Flamenco is not just a dance. It is an art form that includes guitar, singing, dancing, and lots of hand clapping.
On Our Own
On our walk back from the museums, we stopped at this large brown door Federico had shown us earlier. Our plan was to purchase some of the cookies ( dulces) made by the cloistered nuns. Our first ring of the doorbell brought no response. As we started to walk away, an elderly woman ran up to us and started ringing the bell over and over. Then she pushed open the door and pushed us inside. It was dark, with narrow passageways and we didn't see any signs giving directions. Honestly, it wouldn't have mattered because we couldn't have read them. It became a bit of an adventure as we searched for the old wooden lazy Susan. We put down the money we thought was correct and waited. Soon a box of sugar-dusted treats mysteriously appeared. When we got to the outside door, we heard shouting coming over the intercom. A nun shouting can be intimidating for those who attended Catholic school! The older woman came up and pushed us back through the door. We found our way back to the lazy Susan and there was change! We tipped the older woman who helped us and were given a holy card by her. The cookies were so delicious, that we and our tour friends ate most of them before we remembered to take a picture. Only two left!
Travel Tips
Since we're traveling light, we usually need to wash some of our clothes. We pack a small bottle ( under 3.4 oz. ) of laundry soap in a one quart clear bag. Take a cord in case your hotel doesn't have a pull-out cord. A few clothespins can also help. Rolling your freshly laundered clothes in towels will help remove excess water, allowing clothes to dry more quickly. We always make Wash Day the first day we're staying in a new hotel, giving us a little extra time for clothes to dry. No, we're not posting pictures of our undies here!
People waiting in the long line at the Prado.
Knowing we will skip the long line and enter through the side door with Federico!
The Prado was amazing! We focused on the Spanish paintings by Goya, El Greco, and Velazquez. No photos were allowed. Federico had stories about many of the paintings and artists. "Close your eyes and imagine... I am El Greco."
Reina Sofia (Modern Art Museum)
This museum was a lot of fun! We were allowed to take pictures. Many of the paintings were by Picasso, Dali, and Miro. . Federico helped us interpret some of the more extraordinary ones. Here are a few of the masterpieces we saw.
Flamenco
We found a restaurant that advertised "American " hamburgers for dinner. We were craving a little taste of home and were getting a little tired of Spanish ham. Surprise! The hamburgers had Spanish ham on them! After dinner, we got tickets to a Flamenco show. It was exciting! The dancing and facial expressions were so intense! There was a lot of foot stomping and quick movements. It kind of reminded me of a toddler's temper tantrum!