeny hotel.
     We must have looked somewhat like refugees; dirty, disheveled, confused, and might I say, a little on the stinky side. It felt heavenly to shower and clean up once we checked in.
     When we emerged from our pequeno residence around 8 p.m. however, Madrid had transformed itself. No longer sleepy and peaceful, but bustling, lively and crowded with tourists and locals alike. True to guidebook advice, Spain comes alive at dusk and stays alive well into the night. After walking all over in no particular direction, we discovered we were in an excellent location. Right across our street was a popular glass enclosed market, full of food and wine vendors. Just a two minute walk from us was the huge Plaza De Mayor, and we were literally surrounded by bars, restaurants, cafes, etc. About a five minute walk away was the old palace and cathedral of the royals.
  Our first night, food wasn't exceptional. The beer and cheep wine was nice, but we didn't really know what to look for. Our first morning, however, we hit food gold. We stumbled upon a very "local" cafe in the middle of a very blah neighbourhood. We dined on churros con chocolate and cafe con leche. I tell you, I have never had such rich and creamy coffee. The churros are not sugary like Mexican churros, but more like a fried dough of wonderful. The chocolate is thick, as if they just melted down Hershey's bars. The combination: pure delight.
  Yesterday, we visited the Museo Del Prado. We were fortunate to see famous and captivating art by Franscisco Goya, Ruebens, a few by Raphael and one by Rembrandt, among many others. The paintings were spectacular, and much larger than we imagined. It was a little surreal to see many of the paintings I've studied in art history classes. To see them in the flesh is so far superior to even the best coffee table books. However, it is a sad truth that the body, eyes and mental capacity give out long before your determination to "soak it all in" and long before you have even seen all the works. By the end of our tour, our legs were screaming, our bellies were grumbling and our eyes were blurry and heavy with fatigue. Definitely worth it, but we decided museums should come in a mini-form, so you can enjoy each piece more thoroughly. We are a little nervous about the Louvre since Prado was exhausting, but maybe we will be more seasoned by then... and more selective... hmmm... wishful thinking?