New Encounters

Shops open Tuesday mornings, slowing down our walking even past our local square. Antiques and jewelry, decorated boxes and flamenco shoes, even grocery stores turn our heads. Yet we manage to explore across the older part of town to Plaza de Major. Standing in the shade to get out of the brilliant hot sun and the lenses of every tourist pointed towards the center of the square, we see a familiar face from Troy, NY as she takes the camera down from her face.  This, just after a conversation between the boys that there are so many people around it feels that one would see someone they know.

Cutting a quick path through the most touristic areas, Plaza Sant Ana and past a wholesale area full of Asian shops with watches and scarves, we find our way to the beautiful design of Herzog and de Meuron -- the Caixa Forum.  Balanced between ancient and the future, this was pure fun and with free admission, some of us sat on cushioned benches resting our feet while others wandered and took images. Lunch was another adventure - seduced by a delightful waitress who came out on the hot sidewalk to draw us in with a coupon for a free bottle of wine with our lunch! Who could refuse that? We did not.

Waltzing into the Prado, no waiting, no lines, with free faculty and student admission to encourage us, we descended into the world of Van der Weyden, El Bosco, El Greco, and Campin, Memling. Intricate Garden of Earthly Delights and the view of Hell, the vast concept of grace and loss portrayed in the Descent from the Cross, we stood astonished even by the stone marquetry in one table after another. Our plan to meet a friend took us into Starbucks to check the internet, and sure enough, the plan had changed and we went home to rest before a Tapas wander in our neighborhood - La Latina having a choice selection along C/de la Cava Baja. One delicious morsel after another, good talk,  we caught up with our  young friend and his girlfriend, even meeting visitors from Detroit along the way.

Alive at night, Madrid seems to offer open gathering places in every neighborhood including our own little square as we found our way home. Tomorrow, the train to Toledo.