Then I went to the Monasterio de las Descalzas Reales. I had tried to come yesterday but they were full. I arrived at exactly 10:30 when they opened and the line already went across the front the monastery and halfway into the square next to it. Oh whoops! Looks like should have gotten my breakfast to-go and come here!
I waited in line for almost half an hour. I got to the front when tours were full until 12:15 already. I got a ticket even though the only tours left were in Spanish.
To pass the time, I went in search of souvenirs for Nat and Dad because they'd made requests. Natalie wanted cards, which I found in my third shop. I'm not going to say what I got for Dad because he might read this. I ended up in Plaza Mayor on the hunt. The man in the last shop that I went into wanted to talk about what I'd chosen. Then he asked me about me. He was very interested in Caleefoooohneeah. I passed him again later in the square and he told me to come visit him in his shop again.
I went to Puerta del Sol to take a picture of the bear and the tree that are part of the crest of Madrid. I also took a picture of its oldest building and the marker for the center of Spain.
Then I went into the Sfera store on the way up the street to go back to the monastery because I had time. I tried on several things. I think I'm starting to suffer from only having a suitcase of clothes. I miss my closet-full!
I had to hurry by the time I left. The monastery, of course (unfortunately), is another place that they won't allow photos. Inside it was like a cross between the palace and the prado museum. They had loads of old looking paintings and it was very ornately decorated. Well it WAS originally a palace. The main staircase is decorated with paintings that are like a major church altar. It also had lots of flowers painted on it. It had really nice colors. Everything shone. There are sections and columns and such built in. There were Bible scenes on it-- angels collecting Jesus Cristo's blood in wine cups, among other things-- and a painting of the royal family that originally founded the convent, in 1554. The building is 400+ years ago. Juana de Austria founded the convent. She was the king of Spain's sister. The Franciscan nuns who lived there were called the "descalzas reales" or royal barefooted women due to the number of nuns who had aristocratic backgrounds.
Our tour guide spoke English well and was giving hints off of the side of her main schpeil to those of us who had no clue what she was going on about. After the second capilla (chapel) she deciphered that everyone spoke English and changed the language of the tour.
At the top of the staircase, there was a hallway surrounding all 4 sides of a little courtyard. I believe it was also full of orange trees and a fountain, although on a smaller scale that the other cathedrals' orange courtyards I've recently seen. She told us about various chapels. A chapel can be as simple as an altar with a door in front of it. These ones had really old interesting doors and the chapels themselves had lots of small figures in them, almost like dolls.
We went around 2 sides' worth of chapels and then through a small room into the choir room. Nuns still sing on the 1800s benches during masses. The founder and her sister's tombs were in the room. There were paintings of them in it as well.
We went around another side (or 2... I forget, although I think just one) of the hallway and then into the tapestry room. It has 20 tapestries from Brussels sent from a widow to one of the nuns. They are from the 17th century.
On the final side of the hallway, there were a couple more chapels. One was the girls' chapel. It was on a lower level and very small. Apparently, the convent used to have small girls in it. They prayed there.
Then we went down the stairs and through several rooms quickly. One had a cute rounded staircase in the corner that seemed to be miniturized. It apparently led to the girls' chapel. There were also several portraits of family members of the founder (and her 15 children).
Then we looked at 2 rooms FULL of paintings by old masters- Flemish, Spanish, and Italian. It was like the Prado, part 2. They were mostly Bible scenes. ALso, out the back window, you could see their kitchen garden. I was slightly disappointed. I'd wanted to see more of what makes up nun-life and maybe even... a NUN!
When we were released, I took pictures of the front of the building. They didn't have postcards, sorry.
From there, I went to Pans for lunch. I had the Normandie sandwhich and patatas crispy-- like Carl's Jr.'s criss-cut fries. They gave me the tiniest soda ever.
Then I went to my room in the hostel and had a nap.
When I woke up, I headed straight for Parque del Retiro. I decided I'd have a walk around it before heading to the parade to commemorate the end of Carnaval. Retiro means retreat and the park has been open for at least 150 years. It has so many statues that it's supposably called a open-air sculpture gallery.
I found it to be a lot of walking and slightly dull. My legs were a little tired and so was I. I still tried to enjoy the main features, but didn't appreciate the lush green expanses between. I liked the big park in Barcelona better.
From the main entrance, the path was lined with... lettuce! I thought it was rather funny. They did that in Korea too. There, I think it was practical-- they literally needed all of the farming space they could get to feed the crowded country. Here, I don't know if they'd harvest and eat or not. I guess lettuce is the new flower... not ok. They had lime green and purple.
Then there was a big fountain and a long straight path. It went beside a big old square pond. On the far side was Monumento Alfonso XII (who must have been very important because I've seen stuff named after him in many cities). It reminded me of the monument in the Park de la Cuitadella except it was missing some gold. This one was bigger and had more statues, but I decided against walking around the huge pond for close-ups.
Then I went down a side walkway that was lined with statues. It also had lettuce decoration. The first one was missing its statue. I wished there was someone I knew there to take MY picture on the pedastal! I got about 1/3 of the way down the path and then got frusterated. The statue in front of me was standing on a head that had been decapitated off of someone. WHY are there random heads all over the palce?! It was even true in the monastery-- at the bottom of saint paintings, there were little angel heads. Why can't they have bodies?! I didn't even want to know what other horrors happened further down the row. I sat on a bench and ate my Bueno that I'd bought on the way. A little crumb fell and LOADS of birds came to collect. Apparently, birds like Bueno too.
I went by another fountain and then by the Palacio de Velazquez. It was under construction.
Then I came to the Palacio de Cristal. That was the definite highlight of the park in my book. It's a small palace with glass walls. It has a pond out front with lots of kinds of ducks and some black swans. I went inside. I made sure not to throw any stones. ;) There were some art exhibits inside. One was a pretend compass and a pretend spilled something on the outside of a bottle? There were also glass rods that extended from the ceiling to the floor on angles. THEY were interesting. I wondered if it was a risk that someone might walk into them!
I walked around the little pond out front. I watched the swans for a while. They kept diving over each other's necks and bobbing up and down. Why they couldn't just get food on their own side, I could not even guess. Swans mate for life. Then I went through a fake waterfall to the other side of the pond.
Then I walked to the Estatua del Angel Caido. I flipped out a little. He was bent over something, in a way that looked punative and painful. He's an angel and this is a monument. Can't he just look happen and... ANGELIC?! Why everything from the Bible has to be aweful, I will never understand. I guess to learn from. Can't we have some nice role models though? Below him were some dragons that reminded me of Asia that I loved.
I left the park. I got on the subway and headed for the Principe Pio stop to go to Ermita de San Antonio de la Florida. I asked at a different tourist information station today and found out that was where the parade started. The parade's called El Entierro de la Sardina. My guidebook says it's the Burial of the Sardine. It just says it's an entertaining parade that forms part of Carnaval. However, I know it's the end of Carnaval because it's Ash Wednesday and Lent starts.
The man yesterday was rigth-- it was NOT a nice part of town. He'd made it seem like it was the parade taht wasn't nice, but now I got it. Just outside of the station, a lady approached to ask for food for her and her dog. Noooo. I asked at a newstand which way to go and booked it toward the square. I heard drums and knew I was going the right way.
As I approached, the first thing I saw was a truck labeled for the parade. Then I saw a fish on a pole and other things being passed out to paraders. The music that went with the drumming seemed very New Orleans. That's logical considering that's where Mardi Gras is and they also celebrate the last day before lent, right?
There were lots of men in 2-tiered black capes and top hats. Many of them were wearing dark sunglasses as well. Most of them were old, but there were several close to my age. Lots of them had whistles that they were blowing to the music (and randomly). I realized everyone was wearing black to mourn the end of Carnaval and the start of Lent. AND I was wearing hot pink. It worked for me though. I got handed a handFUL of candy and a sticker! The sticker was bright green and said Alegre Cofradia del Entierro de la Sardine Madrid and had a fish on it. I felt I was being accepted into a secret society when they gave me those things. They threw candy out to everyone, but not a handful to an individual and I didn't see anyone else with a sticker!
They got out more and more flags and a fish in a tiny coffin. There were also fish skeletons to wave around on poles.
Beyond the men, there were people in yellow and red costumes. I thought they might be fish, but wasn't sure.
The parade started-- first the fish, then the men. I sort of expected... more. I couldn't hlep thinking, that's it?! I decided to follow and see what else happened. 4 men carried the fish in the coffin using a string attached to the coffin each. During a particular song that the band played, the did a s sort of ring-around-the-rosie with it, skipping in a circle.
After a while, they stopped and a main guy "read" out of a phone book. Whatever he said was met with "AMEN" from the others.
Then the parade and the crowd continued on up the street. One photographer climbed up on a trash container to get the best shot.
All the while, confetti and candy were flying into the crowd. The whistles kept blowing and the band kept playing. Here's a member of the band. He was slightly distracted. A lot of the members also paused for a visit into a bar and carried a plastic cup along with them.
I was standing between some cars to take a picture and one of the men of the parade pulled me in. I tried to do the same sort of shrug dance move along with the music as they did. He said something to me and quickly understood I didn't speak Spanish. Another guy gave me a bright pink whistle. When I escaped back out, there was an American guy who'd also been taking pictures who saw my whistle and sticker and was clearly jealous. I almost wanted to tell him it was just because I was a girl. On of the members talked to me and later introduced me to his friend. I wasn't sure I liked them but I felt a little priveleged to be in with the group. The band played the same song again and again and by the end I almost felt I could hum along!
The kids at the parade were almost all in costume. Some were cute little fish that went with the red and yellow ones. Some were in black with hankies, pretending to cry.
It took the parade almost an hour to go about 2 blocks. No way was I going to make it to the final ceremony. I decided to leave and said goodbye to the member who'd tried to befriend me. He pinched my cheek, like you might to a tiny kid. Blach!
On the way back, I stopped in the station. It has a MALL in it. I looked at lots of shops and nearly bought some ankle boots in a store called Blanco. I tried on another jacket and left a pile of confetti when I picked my own jacket back up. I had dinner at a crepe place. I didn't really like the crepe. It turned out to be mushrooms, cheese and asparagus. I hadn't know the words and just went for it. Bad idea. When I left there, I left a pile of confetti too. I don't know how-- my jacket was right side up!
When I got back to the hostel, I put my vest on the bed and there was an explosion of confetti. I hadn't realized QUITE how much there was in my hood. Oops!! No WONDER it is everywhere all over the mall!
I called home, watched some Brothers and Sisters, and worked a little on this before going to bed with a headache.
Wow, the Palacio de Cristal is really amazing. You really got the up close and personal view of the parade. I bet you will still be finding confetti when you get home!
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