Fabulous tour ends, now taking it easy and enjoying Madrid on our own, October 11

Breakfast this morning was the conclusion of our wonderful Tauck tour, Iberia Rediscovered. We saw many of our friends at breakfast, again bidding them Hasta la Vista and Bon Voyage! Late morning we walked to the Reina Sofia to see Picasso's Guernica, his depiction of the Luftwaffe bombing of a Basque village in 1937. The village had no military importance and mostly women and children were killed. He decreed that it would not be displayed in Spain until democracy was re-established. In the meantime it was in MoMa in NYC. After Franco died, it was returned to Madrid and now has a permanent home in the Reina Sofia. Many other works of well-known 20th century artists are displayed in this museum. We saw some of Dali, Miro, other Picasso's, and others.

It is a beautiful day and we enjoy the walk back to the hotel and then a block or two behind our hotel to La Fabrica at 2 Calle de Jesus for lunch. I ordered two canapés for lunch which are served on thick pieces of bread about 1" x 2", one being tuna mixed with pisto, a local vegetable mixture, and the other being anchovies with soft cheese and a tomato slice. Very good. Bob and the waiter did not communicate accurately and Bob received a plate of octopus (a house specialty) AND a full-size plate of shrimp and mussels garnished with tomatoes, peppers and onions, very tasty. The octopus is good, but highly seasoned with perhaps a spicy paprika....something with a zing. Next thing we know they bring out two more plates of food, at which we said, bastante!, enough, no more, and they took them back.

 

 

 

 

 

Back to the hotel for siesta. We will meet our friends from Toronto, who incidentally are in Madrid at the same time. This is the third time we have coincidentally met in Europe.


 

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